United States Immigration and Citizenship Services (USCIS) recently updated the naturalization test, which legal permanent residents must pass in order to obtain U.S. citizenship. To help you prepare, we’ve identified the top 10 things you need to know about the new naturalization test.
1. The Naturalization Test Features Two Major Sections, Civics and English
The civics portion tests the applicant on U.S. History, the U.S. government, geography, symbols, and holidays. The English section includes speaking, reading, and writing components.
2. The Civics Test is an Oral Exam
There are 100 civics questions from which to study. The immigration officer randomly chooses a test form and will ask up to 10 questions. You need to answer six correctly. For example: “What did Susan B. Anthony do?” If you don't understand the question, feel free to ask the officer to repeat or rephrase it.
3. Question Formatting Varies
For the civics test, some questions have one possible correct answer while others ask to choose from one answer out a multiple choice grouping. Additionally, some questions ask for more than one correct answer.
4. The English Test isn’t a Universal Requirement
If you’re 50 years old or older and have lived in the U.S. for 20 years or more, you’re exempt from taking the English Test. You’re still required to take the civics exam, but you can select a language of your choice. Additional age considerations can be found on the USCIS citizenship resource center.
5. Reading Test Covers U.S. History
The reading test requires the individuals to read sentences about U.S. history and the government. Vocabulary words are publicly available.
6. Short Words May be Omitted In the Reading Test
When reading a short sentence it’s ok for the person to omit a short word, such as “is” or “the,” however, the individual must read longer content words, like “where” or “Liberty Bell.”
7. Misspelling Words in the Writing Test isn’t an Automatic Fail
When scoring the writing test, the immigration officer will determine if the written sentence still has the same meaning even if small spelling mistakes were made. If words were switched around, the officer may count that as an incorrect attempt.
8. The Speaking Test Involves Answering Questions About Form N-400
A completed application for naturalization, Form N-400, features a variety of information regarding the applicant’s residency history, name, and more. For the speaking test, the officer will pull questions from Form N-400 and the applicant will have to respond aloud. Example question: “What is your legal name?” The applicant doesn’t need to understand every word or phrase, however, he or she must demonstrate an ability to respond meaningfully to the questions.
9. Immigration Officer may Utilize Discretion
Test takers may ask the officer to rephrase a question to help them understand the meaning of the phrase. The officer has the right to utilize their discretion to determine whether the person understands the question thoroughly.
10. Study Materials are Available Online
Applicants can find study materials for each of the civics, reading and writing tests online. For the civics test, 100 sample questions are available. Additionally, applicants can study vocabulary lists for the writing and reading tests.
If you have questions about the naturalization process or the test, contact a VISANOW immigration specialist.