Shorter test

A shorter civics list for applicants 65 and over.

If you are 65 or older and have held a green card for 20 years or more, USCIS cuts your civics list down to 20 questions. The rest of the interview runs the same way it does for everyone else.

to study: 20
asked: 10
right to pass: 6

See the 20 questions How it works

Updated August 21, 2026. Both question lists below match the current USCIS study materials.

Civics practice test in the app, with a multiple-choice question and four answers

How the officer gives the test

In the language you choose

You skip the English test, and you can take the civics test in your own language with an interpreter.
Only the 20 designated questions

The officer only asks questions from the short list for your test version.
A second try if you need it

Fail a part and USCIS schedules a retest 60 to 90 days later. Only the part you failed is tested again.

10 questions, 6 right to pass

6 right answers pass Asked only if needed

The officer stops as soon as the result is settled, at 6 correct or 5 incorrect. If your first 6 answers are right, the officer stops there.

Do you qualify?

USCIS calls this the 65/20 special consideration. Guides often call it the senior exemption, or the shorter citizenship test for applicants 65 and older. Whatever the name, two things have to be true on the day you file your Form N-400: you are 65 years or older, and you have been a lawful permanent resident for 20 or more years.

If either one is not true, the standard civics test applies: all 100 questions on the 2008 version, or all 128 on the 2025 version. Which set of 20 you study follows the same filing date that sets your test version.

65+

Years old

You are 65 or older on the day you file.

20+

Years a permanent resident

You have held a green card for 20 years or more when you file.

Questions to study

A designated list for your test version, in place of 100 or 128.

The 20 designated questions

Each test version has its own list, and your filing date decides which one is yours. Every question links to its answers and explanation on the full list.

2025 list 2008 list

The 2025 list: your 20 of the 128

2
What is the supreme law of the land?
(U.S.) Constitution
7
How many amendments does the U.S. Constitution have?
Twenty-seven (27)
12
What is the economic system of the United States?
Capitalism · Free market economy
20
Name one power of the U.S. Congress.
Writes laws · Declares war · Makes the federal budget
30
What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
Answers will vary.
36
The President of the United States is elected for how many years?
Four (4) years
38
What is the name of the President of the United States now?
Answers will vary.
39
What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?
Answers will vary.
44
Who vetoes bills?
The President (of the United States)
52
What is the highest court in the United States?
Supreme Court
61
Who is the governor of your state now?
Answers will vary.
66
What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
The United States · The flag
74
Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
American Indians · Native Americans
78
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
(Thomas) Jefferson
86
George Washington is famous for many things. Name one.
"Father of Our Country" · First president of the United States · General of the Continental Army · President of the Constitutional Convention
94
Abraham Lincoln is famous for many things. Name one.
Freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation) · Saved (or preserved) the Union · Led the United States during the Civil War · 16th president of the United States · Delivered the Gettysburg Address
113
Martin Luther King, Jr. is famous for many things. Name one.
Fought for civil rights · Worked for equality for all Americans · Worked to ensure that people would "not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character"
115
What major event happened on September 11, 2001 in the United States?
Terrorists attacked the United States · Terrorists took over two planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center in New York City · Terrorists took over a plane and crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia · Terrorists took over a plane originally aimed at Washington, D.C., and crashed in a field in Pennsylvania
121
Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
(Because there were) 13 original colonies · (Because the stripes) represent the original colonies
126
Name three national U.S. holidays.
New Year's Day · Martin Luther King, Jr. Day · Presidents Day (Washington's Birthday) · Memorial Day · Juneteenth · Independence Day · Labor Day · Columbus Day · Veterans Day · Thanksgiving Day · Christmas Day

The 2008 list: your 20 of the 100

6
What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?
speech · religion · assembly · press · petition the government
11
What is the economic system in the United States?
capitalist economy · market economy
13
Name one branch or part of the government.
Congress · legislative · President · executive · the courts · judicial
17
What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
the Senate and House (of Representatives)
20
Who is one of your state's U.S. Senators now?
Answers will vary.
27
In what month do we vote for President?
November
28
What is the name of the President of the United States now?
Answers will vary.
44
What is the capital of your state?
Answers will vary.
45
What are the two major political parties in the United States?
Democratic and Republican
49
What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?
serve on a jury · vote in a federal election
54
How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?
eighteen (18) and older
56
When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?
April 15
70
Who was the first President?
(George) Washington
75
What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?
freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation) · saved (or preserved) the Union · led the United States during the Civil War
78
Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.
World War I · World War II · Korean War · Vietnam War · (Persian) Gulf War
85
What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?
fought for civil rights · worked for equality for all Americans
94
What is the capital of the United States?
Washington, D.C.
95
Where is the Statue of Liberty?
New York (Harbor) · Liberty Island
97
Why does the flag have 50 stars?
because there is one star for each state · because each star represents a state · because there are 50 states
99
When do we celebrate Independence Day?
July 4

What changes

You study 20 designated questions, a fixed subset marked with an asterisk in the official USCIS study materials. On the 2008 test that is 20 of the 100 questions; on the 2025 test, 20 of the 128. At the interview the officer asks 10 of those 20, and you pass by answering 6 correctly, the same score as the standard 2008 test.

Applications filed before October 20, 2025 use the 20 on the 2008 list. Applications filed on or after October 20, 2025 use the 20 on the 2025 list. Those 20 come from the same subject areas as the full list, so the format of the interview does not change. There is simply less to memorize.

A different accommodation exists for disability. Form N-648, the Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions, can exempt you from the English and civics tests entirely when a licensed medical professional certifies a physical or developmental disability or mental impairment. That one runs through your doctor and USCIS rather than a shorter study list.

Studying the 20 in the app

Turn on 65/20 mode and the whole app narrows to the 20 designated questions on the 2008 list. Every one of them can be read aloud, which helps if you would rather listen than read.

What narrows to 20

The flashcard deck: Your 20 cards, still grouped by category.
The category list: Any category with nothing designated in it drops out.
The practice tests: Drawn from the short list, in the real interview format.
The progress ring: Counts how many of the 20 you have mastered.

If your filing date puts you on the 2025 list, you can still study your 20 designated questions in the app as part of the full 2025 set, with the same read-aloud audio on every one.

65/20 mode and read-aloud audio are always free. We do not put accessibility features behind the paywall.

Browse all 100 questions on the 2008 list or all 128 on the 2025 list.

We are not affiliated with or endorsed by USCIS. This page explains the special consideration in plain English; USCIS decides whether it applies to your application. Confirm your eligibility against the current official guidance or with your officer.

Try a question

At the interview there are no answer choices. Here they help you check yourself, and in the app you can also answer out loud.

Integrated Civics Question 94 on the 2008 list

What is the capital of the United States?

New York City Not this one Philadelphia Not this one Washington, D.C. Correct Boston Not this one

That's right.

Washington, D.C. is the capital. Congress, the White House, and the Supreme Court are all there. This one is on the 2008 list of 20.

Not yet. Here's the answer.

Washington, D.C. is the capital. Congress, the White House, and the Supreme Court are all there. This one is on the 2008 list of 20.

In the app this becomes a flashcard that keeps coming back until you know it. Get early access

The three versions side by side

The 2025 civics test, the 2008 civics test and the 65/20 special consideration compared
	2025 test	2008 test	65/20
Who takes it	Filed on or after Oct 20, 2025	Filed before Oct 20, 2025	65+ and 20 years a resident
Study list	128 questions	100 questions	20 questions
Asked	Up to 20	Up to 10	10
To pass	12 correct	6 correct	6 correct
Language	English, unless 50/20 or 55/15 applies	English, unless 50/20 or 55/15 applies	Your choice, with an interpreter

Common questions

Who qualifies for the 65/20 special consideration?

Applicants who are 65 years or older at the time of filing and who have been a lawful permanent resident for 20 or more years. Both have to be true.

How many questions do I have to study under 65/20?

Twenty. They are a designated subset marked with an asterisk in the official USCIS study materials, 20 of the 100 questions on the 2008 test or 20 of the 128 on the 2025 test. The officer asks 10 of those 20 and you pass by answering 6 correctly.

Can I take the test in my own language?

That is a separate accommodation from 65/20. The 50/20 rule (50 or older and 20 years a resident) and the 55/15 rule (55 or older and 15 years) exempt you from the English reading and writing test and let you bring an interpreter, and anyone who qualifies for 65/20 is covered as well. You still take the civics test. Check the current USCIS guidance for your own situation.

Does 65/20 apply to the 2025 civics test?

Yes, with its own set of 20 asterisked questions. The officer asks 10 and you pass with 6 correct, the same as on the 2008 test. Your N-400 filing date decides which list your 20 questions come from.

Do I have to pay for 65/20 mode in the app?

No. It is free and it stays free.

How do I claim the 65/20 exemption?

There is no extra form for it. Your date of birth and the date you became a permanent resident are already on your Form N-400, which is what the consideration is based on. If you want to be sure it was applied, raise it with your officer at the interview.

Are the 20 questions easier than the rest?

They come from the same official list, so the questions themselves are ordinary civics facts. What changes is the load: 20 to remember instead of 100 or 128, and you can answer in the language you prefer.

What if I fail the civics test under 65/20?

The standard retest rule applies. USCIS retests you on the failed portion between 60 and 90 days after your interview, still under the same consideration: 10 questions drawn from your 20.

Study the 20 with audio

65/20 mode will be free at launch and reads every question out loud. Join the waitlist and we will tell you when it is out.

iPhone first, Android after that. We'll email you once, when it launches.