New US citizenship test requires deeper knowledge of American history
People applying for U.S. citizenship will now take a revised civics test with more questions about American history and government. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said Wednesday that the changes, introduced under the Trump administration, are meant to restore integrity to the naturalization process and follow the intent of Congress.
The updated exam brings back a format first implemented under Trump in 2020. The Biden administration later withdrew that version, arguing that the additional material placed unfair hurdles in front of immigrants pursuing citizenship.
“American citizenship is the most sacred citizenship in the world and should only be reserved for aliens who will fully embrace our values and principles as a nation,” said Matthew Tragesser, a spokesperson for the USCIS.
New questions and requirements
The new exam requires applicants to study 128 questions and correctly answer 12 out of 20 in an oral test. The previous version, in place since 2008, asked for 6 correct answers out of 10 from a pool of 100. Applicants who fail get a second chance before their request for citizenship is denied. Those 65 or older with at least 20 years of permanent residency face only 20 possible questions and can take the test in their preferred language.
The USCIS said the changes are designed to make sure that applicants meet all the eligibility requirements, including the ability to read, write and speak English and demonstrate knowledge of U.S. government and civics. Officials say this helps ensure new citizens are prepared to fully participate in American society.
Some of the additional questions focus on the 10th Amendment, the Federalist Papers, President Dwight Eisenhower, Founding Fathers Alexander Hamilton and James Madison and examples of American innovation.
The test will apply to citizenship applications filed after mid-October.
Stricter vetting and enforcement
The agency has already tightened vetting for applicants and adopted stricter reviews for those seeking exemptions from the English and civics requirements. Officers now have new guidance to weigh an applicant’s positive contributions to the community, rather than only checking for the absence of misconduct. The USCIS has also resumed neighborhood investigations to confirm applicants meet legal standards for citizenship.
A look at applicants, naturalizations
In the last decade, nearly 8 million immigrants have taken the oath to become U.S. citizens. In 2024, during the Biden administration, more than 818,000 people were naturalized at ceremonies across the country and overseas. That was about 7% fewer than the year before, but still pushed the three-year total past 2.6 million.
Even with the dip, the pace of naturalizations remains strong. The 2024 total was higher than the pre-pandemic average of approximately 730,000 per year, indicating that demand for citizenship continues to outpace earlier trends.
When comparing Trump’s first term in 2020, the pandemic slowed everything to a crawl. USCIS received about 7.7 million applications that year, the lowest in five years, and completed just 7.6 million. Naturalizations were hit especially hard: only about 625,000 people became citizens in 2020.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
