2025 civics test · Question 7 · Principles of American Government
How many amendments does the U.S. Constitution have?
Official answer
- Twenty-seven (27)
What this means
The Constitution has 27 amendments. An amendment is a formal change or addition to the Constitution.
The first ten were added together in 1791 and are called the Bill of Rights. They protect freedoms like speech, religion, and the right to a fair trial. The remaining 17 were added one at a time over more than two centuries, ending slavery, extending the vote to women, and lowering the voting age to 18.
Amending the Constitution is deliberately difficult: it takes two-thirds of Congress and approval by three-quarters of the states. That is why there have been only 27 in over 230 years.
Answer with the number: twenty-seven (27).
Why this is on the test
The number shows that the Constitution can change. Several later questions ask about specific amendments, so knowing there are 27 gives you a frame for the rest.
How this question is asked
On the 2025 civics test, the officer asks up to 20 of the 128 questions out loud and you pass by answering 12 correctly. You answer in your own words. There is no multiple choice and nothing to write down for the civics portion.
Related questions
More from Principles of American Government.
- 1 What is the form of government of the United States?
- 2 What is the supreme law of the land?
- 3 Name one thing the U.S. Constitution does.
- 4 The U.S. Constitution starts with the words "We the People." What does "We the People" mean?
- 5 How are changes made to the U.S. Constitution?
- 6 What does the Bill of Rights protect?