What Are the 100 Civics Questions?

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) uses a standardized list of 100 civics questions as part of the naturalization interview. You'll be asked up to 10 of these questions during your interview — and you need to answer at least 6 correctly to pass. That's a 60% passing score.

These aren't trick questions. They cover American government, U.S. history, and integrated civics (geography, holidays, and symbols). With focused study, most applicants pass on the first try. This guide gives you every question, every accepted answer, and the study strategies that actually move the needle.

One thing people don't realize: many questions have multiple acceptable answers. USCIS publishes a full list of acceptable responses for each question. You only need to give one correct answer — so you don't need to memorize every possibility, just one solid answer per question.

If you're 65 years old or older and have been a lawful permanent resident for 20 or more years, you only need to study the questions marked with an asterisk (*) — there are 20 of them, and the standard for older long-term residents is lower.

American Government (Questions 1–57)

The largest section — 57 questions — covers how the U.S. government is structured and how it works. It breaks into three sub-topics: Principles of American Democracy (1–12), System of Government (13–47), and Rights and Responsibilities (48–57).

Principles of American Democracy (Questions 1–12)

1. What is the supreme law of the land?

The Constitution

2. What does the Constitution do?

Sets up the government; defines the government; protects basic rights of Americans

3. The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?

We the People

4. What is an amendment?

A change to the Constitution; an addition to the Constitution

5. What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?

The Bill of Rights

6. What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?

Speech, religion, assembly, press, petition the government

7. How many amendments does the Constitution have?

Twenty-seven (27)

8. What did the Declaration of Independence do?

Announced our independence from Great Britain; declared our independence; said that the United States is free from Great Britain

9. What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?

Life; liberty; pursuit of happiness

10. What is freedom of religion?

You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion

11. What is the economic system in the United States?

Capitalist economy; market economy

12. What is the "rule of law"?

Everyone must follow the law; leaders must obey the law; government must obey the law; no one is above the law

System of Government (Questions 13–47)

13. Name one branch or part of the government.

Congress; legislative; President; executive; the courts; judicial

14. What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?

Checks and balances; separation of powers

15. Who is in charge of the executive branch?

The President

16. Who makes federal laws?

Congress; Senate and House of Representatives; U.S. legislature

17. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?

The Senate and House of Representatives

18. How many U.S. Senators are there?

One hundred (100)

19. We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?

Six (6)

20. Who is one of your state's U.S. Senators now?

Answers vary by state — USCIS accepts the name of either current senator from your state

21. The House of Representatives has how many voting members?

Four hundred thirty-five (435)

22. We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?

Two (2)

23. Name your U.S. Representative.

Answers vary by district

24. Who does a U.S. Senator represent?

All people of the state

25. Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?

Because of the state's population; because they have more people; because some states have more people

26. We elect a President for how many years?

Four (4)

27. In what month do we vote for President?

November

28. What is the name of the President of the United States now?

Current President (answers vary by administration)

29. What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?

Current Vice President (answers vary by administration)

30. If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?

The Vice President

31. If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?

The Speaker of the House

32. Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?

The President

33. Who signs bills to become laws?

The President

34. Who vetoes bills?

The President

35. What does the President's Cabinet do?

Advises the President

36. What are two Cabinet-level positions?

Secretary of Agriculture; Secretary of Commerce; Secretary of Defense; Secretary of Education; Secretary of Energy; Secretary of Health and Human Services; Secretary of Homeland Security; Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; Secretary of the Interior; Secretary of Labor; Secretary of State; Secretary of Transportation; Secretary of the Treasury; Secretary of Veterans Affairs; Attorney General; Vice President

37. What does the judicial branch do?

Reviews laws; explains laws; resolves disputes (disagreements); decides if a law goes against the Constitution

38. What is the highest court in the United States?

The Supreme Court

39. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?

Nine (9)

40. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?

John Roberts (John G. Roberts, Jr.)

41. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?

To print money; to declare war; to create an army; to make treaties

42. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states?

Provide schooling and education; provide protection (police); provide safety (fire departments); give a driver's license; approve zoning and land use

43. Who is the Governor of your state now?

Answers vary by state

44. What is the capital of your state?

Answers vary by state

45. What are the two major political parties in the United States?

Democratic and Republican

46. What is the political party of the President now?

Varies by administration

47. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?

Current Speaker (varies)

Rights and Responsibilities (Questions 48–57)

48. There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.

Citizens eighteen (18) and older can vote; you don't have to pay to vote; any citizen can vote (women and men can vote); a male citizen of any race can vote

49. What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?

Serve on a jury; vote in a federal election

50. Name one right only for United States citizens.

Vote in a federal election; run for federal office

51. What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?

Freedom of expression; freedom of speech; freedom of assembly; freedom to petition the government; freedom of religion; the right to bear arms

52. What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?

The United States; the flag

53. What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?

Give up loyalty to other countries; defend the Constitution and laws of the United States; obey the laws of the United States; serve in the U.S. military if needed; serve the nation if needed; be loyal to the United States

54. How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?

Eighteen (18) and older

55. What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?

Vote; join a political party; help with a campaign; join a civic group; join a community group; give an elected official your opinion on an issue; call Senators and Representatives; publicly support or oppose an issue or policy; run for office; write to a newspaper

56. When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?

April 15

57. When must all men register for the Selective Service?

At age 18; between 18 and 26

American History (Questions 58–87)

Thirty questions cover three eras: Colonial Period and Independence (58–70), the 1800s (71–77), and Recent American History and Other Important Historical Information (78–87).

Colonial Period and Independence (Questions 58–70)

58. What is one reason colonists came to America?

Freedom; political liberty; religious freedom; economic opportunity; to practice their religion; to escape persecution

59. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?

American Indians; Native Americans

60. What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?

Africans; people from Africa

61. Why did the colonists fight the British?

Because of high taxes (taxation without representation); because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering); because they didn't have self-government

62. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson

63. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?

July 4, 1776

64. There were 13 original states. Name three.

New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia

65. What happened at the Constitutional Convention?

The Constitution was written; the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution

66. When was the Constitution written?

1787

67. The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.

James Madison; Alexander Hamilton; John Jay; Publius

68. What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?

U.S. diplomat; oldest member of the Constitutional Convention; first Postmaster General of the United States; writer of "Poor Richard's Almanac"; started the first free libraries

69. Who is the "Father of Our Country"?

George Washington

70. Who was the first President?

George Washington

The 1800s (Questions 71–77)

71. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?

The Louisiana Territory; Louisiana

72. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.

War of 1812; Mexican-American War; Civil War; Spanish-American War

73. Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.

The Civil War; the War Between the States

74. Name one problem that led to the Civil War.

Slavery; economic reasons; states' rights

75. What was one important thing Abraham Lincoln did?

Freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation); saved (preserved) the Union; led the United States during the Civil War

76. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

Freed the slaves; freed slaves in the Confederacy; freed slaves in the Confederate states; freed slaves in most Southern states

77. What did Susan B. Anthony do?

Fought for women's rights; fought for civil rights

Recent American History (Questions 78–87)

78. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.

World War I; World War II; Korean War; Vietnam War; Gulf War

79. Who was President during World War I?

Woodrow Wilson

80. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?

Franklin Roosevelt

81. Who did the United States fight in World War II?

Japan, Germany, and Italy

82. Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in?

World War II

83. During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?

Communism

84. What movement tried to end racial discrimination?

Civil rights movement

85. What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?

Fought for civil rights; worked for equality for all Americans

86. What major event happened on September 11, 2001, in the United States?

Terrorists attacked the United States

87. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.

Cherokee, Navajo, Sioux, Chippewa, Choctaw, Pueblo, Apache, Iroquois, Creek, Blackfeet, Seminole, Cheyenne, Arawak, Shawnee, Mohegan, Huron, Oneida, Lakota, Crow, Teton, Hopi, Inuit

Integrated Civics (Questions 88–100)

The final 13 questions cover geography (88–95) and symbols and holidays (96–100). These tend to be among the easiest — most applicants find them straightforward after a few days of review.

Geography (Questions 88–95)

88. Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.

Missouri River; Mississippi River

89. What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?

Pacific Ocean

90. What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?

Atlantic Ocean

91. Name one U.S. territory.

Puerto Rico; U.S. Virgin Islands; American Samoa; Northern Mariana Islands; Guam

92. Name one state that borders Canada.

Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Alaska

93. Name one state that borders Mexico.

California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas

94. What is the capital of the United States?

Washington, D.C.

95. Where is the Statue of Liberty?

New York Harbor; Liberty Island (also: New Jersey, near New York City, on the Hudson River)

Symbols and Holidays (Questions 96–100)

96. Why does the flag have 13 stripes?

Because there were 13 original colonies; because the stripes represent the original colonies

97. Why does the flag have 50 stars?

Because there is one star for each state; because each star represents a state; because there are 50 states

98. What is the name of the national anthem?

The Star-Spangled Banner

99. What do we celebrate on the Fourth of July?

Independence Day; independence of the United States

100. Name two national U.S. holidays.

New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day (Fourth of July), Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas

How the Civics Interview Works

The civics test is part of your naturalization interview, not a separate appointment. Your USCIS officer will ask you up to 10 civics questions verbally, in English. You answer verbally — no writing, no multiple choice.

The officer stops asking questions as soon as you've answered 6 correctly. So if you nail the first 6, the test is over. If you miss one early, they continue asking until you've hit 6 correct or exhausted 10 questions.

The officer picks the questions — you don't get to choose. That said, questions are drawn from the official list of 100, so there are no surprises if you've studied all of them.

What Happens If You Fail?

If you don't answer 6 of 10 correctly, you'll be scheduled for a second interview within 60 to 90 days. At the second interview, you'll be tested again on the civics portion (and the English portion if that was also an issue). Most applicants pass on the second try. USCIS does not offer a third attempt — if you fail twice, your application is denied.

English Language Requirement

The civics test is conducted in English for most applicants. The English test — which covers reading, writing, and speaking — happens in the same interview. However, there are age and residency exceptions:

• 50/20 exception: Age 50 or older with 20+ years as a lawful permanent resident — may take the civics test in your native language
• 55/15 exception: Age 55 or older with 15+ years as a lawful permanent resident — same language accommodation
• 65/20 exception: Age 65 or older with 20+ years as a lawful permanent resident — only 20 of the 100 questions apply (the starred ones)
• Medical disability: Form N-648 can waive both the English and civics requirements

Practice Tests by Topic

Breaking your study into focused topic areas is the fastest way to close gaps. Use the civics practice test quiz library to drill by subject — American government, history, or integrated civics — rather than reviewing everything in one long session.

After you feel solid on individual topics, use the full mixed-format practice citizenship test to simulate actual interview conditions. Random questions from all three sections, same 10-question format the USCIS officer uses.

For history-focused prep, pay extra attention to questions 71–77 on the 1800s. Wars, key figures, and the Civil War come up regularly in interviews. The civic practice test for 19th century history covers exactly this ground.

If you want a broader refresher on what the citizenship process involves, the guide to study for citizenship test covers background knowledge that puts the 100 questions in context.