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American citizenship test practice 2026: up to 20 of 128 questions, 12 to pass
Free American citizenship test practice: the officer asks up to 20 of the 128 official civics questions, and you need 12 right to pass, per USCIS.
Free from USCIS: the official questions, flash cards and practice tests are on USCIS, study for the test. USCIS forms are always free; get them only from USCIS forms (USCIS, avoid scams).
- questions on the list
- 128
- asked at most
- 20
- right to pass
- 12
Test facts checked 23 October 2026 against the official page: USCIS, 2025 civics test.
Which test are you taking?
It depends on when you filed Form N-400.
- 2025 civics test
- Form N-400 filed on or after 20 October 2025. Up to 20 questions from a list of 128, 12 right to pass.
- 2008 civics test
- Form N-400 filed before 20 October 2025. Up to 10 questions from a list of 100, 6 right to pass.
US citizenship test practice with study cards
Civics test practice for the 2025 and 2008 lists: each card shows the question first, then the answers USCIS accepts. Say your answer out loud before you turn the card.
Practise the interview and the English test
The naturalization test has two parts, the civics test and the English test, and both happen at the same interview with an officer.
Practise the interview
The officer's questions one at a time, read aloud if you like. Answer out loud or type, then check the answers USCIS accepts. A 10-question practice on either list is free, as often as you like.
Practise reading and writing
How the officer tests reading and writing, the USCIS word lists, and 10 sample sentences to try free.
At the same interview, the officer goes through your Form N-400 with you, in English. The English of the N-400 interview: the steps, what the officer does with your form, and the words on it in plain English. It explains words, not the law.
The US interview pack: what it adds
- The full interview, run the way the real one is (2025 civics test: up to 20 questions, stopping at 12 right or 9 wrong; 2008 civics test: up to 10 questions, stopping at 6 right or 5 wrong)
- 65/20 interviews on both lists, for people aged 65 or older who have been permanent residents for 20 years or more
- Practice of the questions you got wrong, taken from your interviews on this device
- Reading and writing practice for the English test: sentences from the full USCIS lists, the 3-sentence test (it stops at your first right sentence, as the officer does), and the sentences you got wrong
- N-400 interview English: all 100 words and phrases from Form N-400 and the interview, explained in plain English, and listening practice with 45 questions like the ones the officer asks
- Your interview and English test history on this device
Every question, answer and study card stays free, and so does the 10-question practice interview.
The US civics test 2026 at a glance
Checked 23 October 2026 against the official pages linked in each row. Rules and fees change: check your own invitation or the official page before you book.
- Who takes it
- People applying to naturalize (Form N-400), at their interview. If you are 50 or older with 20 years as a permanent resident, or 55 or older with 15 years, you skip the English test but still take civics. A medical disability exception (Form N-648) can excuse English, civics or both. USCIS
- Questions
- Spoken: a USCIS officer asks up to 20 questions from the official list of 128 and you answer out loud. Many questions accept more than one answer, and some answers change after elections or appointments. USCIS
- Pass mark
- You pass with 12 right answers. The officer stops as soon as you reach 12 right (a pass) or 9 wrong (a fail). USCIS
- Time
- No time limit is published: the civics test is part of your naturalization interview, together with the English test. USCIS
- Cost
- No separate test fee: the test is part of the naturalization application. Form N-400 costs $760 on paper or $710 online, or $380 if you qualify for the reduced fee; fee waivers exist. USCIS
- How you take it
- You do not book it. After you file Form N-400, online or by mail, USCIS schedules your interview, where an officer gives the English and civics tests. USCIS
- What to bring
- Your interview appointment notice, your Permanent Resident Card (green card), a state-issued ID, and all your passports and travel documents since you became a permanent resident. USCIS's document checklist (Form M-477) lists other papers some people need. my.uscis.gov
- If you fail
- You get two chances. If you fail civics at the first interview, you are retested on civics only, 60 to 90 days later, with different questions. Failing a second time leads to denial of the application. USCIS
- Language
- English, unless you qualify for an age-and-residence exception (50/20, 55/15 or 65/20): then you may take the civics test in your own language with an interpreter. USCIS
- Study material
- The official list of 128 civics questions and answers (2025 version), free from USCIS, with the study guide One Nation, One People. USCIS
- The study guide
Every question is based on the official list: 128 Civics Questions and Answers (2025 version).
- Version in force
- The 2025 test applies if you filed Form N-400 on or after 20 October 2025. If you filed earlier, you take the 2008 test: up to 10 questions from a list of 100, with 6 right to pass (the officer stops at 6 right or 5 wrong). USCIS
- 65/20 rule
- If you are 65 or older and have been a permanent resident for 20 years or more when you file, you are asked 10 questions from 20 specially marked ones (starred on the list) and need 6 right, in the language of your choice. USCIS
How we check these questions
- USCIS's own questions, word for word
The questions and the answers USCIS accepts are copied from its official lists: 128 questions on the 2025 list and 100 on the 2008 list. The explanations are ours.
- Matched to the official lists
An automatic check compares every card with USCIS's official PDFs: the question, every accepted answer, the 65/20 star and the answers that change with elections. Every reading and writing sentence on the English test page went through an independent second check.
- Dated facts
The test facts on this page were checked on 23 October 2026 against the official pages of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
- Report a mistake
Spotted a mistake? Tell us on the contact page and we correct it.
Common questions
How many questions are on the US citizenship test?
Spoken: a USCIS officer asks up to 20 questions from the official list of 128 and you answer out loud. Many questions accept more than one answer, and some answers change after elections or appointments.
What is the passing score for the US citizenship test?
You pass with 12 right answers. The officer stops as soon as you reach 12 right (a pass) or 9 wrong (a fail).
How many questions can you get wrong on the US citizenship test?
On the 2025 civics test you can get up to 8 wrong: the officer asks up to 20 questions and stops as soon as you have 12 right (a pass) or 9 wrong (a fail), per USCIS. On the 2008 civics test (Form N-400 filed before 20 October 2025) you can get up to 4 wrong: up to 10 questions, stopping at 6 right or 5 wrong. Under the 65/20 rule (65 or older, with 20 years or more as a permanent resident) you are asked 10 questions and need 6 right, so you can get up to 4 wrong.
How much does the US citizenship test cost?
No separate test fee: the test is part of the naturalization application. Form N-400 costs $760 on paper or $710 online, or $380 if you qualify for the reduced fee; fee waivers exist. Source: USCIS
Is there a free US citizenship practice test for 2026?
Yes. All 128 civics questions on this site are free for 2026, with study cards and a 10-question practice interview, and no account. USCIS also gives the official questions, flash cards and practice tests free.
Are these the real US citizenship test questions?
No. Nobody outside the USCIS has the real questions beyond the published list. Ours are written from the same official list, in the same format, and checked against it.
What happens if you fail the US citizenship test?
You get two chances. If you fail civics at the first interview, you are retested on civics only, 60 to 90 days later, with different questions. Failing a second time leads to denial of the application.
Which version of the civics test will I take?
The 2025 test applies if you filed Form N-400 on or after 20 October 2025. If you filed earlier, you take the 2008 test: up to 10 questions from a list of 100, with 6 right to pass (the officer stops at 6 right or 5 wrong).
What is the 65/20 rule?
If you are 65 or older and have been a permanent resident for 20 years or more when you file, you are asked 10 questions from 20 specially marked ones (starred on the list) and need 6 right, in the language of your choice.
How do I practise the reading and writing test?
On the English test page. It explains how the officer gives the reading and writing test and shows the USCIS word lists. You can read sample sentences aloud, or write them as your browser reads them to you, and then compare them word by word. Nothing is recorded: the page never uses a microphone.
How do I practise a spoken test?
Two ways. With the study cards: read the question, say your answer out loud, then turn the card to check it. With the interview practice: you get the questions one at a time, as the officer asks them, and read aloud if you like. You mark each answer yourself against the answers USCIS accepts.
What is free, and what does the US interview pack add?
Every question, accepted answer, explanation and study card is free, and so are a 10-question practice interview on either list (as often as you like) and the English test page with both USCIS word lists and 10 sample sentences, and the N-400 interview page. USCIS gives the official questions, flash cards and practice tests free as well. The US interview pack (US$9.99, one payment) adds the full interview for the 2025 and 2008 tests (it stops as soon as you have passed or failed, as the real one does), 65/20 interviews (for people aged 65 or older with 20 years as a permanent resident), practice of the questions you got wrong, reading and writing practice for the English test, N-400 interview English (the words of Form N-400 and the officer's questions), and your history on this device. The all-tests unlock (£7.99, paid in British pounds) includes it.
Do I need an account?
No. Your scores are saved in this browser on this device. Full access is a code you enter once, with no account and no subscription. The code appears on screen straight after payment.