Citizenship Reading Test: What to Expect in 2026

The citizenship reading test asks you to read one sentence out loud. You get up to three, and reading one of them correctly is a pass.

It sounds trivial, and for most people it is. The reason it still catches applicants is that reading a sentence silently and reading it aloud to a stranger are different skills, and only one of them gets practised.

The citizenship reading test asks you to read one out of three sentences correctly, aloud, from a screen or card the officer shows you. Every word comes from the official USCIS reading vocabulary list. Practice out loud rather than silently. A miss is usually retested within 60 to 90 days.

What’s New in 2026 for the Citizenship Reading Test

Nothing, and that is worth stating clearly.

USCIS is implementing the 2025 naturalization civics test to align with Executive Order 14161. Applications filed before October 20, 2025 use the 100-question civics list. Applications filed on or after that date use the bank of 128.

The English portion sits outside that split. One reading vocabulary list covers everybody, and the format is unchanged.

So a page telling you the reading test changed in 2025 has mixed up the civics half of the exam with the English half.

How the Citizenship Reading Test Works

Three sentences, one of which you have to get right.

The officer shows you a sentence and asks you to read it aloud. If that one does not go correctly, you are shown another, and then a third. You must read one out of three sentences correctly to demonstrate an ability to read in English.

Every word comes from the official USCIS reading vocabulary list, which is published in advance. There are no surprise words and no unfamiliar names.

What is being judged is whether you read the sentence correctly, not whether your accent is perfect. USCIS is checking that you can read basic English, which is the standard written into the law: simple words and phrases in ordinary usage.

Take your time. There is no clock on this part of the appointment, and reading slowly and clearly is better than reading fast and stumbling.

The Reading Vocabulary Behind the Test

The list is short enough to read in under a minute.

• People: Abraham Lincoln, George Washington
• Civics: American flag, Bill of Rights, capital, citizen, city, Congress, country, Father of Our Country, government, President, right, Senators, state, states, White House
• Places: America, United States
• Holidays: Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving
• Question words: How, What, When, Where, Who, Why
• Verbs: can, come, do, does, elects, have, has, is, are, was, be, lives, lived, meet, name, pay, vote, want
• Other function words: a, for, here, in, of, on, the, to, we
• Other content words: colors, dollar bill, first, largest, many, most, north, one, people, second, south

USCIS publishes this as document M-1178, the Reading Vocabulary Word Strips, and inside the pocket study guide M-1122. Both are free.

Note the question words. They are on the reading list and not on the writing list, which is a strong hint about the shape of reading test sentences.

Practice Sentences to Read Aloud

USCIS publishes the word strips rather than the test sentences, and its own guidance says the strips can be used to build questions an applicant might be asked to read.

Sentences built from the official list look like these. Read every one out loud.

• Who was the first President
• What is the capital of the United States
• When do we vote for President
• Where is the White House
• Why do people come to America
• How many states are in the United States
• Who elects Congress
• What is the Bill of Rights
• Where does Congress meet
• When is Independence Day
• Who lives in the White House
• What is the largest state
• Why does the flag have colors
• How many Senators are in Congress
• Who was the Father of Our Country
• What do we pay to the government
• When is Labor Day
• Where is the United States

Eighteen sentences is a couple of short sessions. Read each aloud, then have somebody else point at one at random and ask you to read it cold.

Why Reading Aloud Is the Whole Exercise

Silent reading hides the two things that actually go wrong.

The first is saying the longer names out loud: Independence, Washington, Congress, Thanksgiving. You can know all four on sight without ever having said them, and the test asks you to say them.

The second is nerves. By the time the reading sentence arrives you have been under oath for twenty minutes, answered civics questions out loud, and had your application reviewed line by line. Reading a sentence in that state is not the same as reading it on your sofa.

Practising aloud, to another person, in a normal voice, closes both gaps. Five minutes twice a week is enough.

If nobody is available, read to a recording app and play it back. Hearing yourself is uncomfortable and useful for the same reason.

Where the Reading Test Sits in the Interview

It arrives near the end, alongside the writing sentence.

The officer calls your name, places you under oath, and reviews your Form N-400 with you. That review is the longest part of the appointment. It is also your speaking test. USCIS judges your ability to speak and understand English during the interview itself, not in a separate exam.

The civics questions come next. Then the English portion: one sentence to read aloud, and one to write by hand.

You leave holding Form N-652, Notice of Interview Results. It records one of three outcomes for your case: granted, continued, or a denial.

A Two-Week Reading Practice Plan

Five minutes, twice a week, out loud.

Session 1: read the word list aloud. Every entry, one at a time. Mark anything that does not come out smoothly and say it five more times.

Session 2: read the practice sentences. All 18, aloud, at a steady pace. Slow is fine. Stumbling is the thing to fix.

Session 3: cold reading. Have someone show you a sentence you have not looked at that day and ask you to read it straight away. That is the format of the real test.

Session 4: read under mild pressure. Answer ten civics questions out loud first, then read a sentence. The point is to practice reading when you are already warm and slightly tense.

Four short sessions covers it. If nobody can help, record yourself and listen back, because hearing your own stumbles is the fastest way to find them.

How the Reading List Differs From the Writing List

They overlap, and the differences are informative.

Shared entries include capital, Congress, Father of Our Country, President, right, Senators, state, White House, United States, and all seven holidays. Those you learn once and use twice.

The reading list carries the six question words: how, what, when, where, who, why. The writing list has none of them. That is why reading sentences are often questions and dictated sentences are plain statements.

The writing list carries things the reading list does not: months, colours, numbers, and place names like Alaska, California, Canada, Delaware and Mexico.

USCIS says plainly that the lists are not the same and asks you to keep them apart while you practice. That advice is easy to follow and it stops the shared words from hiding the differences.

If You Do Not Pass the Reading Test

A missed sentence is not the end of your case.

If you do not pass a portion of the test the first time, USCIS generally schedules a second opportunity within 60 to 90 days of your first interview. You are retested only on the part you did not pass.

So missing the reading sentence means reading again at the second interview. The civics test you already passed does not come back. Your case is marked continued rather than denied.

Two months is far more time than a reading problem needs. Use it for five-minute aloud sessions rather than waiting for the notice to arrive.

Who Does Not Have to Take the Reading Test

Two exemptions exist, and both are narrow.

The 65/20 rule covers applicants aged 65 or older who have held a green card for 20 years or more. They may take the civics test in a language of their choice. They are also excused from the English requirement.

The other route is a medical exception. It needs Form N-648, filled in by a licensed medical professional. The form has to certify a physical or developmental disability, or a mental impairment. The officer reviews the request as part of your file.

Confirm either one with USCIS well before your interview date. The paperwork takes time, and assuming you qualify is expensive.

FAQ

How many sentences do I read on the citizenship test?

Up to three. You must read one of them correctly to pass the reading portion, so the first attempt is not the only one. The officer stops as soon as one sentence is read correctly.

Are the citizenship reading test sentences published?

No. USCIS publishes the reading vocabulary word strips, document M-1178, rather than the sentences. Every word in a test sentence comes from that list, so practice sentences built from those words cover the same ground.

Does my accent matter on the reading test?

The officer is checking whether you read the sentence correctly, not whether you sound like a native speaker. The legal standard is an ability to read simple words and phrases in ordinary usage.

Can I ask the officer to give me another sentence?

You do not have to ask. If the first sentence is not read correctly you are shown a second, and then a third if needed. One correct reading out of three is a pass.

What happens if I fail the reading portion?

USCIS generally schedules a second opportunity within 60 to 90 days and retests you only on the part you missed. Your case is marked continued on Form N-652 rather than denied.

Verdict: Passing the Citizenship Reading Test

The citizenship reading test is one sentence out of three, built from a word list you can read in a minute. There is nothing hidden in it and nothing to research.

The only preparation that counts is reading aloud. Print the vocabulary, build sentences from it, and read them to another person in a normal voice twice a week. Say the long names until Independence and Thanksgiving come out cleanly.

Ten minutes a week for a fortnight. That is the entire cost of removing one of the four scored parts of the interview from your list of worries.