2008 civics test · Question 39 · System of Government
How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
Your answer will vary
- nine (9)
This answer can change. It was correct as of July 20, 2026. Confirm it against the current USCIS study materials before your interview.
Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the current number of justices on the Supreme Court.
USCIS publishes the current answers to these questions at uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates .
What this means
There are nine seats on the Supreme Court: one chief justice and eight associate justices.
Justices are nominated by the president and must be confirmed by the Senate. Once confirmed they serve for life, which is meant to keep them independent of politics: they do not have to win elections or please anyone to keep the job.
Did you know? The number nine is not written in the Constitution. Congress sets the size of the Supreme Court by law. The number changed six times before settling at nine in 1869, so USCIS treats this as an answer that could change.
Answer: nine (9).
Why this is on the test
The number of justices is set by Congress rather than by the Constitution, which is why USCIS treats it as an answer that could change.
How this question is asked
On the 2008 civics test, the officer asks up to 10 of the 100 questions out loud and you pass by answering 6 correctly. You answer in your own words. There is no multiple choice and nothing to write down for the civics portion.
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- 18 How many U.S. Senators are there?