USCIS says revised English and civics exams are intended to reinforce the responsibilities and privileges of American citizenship.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has revised the tests required for naturalization, announcing changes intended to ensure that new citizens understand both the responsibilities and the significance of becoming American citizens.
The agency disclosed the update in a Jan. 5 statement posted on X, saying the revised tests are designed to reinforce civic knowledge and language proficiency among applicants. “Our new version of the test will ensure all new citizens understand the privilege of citizenship and what it means to be an American,” USCIS said.
USCIS did not outline additional changes beyond what has already been published on its official guidance pages. Applicants for naturalization are required to pass two separate assessments: an English language test and a civics test covering U.S. history and government.
According to the agency’s Naturalization Interview and Tests resource page, last updated on Oct. 31, 2025, USCIS implemented a new 2025 civics test to align with a Jan. 20 national security presidential action signed by President Donald Trump.
“During the civics test, you will answer important questions about American history, U.S. government, and civics,” USCIS said. The updated 2025 civics test is an oral exam consisting of 20 questions drawn from a pool of 128. Applicants must answer at least 12 questions correctly to pass and will fail if they miss nine of the 20 questions.
The new civics test applies to individuals who filed Form N-400 for naturalization after Oct. 20, 2025. Applicants who submitted their paperwork before that date will continue to take the 2008 civics test, which requires answering six out of 10 questions correctly from a list of 100.
Examples of topics covered in the 2025 civics test include the form of government in the United States, the number of constitutional amendments, the meaning of the rule of law, the structure of Congress, the number of Supreme Court justices, the author of the Declaration of Independence, the war that ended slavery, and the name of an American Indian tribe, according to the official test document.
USCIS said exemptions remain in place for certain older applicants. Lawful permanent residents aged 65 or older who have lived in the United States for at least 20 years are required to study a reduced list of 20 civics questions. These applicants may also take the civics test in the language of their choice. “You must answer at least six out of 10 questions (or 60 percent) correctly to pass the 2025 version of the civics test,” the agency said.
The English language portion of the naturalization process remains unchanged in structure. Applicants must demonstrate the ability to read, write, speak, and understand basic English, with speaking and comprehension assessed during the interview. The reading test requires applicants to correctly read aloud one of three sentences, while the writing test requires accurately writing one of three provided sentences.
The test revisions follow a March 1 presidential action signed by Trump designating English as the official language of the United States. In that order, Trump wrote that English has been the nation’s governing language since its founding and argued that a shared national language strengthens unity and civic cohesion.
The move drew criticism from advocacy groups. On Feb. 28, the League of United Latin American Citizens issued a statement opposing the designation, arguing it marginalizes multilingual communities. “America is stronger when we embrace multilingualism,” LULAC President Roman Palomares said, adding that limiting language access “harms our future.”
Public opinion on the issue remains divided along partisan lines. A March 17 survey reported by Pew Research Center found that 82 percent of U.S. adults said it was either extremely, very, or somewhat important to make English the official language. Among Republicans and Republican-leaning respondents, 73 percent said it was extremely or very important, compared with 32 percent among Democrats and Democratic-leaning respondents.
USCIS said the revised naturalization tests are part of a broader effort to align citizenship requirements with national security priorities while reinforcing civic knowledge and language proficiency for future Americans.
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