How many questions are on the US citizenship test?

Which test is yours?

Look at the date on your N-400 receipt notice. That date, and nothing else, sets your civics test version. A retest uses the same version as your first try.

Why you might not hear every question

The officer stops as soon as the result is clear. On the 2025 test, that’s when you reach 12 right answers or 9 wrong ones. So if you get the first 12 right, you’re done after 12 questions.

The 2008 test works the same way, just smaller. It stops at 6 right or 5 wrong.

It’s spoken, not multiple choice

The officer reads each question out loud and you answer out loud. There are no answer choices. You can use your own words, as long as you give one of the accepted answers or something that means the same.

Some answers change over time, like the names of the President and the Speaker of the House. Give the name of whoever holds the job on the day of your interview. USCIS lists the current answers on its test updates page.

Don’t forget the English test

The English test happens in the same interview. It has three parts, and none of them uses a score out of 20.

• Speaking: the officer judges this from how you answer questions about your application.
• Reading: you get up to 3 sentences and must read 1 out loud correctly.
• Writing: the officer reads up to 3 sentences and you must write 1 so it can be understood.

A shorter test if you’re 65 or older

If you were 65 or older and had been a permanent resident for at least 20 years when you filed, you qualify for the 65/20 rule. You only study 20 starred questions. The officer asks 10 of them and you need 6 right. That’s the same on both versions. See our page on age exceptions for the details.