100 Civics Questions and Answers for the 2026 Citizenship Test

Here are all 100 civics questions and answers from the 2008 naturalization test, in order, with the answers USCIS accepts. This is the list for anyone who filed Form N-400 before October 20, 2025. If you filed on or after that date, your test draws from 128 questions instead.

A star marks the 20 questions set aside for the 65/20 exemption. Where a question has several accepted answers, any one of them is enough.

All 100 civics questions and answers below come from the official USCIS list for the 2008 test. The officer asks up to 10 of them out loud and you pass at 6 correct. Cover the answers, say yours aloud, then check. Six answers depend on where you live or who currently holds office.

What’s New in 2026 for the 100 Civics Questions and Answers

The list is unchanged. Who sits it is not.

USCIS is implementing the 2025 naturalization civics test to align with Executive Order 14161. Applications filed on or after October 20, 2025 take the 2025 test, drawn from a bank of 128 questions with 12 correct out of 20 to pass. Applications filed before that date take the 2008 test below, with 6 correct out of 10 to pass.

Both run side by side through 2026, which is why USCIS now labels its study material Civics (2008 version) or Civics (2025 Version). The flash cards, the audio, and the practice tests all come in two flavours.

The answers about current office holders do move. USCIS publishes those on its civics test updates page and expects the name of the official serving at the time of your interview.

How to Use These 100 Civics Questions and Answers

Reading this page top to bottom will not put the answers in your head.

Cover the answer with your hand or a card. Read the question, say your answer out loud, then uncover and check. The struggle to recall is the part that builds the memory, and reading the answer straight away skips it.

Work in blocks of about a dozen, then shuffle. Questions grouped by topic are easier than the same questions in random order, because the topic itself hints at the shape of the answer. The officer gives no such hint.

Mark strictly. If you said “the court” rather than “the Supreme Court”, or paused for ten seconds and then got there, count it wrong and put it on tomorrow’s list.

American Government: Questions 1 to 57

More than half the list sits in this section, so more than half your 10 questions will come from it. It covers the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the three branches, Congress, the presidency, the courts, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens.

• 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
• 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 (from Great Britain) / 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
• 13. Name one branch or part of the government. ★ Congress / legislative / President
• 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. or national) 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 will vary. [District of Columbia residents and residents of U.S. territories should answer that D.C.(or the territory where the applicant lives) has no U.S. Senators.]
• 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 will vary. [Residents of territories with nonvoting Delegates or Resident Commissioners may provide the name of that Delegate or Commissioner. Also acceptable is any statement that the territory has no (voting) Representatives in Congress.]
• 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? ★ Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the name of the President of the United States
• 29. What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now? Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the name of the Vice President of the United States
• 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
• 37. What does the judicial branch do? reviews laws / explains laws / resolves disputes (disagreements)
• 38. What is the highest court in the United States? the Supreme Court
• 39. How many justices are on the Supreme Court? Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the number of justices on the Supreme Court
• 40. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now? Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the name of the Chief Justice of the United States
• 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
• 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)
• 43. Who is the Governor of your state now? Answers will vary. [District of Columbia residents should answer that D.C. does not have a Governor.]
• 44. What is the capital of your state? ★ Answers will vary. [District of Columbia residents should answer that D.C. is not a state and does not have a capital. Residents of U.S. territories should name the capital of the territory.]
• 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? Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the political party of the President
• 47. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now? Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. C: Rights and Responsibilities
• 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 (a poll tax) to vote / Any citizen can vote. (Women and men 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
• 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
• 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
• 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 eighteen (18) / between eighteen (18) and twenty-six (26)

American History: Questions 58 to 87

Thirty questions covering the colonial period, independence, the 1800s and the Civil War, then the wars and movements of the twentieth century.

• 58. What is one reason colonists came to America? freedom / political liberty / religious freedom
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 69. Who is the “Father of Our Country”? (George) Washington
• 70. Who was the first President? ★ (George) Washington
• 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
• 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 that Abraham Lincoln did? ★ freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation) / saved (or 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
• 77. What did Susan B. Anthony do? fought for women’s rights / fought for civil rights C: Recent American History and Other Important Historical Information
• 78. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s. ★ World War I / World War II / Korean 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. [USCIS Officers will be supplied with a list of federally recognized American Indian tribes.] Cherokee / Navajo / Sioux

Integrated Civics: Questions 88 to 100

The shortest section, and the easiest marks on the test. Geography, symbols, and holidays.

• 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
• 92. Name one state that borders Canada. Maine / New Hampshire / Vermont
• 93. Name one state that borders Mexico. California / Arizona / New Mexico
• 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 acceptable are New Jersey, near New York City, and on the Hudson (River).]
• 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 C: Holidays
• 99. When do we celebrate Independence Day? ★ July 4
• 100. Name two national U.S. holidays. New Year’s Day / Martin Luther King, Jr. Day / Presidents’ Day

The Answers That Depend on You

Six questions have no printed answer, and they are the easiest to leave until too late.

Your senators, your representative, your governor, and your state capital depend on your address. The official sheet marks these “answers will vary”.

Questions about the President, the Vice President, the Speaker of the House, and the Chief Justice depend on when your interview happens. USCIS publishes the current answers on its civics test updates page.

Residents of the District of Columbia and of U.S. territories have their own answers. The District has no U.S. senators and no governor, and the official notes say so directly.

Write your six answers on a card and test them in every session alongside the rest.

Learning All 100 in Three Weeks

Short daily sessions beat long weekend ones by a wide margin.

Week 1: Cover the list once. One block of a dozen questions a day, answers spoken aloud, answers covered. Do not worry about retention yet.

Week 2: Shuffle and repeat. Mix American Government, American History, and Integrated Civics into every session. Start a written list of the questions you keep dropping.

Week 3: Run 10-question mock tests. Random draws, spoken answers, honest marks. Treat 9 out of 10 as ready. Spend the rest of each session only on your miss list.

Add the English portion two or three times a week. You read one sentence out of three aloud and write one out of three by hand, both from the official USCIS vocabulary lists.

FAQ

Are these the official 100 civics questions and answers?

Yes. They come from the USCIS list for the 2008 naturalization test, published in pocket study guide M-1122. USCIS notes there may be other correct answers, but asks applicants to use the published ones, and officers work from that sheet.

How many questions do I have to get right?

Six out of 10. The officer asks up to 10 questions from the 100 and stops as soon as you have answered 6 correctly, so a test that ends early means you have already passed.

Do I need to memorise every accepted answer?

No. Where a question lists several answers, one correct answer is enough. Learn a single answer well for each question rather than trying to hold three versions of it.

What if I filed my N-400 after October 20, 2025?

Then this list is not yours. You take the 2025 test, which draws 20 questions from a bank of 128 and requires 12 correct. Check the filing date on your receipt notice before you study anything.

Can I take the civics test in my own language?

Only under the 65/20 exemption, for applicants aged 65 or older who have been lawful permanent residents for 20 years or more. They may also study just the 20 starred questions.

Verdict: 100 Civics Questions and Answers, Learned Properly

The 100 civics questions and answers above are the whole civics test for anyone who filed before October 20, 2025. Nothing is hidden and nothing is secret, which means the work is entirely about recall rather than research.

Cover the answers. Say yours out loud. Shuffle the order so the topic stops giving you clues. Keep a short list of the ones that keep beating you and start each session there.

Six out of ten passes. You do not get to choose which ten, so learn all one hundred.