The Test and the Process
Which of the two live civics tests applies to you and why your N-400 filing date decides it, where to get the official pool, the answers that change with elections and where you live, the 65/20 reduced set, the English test and the exemptions from it, what happens if you do not pass, who is eligible, continuous residence against physical presence, good moral character, the process end to end, the fees, and the oath.
Open the guideThe Quizzes
In the order the guide covers them. Each one stands on its own — start wherever the subject interests you.
American Government
The principles of American government, the system of government and its three branches, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens. The largest section in the pool by a wide margin, and the one worth the most study time.
American History
The colonial period and independence, the 1800s, and recent American history. Real people, wars, documents and dates, with the wrong answers drawn from real history put in the wrong place.
Symbols and Holidays
Symbols and holidays. The shortest section in the official pool, and the one people leave until last and then lose marks on.
These are not written questions. Each one is an official question from the USCIS pool with the official answer as one of four options, so they check whether you can recognise the answer. The real test is oral: an officer asks and you answer aloud, in English, with no options in front of you. Use these to find the gaps, then practise saying the answers out loud from the question alone. Across all 120 questions the correct answer is the longest option 24 percent of the time and the shortest about as often, so option length tells you nothing.
As of August 2026 there are two live civics tests. If you filed Form N-400 before 20 October 2025 you take the 2008 test: 100 questions, 10 asked, 6 to pass. If you filed on or after that date you take the 2025 test: 128 questions, 20 asked, 12 to pass. It is the filing date that decides, not your interview date, and nobody gets a choice. These quizzes are built from the 2025 pool. Eight questions whose answers change with elections, appointments or your address are left out on purpose - get those from the USCIS Check for Test Updates page, close to your interview.