2025 civics test · Question 40 · System of Government
If the president can no longer serve, who becomes president?
Official answer
- The Vice President (of the United States)
What this means
If the President can no longer serve, the Vice President becomes President.
This is the first step in the line of succession. It has happened several times in American history, when a president died in office or resigned, and each time the vice president took over.
Do not confuse this with the harder version of the question, which asks who takes over if both the president and vice president cannot serve. That answer is the Speaker of the House. When only the president cannot serve, the answer is the Vice President.
Why this is on the test
This is one of the most commonly asked questions about how power passes, and both tests use nearly the same wording.
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.
This question also appears on the 2008 civics test , as question 30.
Related questions
More from System of Government.
- 16 Name the three branches of government.
- 17 The President of the United States is in charge of which branch of government?
- 18 What part of the federal government writes laws?
- 19 What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
- 20 Name one power of the U.S. Congress.
- 21 How many U.S. senators are there?