U.S. Citizenship Civics Practice Questions
This practice test helps you prepare for the civics portion of the USCIS naturalization test. The real test is oral: a USCIS officer asks questions from the official list during your interview and you answer out loud, so use these multiple-choice questions to check what you know, then practice saying the answers in English.
Every question here is original and covers facts that do not change: the Constitution, the branches of government, voting amendments, American history, geography and symbols. The official list also asks about current officials, so study the USCIS list for your application date: the 2025 version applies to most applications filed on or after October 20, 2025 (up to 20 questions asked, 12 correct to pass), and the 2008 version applies to earlier applications (up to 10 asked, 6 to pass).
Question of the day
American history · October 8
During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?
The Cold War was the decades-long rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, and stopping the spread of communism drove U.S. policy from the end of World War II until the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Slavery and independence belong to earlier centuries, and the Great Depression came before World War II.
Show the answer
A. The spread of communism — The Cold War was the decades-long rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, and stopping the spread of communism drove U.S. policy from the end of World War II until the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Slavery and independence belong to earlier centuries, and the Great Depression came before World War II.
10-question sample
Ten of the 15 sample questions, at random, one at a time, with the explanation after each answer. About five minutes. Full-length timed mock exams are in Oathway: US Citizenship Test.
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The full exam is in the app
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Oathway: US Citizenship Test
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How to study for the U.S. citizenship civics exam
- Study from the official USCIS question list for your test version; the officer scores your spoken answer against that list, so learn the official wording of each answer.
- Drill the numbers: 100 senators, 435 representatives, 6-, 2- and 4-year terms, 27 amendments, 13 stripes, 50 stars, 1776 and 1787.
- Right before your interview, look up the answers that change and are not in this quiz: the President, Vice President, your senators and representative, your governor and state capital, and the Speaker of the House.
- Practice answering out loud in English; the civics test is spoken, and the officer also judges your English during the interview.
- Group history facts by era, colonial and independence, the 1800s, and the 1900s to today, and attach one fact to each name on the list.
All 15 questions with answers
Open a question to see the answer and the reasoning. Topics: Principles of government, System of government, Rights & responsibilities, American history, Geography & symbols.
1. Which document is the supreme law of the land in the United States?
- The Declaration of Independence
- The Bill of Rights
- The Articles of Confederation
- The Constitution
Answer: D. The Constitution, written in 1787, sets up the government and is the highest law; every other law must agree with it. The Declaration of Independence (1776) announced the colonies' separation from Great Britain, and the Bill of Rights is part of the Constitution, its first ten amendments.
Topic: Principles of government
2. The opening words of the Constitution express the idea of self-government. What are they?
- We hold these truths
- In Congress assembled
- We the People
- Four score and seven years ago
Answer: C. The Preamble begins "We the People," meaning the government's authority comes from the citizens themselves. "We hold these truths" opens the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence, and "Four score and seven years ago" begins Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.
Topic: Principles of government
3. A town council passes a noise ordinance but writes in that council members themselves do not have to obey it. Which principle of American government does this violate?
- The rule of law
- Separation of powers
- Federalism
- Freedom of religion
Answer: A. The rule of law means everyone must follow the law, including leaders and the government itself; no one is above it. Separation of powers divides the government into branches, and federalism divides power between the national government and the states.
Topic: Principles of government
4. How many United States senators are there?
- 50
- 100
- 435
- 538
Answer: B. Each of the 50 states elects two senators, 100 in all, and each serves a six-year term. The House of Representatives has 435 voting members who serve two-year terms, and 538 is the number of electors in the Electoral College that chooses the President.
Topic: System of government
5. Congress passes a bill that the President believes is a mistake. What can the President do under the system of checks and balances?
- Ask the Supreme Court to cancel the bill
- Rewrite the bill and sign the new version
- Order Congress to vote on it again
- Veto the bill
Answer: D. The President may veto a bill and send it back to Congress, which can still make it law by overriding the veto with a two-thirds vote in both houses. The Supreme Court's check comes later, when it reviews laws that have been passed, and the President cannot rewrite legislation.
Topic: System of government
6. Which of these is a power that belongs to the states rather than to the federal government?
- Printing money
- Declaring war
- Issuing driver's licenses
- Making treaties with other countries
Answer: C. States handle driver's licenses, schooling and education, police and fire protection, and zoning. Under the Constitution only the federal government may print money, declare war, create an army and make treaties.
Topic: System of government
7. Which amendment to the Constitution set the minimum voting age at 18?
- The 15th Amendment
- The 19th Amendment
- The 24th Amendment
- The 26th Amendment
Answer: D. The 26th Amendment (1971) lowered the voting age to 18. The 15th barred denying the vote because of race, the 19th gave women the vote, and the 24th abolished poll taxes in federal elections; together these four are the voting-rights amendments on the civics test.
Topic: Rights & responsibilities
8. At what age must men living in the United States register with the Selective Service?
- 16
- 18
- 21
- 26
Answer: B. Men must register with the Selective Service at age 18, within 30 days of their birthday, and the requirement continues until they turn 26. It applies to most men living in the country whether or not they are citizens, so 26 is the end of the registration window, not the starting age.
Topic: Rights & responsibilities
9. Which of these responsibilities applies only to United States citizens, and not to everyone living in the country?
- Paying income taxes
- Obeying federal and state laws
- Serving on a jury
- Registering with the Selective Service
Answer: C. Serving on a jury and voting in federal elections are responsibilities reserved for citizens. Everyone in the United States must obey the law and pay taxes, and Selective Service registration applies to most men aged 18 through 25 regardless of citizenship.
Topic: Rights & responsibilities
10. Who was the main author of the Declaration of Independence?
- George Washington
- Benjamin Franklin
- Thomas Jefferson
- James Madison
Answer: C. Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration, which was adopted on July 4, 1776 and announced the colonies' independence from Great Britain. Washington commanded the Continental Army and became the first President, Franklin was a diplomat and the oldest member of the Constitutional Convention, and Madison is known as the Father of the Constitution.
Topic: American history
11. What did President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 do?
- Freed enslaved people in the Confederate states
- Ended the Civil War
- Gave women the right to vote
- Purchased the Louisiana Territory from France
Answer: A. The Emancipation Proclamation declared freedom for enslaved people in the states that were in rebellion; slavery was abolished everywhere by the 13th Amendment in 1865, the year the Civil War ended. The Louisiana Purchase came in 1803 under Jefferson, and women gained the vote with the 19th Amendment in 1920.
Topic: American history
12. During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?
- The spread of communism
- The abolition of slavery
- Independence from Great Britain
- The Great Depression
Answer: A. The Cold War was the decades-long rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, and stopping the spread of communism drove U.S. policy from the end of World War II until the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Slavery and independence belong to earlier centuries, and the Great Depression came before World War II.
Topic: American history
13. Which two rivers are the longest in the United States?
- The Colorado and the Rio Grande
- The Missouri and the Mississippi
- The Ohio and the Hudson
- The Columbia and the Snake
Answer: B. The Missouri and the Mississippi are the two longest rivers in the country; the Missouri joins the Mississippi near St. Louis. The official question asks you to name just one of the two, so either river is an acceptable spoken answer.
Topic: Geography & symbols
14. Why does the United States flag have 13 stripes?
- One for each of the 13 original colonies
- One for each signer of the Declaration of Independence
- One for each year of the Revolutionary War
- One for each amendment ratified in 1791
Answer: A. The 13 stripes stand for the 13 original colonies that became the first states, and the 50 stars stand for the 50 states today. There were 56 signers of the Declaration, the Revolutionary War lasted about eight years, and ten amendments, the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791.
Topic: Geography & symbols
15. A traveler drives north across the border from Mexico into the United States. Which state could the traveler be entering?
- Nevada
- Colorado
- Oklahoma
- Arizona
Answer: D. Four states border Mexico: California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas; Nevada, Colorado and Oklahoma are inland. Thirteen states border Canada, from Maine to Washington plus Alaska, so a traveler heading south from Canada would enter one of those instead.
Topic: Geography & symbols
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Frequently asked questions
Is the civics test multiple choice?
No. A USCIS officer asks the questions out loud during your naturalization interview and you answer in your own words; the officer accepts any answer that matches the official list. Multiple-choice practice like this page is a quick way to check what you know before you drill the spoken answers.
Which version of the civics test will I take?
It depends on when you filed Form N-400. The 2025 version (128 questions, up to 20 asked, 12 correct to pass) applies to most applications filed on or after October 20, 2025; the 2008 version (100 questions, up to 10 asked, 6 to pass) applies to earlier filings. Applicants aged 65 or older who have been permanent residents for 20 years take a shorter test, so confirm your version on the USCIS website before you study.
Does this practice test include every official question?
No. These 15 questions are original and cover only facts that stay the same, such as the Constitution, Congress, the amendments, history and geography. The official list also asks about current office holders and your own state, so finish with the official USCIS study materials for your version.
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These questions were written by TapForge Studios for practice and are not taken from any real exam. They follow the standards and editions named above; the exam you sit may use a different edition, and the certifying body's outline governs. Not a substitute for the code books.