Sample US Citizenship Questions

Before you become a US Citizen through naturalization, you need to take the naturalization test to prove that you have a basic knowledge of U.S. history and government which is also known as “civics”. Taking the test is required unless you qualify for an exemption or waiver. You will take the civics test during your naturalization interview together with English test (read, write, and speak basic English).

The “civics” naturalization test is easy only if you study well and practice answering the questions. There are 100 practice test questions at USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services), former INS (Immigration and Naturalization Services).  Up to 10 questions will be asked during the naturalization interview. You only need 6 correct answers.  You’ve got to memorize, understand, and do some research especially on answers to questions about “who” for the incumbents might have changed already.  Questions being asked start with who, what, where, when, why, how.

So you have an idea, the sample civics questions are the following:

About American Government (Principles of American Democracy, System of Government, Rights and Responsibilities)

• What is the supreme law of the land? Constitution
• What is an amendment? A change or addition to the Constitution
• How many amendments does the Constitution have? 27
• Name one branch or part of the government? Ex. Congress
• How many U.S. Senators are there? 100
• Name your U.S. Representative
• Why do some states have more Representatives than other states? Because some states have more people
• What are 2 Cabinet-level positions? Ex. Secretary of State, Secretary of Homeland Security
• Who is the Governor of your state now? You find out.
• What are the 2 rights of everyone living in the United States? Ex. Freedom of speech, freedom of expression
• When must all men register for the Selective Service? At age 18, between 18 and 26

About American History (Colonial Period and Independence, 1800s, Recent American History and Other Important Historical Information)

• What is one reason colonists came to America? Ex. Freedom
• Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? Thomas Jefferson
• When was the Declaration of Independence adopted? July 4, 1776
• There were 13 original states. Name 3. Ex. Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey
• Who was the first President? George Washington
• Name one problem that led to the Civil War. Ex. Economic reasons
• What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did? Ex. Freed the slaves
• Who was President during World War I? Woodrow Wilson
• What did Martin Luther King Jr. do? Ex. Worked for equality for all Americans
• What major event happened on September 11, 2001 in the United States? Terrorists attacked the United States

About Integrated Civics (Geography, Symbols, Holidays)

• Name 1 of the 2 largest rivers in the United States? Ex. Mississippi River
• Name 1 U.S. territory. Ex. Puerto Rico
• What is the capital of the United States? Washington, D.C.
• Where is the Statue of Liberty? Ex. New York
• Why does the flag have 13 stripes? The stripes represent the 13 original colonies.
• What is the name of the national anthem? The Star-Spangled Banner
• Name 2 national U.S. holidays. Ex. Independence Day, Columbus Day