U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is introducing a revised version of the naturalization civics test. The oral civics test is administered to all applicants for U.S. citizenship. The 2020 test increases the number of questions that applicants will be asked. Applicants who apply for naturalization on or after Dec. 1, 2020 will be required to take the 2020 test. Applicants with a filing date before Dec. 1, 2020 will take the 2008 version of the test currently utilized.
What Applicants Can Expect
- The number of civic test questions that will be covered has increased from 100 to 128 possible questions
- USCIS will not change the 60% passing score but will require that applicants answer 12 questions out of 20 possible questions correctly, instead of the previously required 6 out of 10 questions
- Interviewing officers will now ask all 20 questions instead of stopping once the applicant reaches the required minimum of correct responses
65/20 Special Consideration & Exemptions
Applicants who are 65 years old or older and have held lawful permanent resident status for at least 20 years will need to study 20 questions. They will be asked 10 questions and must answer a minimum of 6 questions correctly to pass. Learn more about special considerations and other exceptions here.
Test Resources
Test items and study guides can be found on the Citizenship Resource Center on the USCIS website.
