The 128 civics test questions (2025), with answers

This is USCIS's official list for anyone who filed the N-400 on or after October 20, 2025. At the interview the officer asks up to 20 out loud and you pass with 12. Tap any question for every accepted answer, the audio and a plain explanation.

Principles of American Democracy

1. 1What is the form of government of the United States?Answer: Republic (and others)
2. 2What is the supreme law of the land? ★Answer: (U.S.) Constitution
3. 3Name one thing the U.S. Constitution does.Answer: Forms the government (and others)
4. 4The U.S. Constitution starts with the words "We the People." What does "We the People" mean?Answer: Self-government (and others)
5. 5How are changes made to the U.S. Constitution?Answer: Amendments (and others)
6. 6What does the Bill of Rights protect?Answer: (The basic) rights of Americans (and others)
7. 7How many amendments does the U.S. Constitution have? ★Answer: Twenty-seven (27)
8. 8Why is the Declaration of Independence important?Answer: It says America is free from British control. (and others)
9. 9What founding document said the American colonies were free from Britain?Answer: Declaration of Independence
10. 10Name two important ideas from the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.Answer: Equality (and others)
11. 11The words "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" are in what founding document?Answer: Declaration of Independence
12. 12What is the economic system of the United States? ★Answer: Capitalism (and others)
13. 13What is the rule of law?Answer: Everyone must follow the law. (and others)
14. 14Many documents influenced the U.S. Constitution. Name one.Answer: Declaration of Independence (and others)
15. 15There are three branches of government. Why?Answer: So one part does not become too powerful (and others)

System of Government

1. 16Name the three branches of government.Answer: Legislative, executive, and judicial (and others)
2. 17The President of the United States is in charge of which branch of government?Answer: Executive branch
3. 18What part of the federal government writes laws?Answer: (U.S.) Congress (and others)
4. 19What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?Answer: Senate and House (of Representatives)
5. 20Name one power of the U.S. Congress. ★Answer: Writes laws (and others)
6. 21How many U.S. senators are there?Answer: One hundred (100)
7. 22How long is a term for a U.S. senator?Answer: Six (6) years
8. 23Who is one of your state's U.S. senators now?Answer: Depends on your state
9. 24How many voting members are in the House of Representatives?Answer: Four hundred thirty-five (435)
10. 25How long is a term for a member of the House of Representatives?Answer: Two (2) years
11. 26Why do U.S. representatives serve shorter terms than U.S. senators?Answer: To more closely follow public opinion
12. 27How many senators does each state have?Answer: Two (2)
13. 28Why does each state have two senators?Answer: Equal representation (for small states) (and others)
14. 29Name your U.S. representative.Answer: Depends on your state
15. 30What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now? ★Answer: Mike Johnson (and others)
16. 31Who does a U.S. senator represent?Answer: Citizens of their state (and others)
17. 32Who elects U.S. senators?Answer: Citizens from their state
18. 33Who does a member of the House of Representatives represent?Answer: Citizens in their (congressional) district (and others)
19. 34Who elects members of the House of Representatives?Answer: Citizens from their (congressional) district
20. 35Some states have more representatives than other states. Why?Answer: (Because of) the state's population (and others)
21. 36The President of the United States is elected for how many years? ★Answer: Four (4) years
22. 37The President of the United States can serve only two terms. Why?Answer: (Because of) the 22nd Amendment (and others)
23. 38What is the name of the President of the United States now? ★Answer: Donald J. Trump (and others)
24. 39What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now? ★Answer: JD Vance (and others)
25. 40If the president can no longer serve, who becomes president?Answer: The Vice President (of the United States)
26. 41Name one power of the president.Answer: Signs bills into law (and others)
27. 42Who is Commander in Chief of the U.S. military?Answer: The President (of the United States)
28. 43Who signs bills to become laws?Answer: The President (of the United States)
29. 44Who vetoes bills? ★Answer: The President (of the United States)
30. 45Who appoints federal judges?Answer: The President (of the United States)
31. 46The executive branch has many parts. Name one.Answer: President (of the United States) (and others)
32. 47What does the President's Cabinet do?Answer: Advises the President (of the United States)
33. 48What are two Cabinet-level positions?Answer: Attorney General (and others)
34. 49Why is the Electoral College important?Answer: It decides who is elected president. (and others)
35. 50What is one part of the judicial branch?Answer: Supreme Court (and others)
36. 51What does the judicial branch do?Answer: Reviews laws (and others)
37. 52What is the highest court in the United States? ★Answer: Supreme Court
38. 53How many seats are on the Supreme Court?Answer: Nine (9)
39. 54How many Supreme Court justices are usually needed to decide a case?Answer: Five (5)
40. 55How long do Supreme Court justices serve?Answer: (For) life (and others)
41. 56Supreme Court justices serve for life. Why?Answer: To be independent (of politics) (and others)
42. 57Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?Answer: John Roberts (and others)
43. 58Name one power that is only for the federal government.Answer: Print paper money (and others)
44. 59Name one power that is only for the states.Answer: Provide schooling and education (and others)
45. 60What is the purpose of the 10th Amendment?Answer: (It states that the) powers not given to the federal government belong to the states or to the people.
46. 61Who is the governor of your state now? ★Answer: Depends on your state
47. 62What is the capital of your state?Answer: Depends on your state

Rights and Responsibilities

1. 63There are four amendments to the U.S. Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.Answer: Citizens eighteen (18) and older (can vote). (and others)
2. 64Who can vote in federal elections, run for federal office, and serve on a jury in the United States?Answer: Citizens (and others)
3. 65What are three rights of everyone living in the United States?Answer: Freedom of expression (and others)
4. 66What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance? ★Answer: The United States (and others)
5. 67Name two promises that new citizens make in the Oath of Allegiance.Answer: Give up loyalty to other countries (and others)
6. 68How can people become United States citizens?Answer: Be born in the United States, under the conditions set by the 14th Amendment (and others)
7. 69What are two examples of civic participation in the United States?Answer: Vote (and others)
8. 70What is one way Americans can serve their country?Answer: Vote (and others)
9. 71Why is it important to pay federal taxes?Answer: Required by law (and others)
10. 72It is important for all men age 18 through 25 to register for the Selective Service. Name one reason why.Answer: Required by law (and others)

Colonial Period and Independence

1. 73The colonists came to America for many reasons. Name one.Answer: Freedom (and others)
2. 74Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived? ★Answer: American Indians (and others)
3. 75What group of people was taken and sold as slaves?Answer: Africans (and others)
4. 76What war did the Americans fight to win independence from Britain?Answer: American Revolution (and others)
5. 77Name one reason why the Americans declared independence from Britain.Answer: High taxes (and others)
6. 78Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? ★Answer: (Thomas) Jefferson
7. 79When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?Answer: July 4, 1776
8. 80The American Revolution had many important events. Name one.Answer: (Battle of) Bunker Hill (and others)
9. 81There were 13 original states. Name five.Answer: New Hampshire (and others)
10. 82What founding document was written in 1787?Answer: (U.S.) Constitution
11. 83The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.Answer: (James) Madison (and others)
12. 84Why were the Federalist Papers important?Answer: They helped people understand the (U.S.) Constitution. (and others)
13. 85Benjamin Franklin is famous for many things. Name one.Answer: Founded the first free public libraries (and others)
14. 86George Washington is famous for many things. Name one. ★Answer: "Father of Our Country" (and others)
15. 87Thomas Jefferson is famous for many things. Name one.Answer: Writer of the Declaration of Independence (and others)
16. 88James Madison is famous for many things. Name one.Answer: "Father of the Constitution" (and others)
17. 89Alexander Hamilton is famous for many things. Name one.Answer: First Secretary of the Treasury (and others)

The 1800s

1. 90What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?Answer: Louisiana Territory (and others)
2. 91Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.Answer: War of 1812 (and others)
3. 92Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.Answer: The Civil War
4. 93The Civil War had many important events. Name one.Answer: (Battle of) Fort Sumter (and others)
5. 94Abraham Lincoln is famous for many things. Name one. ★Answer: Freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation) (and others)
6. 95What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?Answer: Freed the slaves (and others)
7. 96What U.S. war ended slavery?Answer: The Civil War
8. 97What amendment says all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are U.S. citizens?Answer: 14th Amendment
9. 98When did all men get the right to vote?Answer: After the Civil War (and others)
10. 99Name one leader of the women's rights movement in the 1800s.Answer: Susan B. Anthony (and others)

Recent American History and Other Important Historical Information

1. 100Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.Answer: World War I (and others)
2. 101Why did the United States enter World War I?Answer: Because Germany attacked U.S. (civilian) ships (and others)
3. 102When did all women get the right to vote?Answer: 1920 (and others)
4. 103What was the Great Depression?Answer: Longest economic recession in modern history
5. 104When did the Great Depression start?Answer: The Great Crash (1929) (and others)
6. 105Who was president during the Great Depression and World War II?Answer: (Franklin) Roosevelt
7. 106Why did the United States enter World War II?Answer: (Bombing of) Pearl Harbor (and others)
8. 107Dwight Eisenhower is famous for many things. Name one.Answer: General during World War II (and others)
9. 108Who was the United States' main rival during the Cold War?Answer: Soviet Union (and others)
10. 109During the Cold War, what was one main concern of the United States?Answer: Communism (and others)
11. 110Why did the United States enter the Korean War?Answer: To stop the spread of communism
12. 111Why did the United States enter the Vietnam War?Answer: To stop the spread of communism
13. 112What did the civil rights movement do?Answer: Fought to end racial discrimination
14. 113Martin Luther King, Jr. is famous for many things. Name one. ★Answer: Fought for civil rights (and others)
15. 114Why did the United States enter the Persian Gulf War?Answer: To force the Iraqi military from Kuwait
16. 115What major event happened on September 11, 2001 in the United States? ★Answer: Terrorists attacked the United States (and others)
17. 116Name one U.S. military conflict after the September 11, 2001 attacks.Answer: (Global) War on Terror (and others)
18. 117Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.Answer: Apache (and others)
19. 118Name one example of an American innovation.Answer: Light bulb (and others)

Symbols

1. 119What is the capital of the United States?Answer: Washington, D.C.
2. 120Where is the Statue of Liberty?Answer: New York (Harbor) (and others)
3. 121Why does the flag have 13 stripes? ★Answer: (Because there were) 13 original colonies (and others)
4. 122Why does the flag have 50 stars?Answer: (Because there is) one star for each state (and others)
5. 123What is the name of the national anthem?Answer: The Star-Spangled Banner
6. 124The Nation's first motto was "E Pluribus Unum." What does that mean?Answer: Out of many, one (and others)

Holidays

1. 125What is Independence Day?Answer: A holiday to celebrate U.S. independence (from Britain) (and others)
2. 126Name three national U.S. holidays. ★Answer: New Year's Day (and others)
3. 127What is Memorial Day?Answer: A holiday to honor soldiers who died in military service
4. 128What is Veterans Day?Answer: A holiday to honor people in the (U.S.) military (and others)

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