The citizenship test is the part of the naturalization interview where a USCIS officer checks your English reading, writing and speaking, and your knowledge of US history and government. Some applicants are exempt from English because of age and years of residence, some take a simplified civics test, and a disability certified on Form N-648 can excuse either part.
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| What is tested | English reading, writing and speaking, and civics |
|---|---|
| Where | In person, during your naturalization interview at a USCIS field office |
| Age exemptions | 50/20 and 55/15 waive English; 65/20 also simplifies civics |
| Medical exception | Form N-648, certified by a licensed medical professional |
| If you fail | One retest on the part you missed, generally 60 to 90 days later |
| Attorney fee | A flat fee, agreed in writing; USCIS filing fees paid separately |
What is on the US citizenship test?
The US citizenship test has two parts. The first is an English test of reading, writing and speaking. The second is a civics test on US history and government. Both take place during your naturalization interview, in person, with the same USCIS officer who reviews your Form N-400.
The requirements come from INA § 312. The law asks for a basic ability to read, write and speak ordinary English. It also asks for a knowledge and understanding of US history and of the principles and form of US government. It does not ask for fluency, and it does not ask for a written exam in a testing center.
The citizenship test is one step in a longer process. Our naturalization guide covers the rest of the N-400, from the eligibility date to the oath ceremony.
How does the English test work?
The English test has three parts, and the officer gives all three during the interview. Speaking is assessed throughout the conversation, while reading and writing are short, separate exercises.
- Speaking The officer judges your spoken English from the interview itself. Can you understand and answer questions about your N-400, your background and your eligibility?
- Reading You read a sentence aloud in English so that the officer can tell you understand its meaning.
- Writing You write a sentence in English that the officer reads to you, in a way the officer can understand.
Speaking is where many applicants feel least prepared. After all, the questions are about their own history rather than a study list. The N-400 uses legal terms, and the officer may ask what some of them mean. For this part of the citizenship test, knowing your own application well beats any vocabulary list.
USCIS publishes vocabulary lists for the reading and writing sections, along with its other official study materials. Most of the words relate to civics topics, holidays and US history. As a result, study for the civics test and the English test overlaps.
How does the civics test work?
The civics test is an oral test. The officer asks questions from an official USCIS list about US history and government, and you answer out loud. To pass, you answer a set number of questions correctly. The officer stops asking once you reach that number.
USCIS has revised the civics test more than once. The version you take depends on the date you filed your N-400. Between versions, the size of the study list, the number of questions asked and the passing score all differ. USCIS publishes the official list for each one, so use the list that matches your filing date.
Some answers change with elections, such as the names of the President, your US senators and your representative in Congress. Check those answers close to the date of your interview.
Who is exempt from the English test?
Some older applicants skip the English part of the citizenship test. On the day you file, you must be 50 or older with 20 years as a permanent resident, or 55 or older with 15 years. These are known as the 50/20 and 55/15 exemptions, and they come from INA § 312(b)(2).
| Exemption | Age at filing | Years as a permanent resident | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50/20 | 50 or older | 20 | No English test; civics in your own language |
| 55/15 | 55 or older | 15 | No English test; civics in your own language |
| 65/20 | 65 or older | 20 | No English test; a shorter, designated civics list in your own language |
Both conditions have to be met when you file, not when you are interviewed. The years count from the date you became a permanent resident. Time in the United States before the green card does not count.
Even if you qualify, you still take the civics test in your own language, through an interpreter you bring. The interpreter has to be fluent in English and in your language and signs a declaration at the interview. The 65/20 rule goes further. Here, USCIS gives special consideration on civics by asking from a shorter, designated set of questions.
How does the Form N-648 medical exception work?
Form N-648, the Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions, is signed by a licensed medical professional. It certifies that a physical or developmental disability or a mental impairment keeps you from meeting the English requirement, the civics requirement, or both. If USCIS accepts it, you skip the part of the citizenship test it covers.
- Who can certify A licensed medical doctor, doctor of osteopathy or clinical psychologist, licensed in the United States, who has examined you.
- How long the condition lasts The disability or impairment has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months.
- The link The form has to explain how the condition prevents you from learning or showing English or civics knowledge. A diagnosis on its own is not enough.
- What it excludes A condition caused by illegal drug use does not qualify.
The officer reviews the N-648 at the interview. The officer can find it insufficient if the explanation is vague or does not match the rest of the record. Most refusals come from forms that name a condition without explaining its effect on learning, memory or communication.
Separately, USCIS offers disability accommodations on request. Examples include a sign language interpreter, extra time, or in some cases an interview away from the field office. In limited cases USCIS can also waive the Oath of Allegiance for someone whose disability prevents them from understanding it.
What happens if you fail the citizenship test?
If you fail any part of the citizenship test at the first interview, USCIS gives you one more chance. The retest is generally 60 to 90 days later. The officer retests only the part you did not pass, and your passing results on the other parts stand.
If you fail the same part again, USCIS denies the N-400. That denial does not affect your permanent residence. You can file a new application, with a new filing fee, when you are ready. Meanwhile, the time in between is often enough to study or to see whether an exemption now applies.
The result of each interview appears on Form N-652, which the officer gives you before you leave. It states which parts you passed and which, if any, you have to retake.
How can an attorney help you prepare?
An attorney helps with the parts of the test that a study list cannot cover. That includes the speaking test built on your own N-400, and the interview itself. It also includes the choice between the full test, an exemption and the medical exception.
- Check which test applies Your filing date, age and green card date decide the civics version and whether an exemption applies.
- Review the N-400 with you The speaking test draws on your answers, so you go through every section and every legal term in advance.
- Work with your medical provider Where an N-648 may apply, the attorney explains to the provider what the form has to show.
- Practice the interview A mock interview in English, with explanations in Armenian, Russian or Spanish where that helps.
- Attend with you Your attorney can sit in on the interview and the retest.
Nerves are normal, and officers see them every day. With their own application in front of them, most people find the interview more like a conversation than an exam. The firm’s process page explains how a matter runs from the first call to the decision.
What does help with the citizenship test cost?
Test preparation is usually part of a naturalization matter. We quote it as a flat fee for the whole matter, agreed in writing before any work begins. USCIS sets the N-400 filing fee, and you pay it separately, directly to the government. USCIS also offers a reduced fee or a fee waiver to some applicants based on income.
The first consultation is free and takes about thirty minutes. Our fees and consultations page explains how we set the flat fee. For the other matters, see the citizenship and naturalization overview.