QUICK ANSWER
The 2026 U.S. citizenship test draws from 128 civics questions. An officer asks up to 20 — you need 12 correct to pass. Every question and answer is listed below, organized by category.
All 128 Civics Questions and Answers for the 2026 US Citizenship Test
Below is the complete, official list of all 128 civics questions for the 2026 U.S. naturalization test. These are organized into three sections: American Government, American History, and Integrated Civics. During your interview, the USCIS officer will ask up to 20 questions from this list. You need 12 correct to pass. Study all of them — any question could appear on your test.
Note: Questions marked with an asterisk (*) have answers that change based on current officeholders or your state. Always verify these answers before your interview.
SECTION 1: AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
A. Principles of American Democracy
1. What is the form of government of the United States?
Republic / Representative democracy
2. What is the supreme law of the land?
The Constitution
3. Name one thing the U.S. Constitution does.
Sets up the government / Defines the government / Protects basic rights of Americans
4. The U.S. Constitution starts with the words “We the People.” What does “We the People” mean?
Self-government / Popular sovereignty / Consent of the governed / People should govern themselves
5. How are changes made to the U.S. Constitution?
Amendments
6. What does the Bill of Rights protect?
The basic rights of Americans / The (first ten) amendments to the Constitution
7. How many amendments does the U.S. Constitution have?
27 (twenty-seven)
8. Why is the Declaration of Independence important?
It said America is free from British control / It declared our independence from Great Britain / It said the United States is a free country
9. What founding document said the American colonies were free from Britain?
The Declaration of Independence
10. Name two rights in the Declaration of Independence.
Life / Liberty / Pursuit of happiness
11. What is freedom of religion?
You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion
12. What is the economic system in the United States?
Capitalist economy / Free market economy
13. What is the “rule of law”?
Everyone must follow the law / Leaders must obey the law / Government must obey the law / No one is above the law
B. System of Government
14. Name one branch or part of the U.S. government.
Congress / Legislative / President / Executive / The courts / Judicial
15. What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
Checks and balances / Separation of powers
16. Who makes federal laws?
Congress / The Senate and House of Representatives / The (U.S. or national) legislature
17. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
The Senate and the House of Representatives
18. How many U.S. Senators are there?
100 (one hundred)
19. We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?
6 (six) years
20. *Who is one of your state’s U.S. Senators now?
Answers vary by state
21. The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
435 (four hundred thirty-five)
22. We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?
2 (two) years
23. *Name your U.S. Representative.
Answers vary by district
24. Who does a U.S. Senator represent?
All people of the state
25. Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?
Because of the state’s population / Because they have more people / Because some states have more people
26. We elect a President for how many years?
4 (four) years
27. In what month do we vote for President?
November
28. *What is the name of the President of the United States now?
Visit uscis.gov for current answer
29. *What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?
Visit uscis.gov for current answer
30. If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
The Vice President
31. If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
The Speaker of the House
32. Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?
The President
33. Who signs bills to become laws?
The President
34. Who vetoes bills?
The President
35. What does the President’s Cabinet do?
Advises the President
36. What are two Cabinet-level positions?
Secretary of Agriculture / Secretary of Commerce / Secretary of Defense / Secretary of Education / Secretary of Energy / Secretary of Health and Human Services / Secretary of Homeland Security / Secretary of Housing and Urban Development / Secretary of the Interior / Attorney General / Secretary of Labor / Secretary of State / Secretary of Transportation / Secretary of the Treasury / Secretary of Veterans Affairs
37. What does the judicial branch do?
Reviews laws / Explains laws / Resolves disputes / Decides if a law goes against the Constitution
38. What is the highest court in the United States?
The Supreme Court
39. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
9 (nine)
40. *Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
Visit uscis.gov for current answer
41. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?
To print money / To declare war / To create an army / To make treaties
42. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states?
Provide schooling and education / Provide protection (police) / Provide safety (fire departments) / Give a driver’s license / Approve zoning and land use
43. *Who is the Governor of your state now?
Answers vary by state
44. *What is the capital of your state?
Answers vary by state
45. What are the two major political parties in the United States?
Democratic and Republican
46. *What is the political party of the President now?
Visit uscis.gov for current answer
47. *What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
Visit uscis.gov for current answer
C. Rights and Responsibilities
48. There are four amendments to the U.S. Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
Citizens 18 and older can vote / You don’t have to pay a poll tax to vote / Any citizen can vote (women and men can vote) / A male citizen of any race can vote
49. What is one right only for United States citizens?
Vote in a federal election / Run for federal office / Serve on a jury
50. What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?
Speech / Religion / Assembly / Press / Petition the government
51. What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?
Freedom of expression / Freedom of speech / Freedom of assembly / Freedom to petition the government / Freedom of religion / The right to bear arms
52. What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
The United States / The flag
53. What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
Give up loyalty to other countries / Defend the Constitution and laws of the United States / Obey the laws of the United States / Serve in the U.S. military (if needed) / Serve (do important work for) the nation (if needed) / Be loyal to the United States
54. What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?
Vote / Join a political party / Help with a campaign / Join a civic group / Join a community group / Give an elected official your opinion on an issue / Call your Senators and Representatives / Publicly support or oppose an issue or policy / Run for office / Write to a newspaper
55. When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?
April 15
56. When must all men register for the Selective Service?
At age 18 / Between 18 and 26
57. What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?
Serve on a jury / Vote in a federal election
SECTION 2: AMERICAN HISTORY
A. Colonial Period and Independence
58. What is one reason colonists came to America?
Freedom / Political liberty / Religious freedom / Economic opportunity / Practice their religion / Escape persecution
59. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
American Indians / Native Americans
60. What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
Africans / People from Africa
61. Why did the colonists fight the British?
Because of high taxes (taxation without representation) / Because the British army stayed in their houses (quartering) / Because they didn’t have self-government
62. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
63. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
July 4, 1776
64. There were 13 original states. Name three.
New Hampshire / Massachusetts / Rhode Island / Connecticut / New York / New Jersey / Pennsylvania / Delaware / Maryland / Virginia / North Carolina / South Carolina / Georgia
65. What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
The Constitution was written / The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution
66. When was the Constitution written?
1787
67. The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
James Madison / Alexander Hamilton / John Jay / Publius
68. What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
U.S. diplomat / Oldest member of the Constitutional Convention / First Postmaster General of the United States / Writer of “Poor Richard’s Almanac” / Started the first free libraries
69. Who is the “Father of Our Country”?
George Washington
70. Who was the first President?
George Washington
B. 1800s
71. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
The Louisiana Territory / Louisiana
72. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
War of 1812 / Mexican-American War / Civil War / Spanish-American War
73. Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.
The Civil War / The War between the States
74. Name one problem that led to the Civil War.
Slavery / Economic reasons / States’ rights
75. What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?
Freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation) / Saved (preserved) the Union / Led the United States during the Civil War
76. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
Freed the slaves / Freed slaves in the Confederacy / Freed slaves in the Confederate states / Freed slaves in most Southern states
77. What did Susan B. Anthony do?
Fought for women’s rights / Fought for civil rights
C. Recent American History and Other Important Historical Information
78. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.
World War I / World War II / Korean War / Vietnam War / (Persian) Gulf War
79. Who was President during World War I?
Woodrow Wilson
80. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?
Franklin Roosevelt / FDR
81. Who did the United States fight in World War II?
Japan, Germany, and Italy
82. Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in?
World War II
83. During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?
Communism
84. What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
The civil rights movement
85. What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?
Fought for civil rights / Worked for equality for all Americans
86. What major event happened on September 11, 2001, in the United States?
Terrorists attacked the United States / Terrorists took over two planes and flew them into the World Trade Center in New York City
87. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
Cherokee / Navajo / Sioux / Chippewa / Choctaw / Pueblo / Apache / Iroquois / Creek / Blackfeet / Seminole / Cheyenne / Arawak / Shawnee / Mohegan / Huron / Oneida / Lakota / Crow / Teton / Hopi / Inuit
88. Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.
Missouri River / Mississippi River
89. What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?
Pacific Ocean
90. What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
Atlantic Ocean
91. What U.S. territory was purchased from Russia?
Alaska
92. Name one state that borders Canada.
Maine / New Hampshire / Vermont / New York / Pennsylvania / Ohio / Michigan / Minnesota / North Dakota / Montana / Idaho / Washington / Alaska
93. Name one state that borders Mexico.
California / Arizona / New Mexico / Texas
94. What happened at the Seneca Falls Convention?
The women’s rights movement began / Women fought for their rights
95. What was the purpose of the United Nations?
For countries to discuss and try to resolve world problems / To provide help to developing countries
96. Name one example of an American innovation.
Light bulb / Automobile (cars) / Skyscrapers / Airplane / Assembly line / Landing on the moon / Integrated circuit (computer chip)
SECTION 3: INTEGRATED CIVICS
A. Geography
97. *What is the capital of the United States?
Washington, D.C.
98. Where is the Statue of Liberty?
New York (Harbor) / Liberty Island (also acceptable: New Jersey / near New York City / on the Hudson River)
B. Symbols
99. Why does the flag have 50 stars?
Because there is one star for each state / Because each star represents a state / Because there are 50 states
100. Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
Because there were 13 original colonies / Because the stripes represent the original colonies
101. What is the name of the national anthem?
The Star-Spangled Banner
C. Holidays
102. When do we celebrate Independence Day?
July 4
103. Name two national U.S. holidays.
New Year’s Day / Martin Luther King, Jr. Day / Presidents’ Day / Memorial Day / Independence Day / Labor Day / Columbus Day / Veterans Day / Thanksgiving / Christmas
D. Additional Civics Questions
104. What is the purpose of the 10th Amendment?
It states that the powers not given to the federal government belong to the states or to the people
105. How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?
18 (eighteen) and older
106. What are two Cabinet-level positions?
Secretary of Agriculture / Secretary of Commerce / Secretary of Defense / Secretary of Education / Secretary of Energy / Secretary of Health and Human Services / Secretary of Homeland Security / Secretary of Housing and Urban Development / Secretary of the Interior / Attorney General / Secretary of Labor / Secretary of State / Secretary of Transportation / Secretary of the Treasury / Secretary of Veterans Affairs
107. Why is the Electoral College important?
It decides who is elected President / It provides a compromise between the popular vote and congressional selection
108. What is the current minimum wage in the United States?
Visit the Department of Labor website for the current federal minimum wage
109. Who was President during the Korean War?
Harry Truman / Dwight Eisenhower
110. Who was President during the Vietnam War?
Dwight Eisenhower / John F. Kennedy / Lyndon B. Johnson / Richard Nixon
111. What was the purpose of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
It outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin
112. What did the 19th Amendment do?
Gave women the right to vote / Gave women suffrage
113. What did the 13th Amendment do?
Abolished slavery / Freed the slaves
114. What did the 14th Amendment do?
Defined citizenship / Granted citizenship to all persons born in the U.S. / Provided equal protection under the law
115. What did the 15th Amendment do?
Gave citizens the right to vote regardless of race
116. What did the 26th Amendment do?
Lowered the voting age to 18
117. What is the largest state (by area) in the United States?
Alaska
118. What is the most populous state in the United States?
California
119. What is one power of the President?
Sign bills into law / Veto bills / Enforce laws / Commander in Chief of the military / Make treaties
120. Who was Alexander Hamilton?
First Secretary of the Treasury / A Founding Father / A writer of the Federalist Papers
121. Who was James Madison?
“Father of the Constitution” / A Founding Father / Fourth President / A writer of the Federalist Papers
122. Who was Thomas Jefferson?
Writer of the Declaration of Independence / Third President / A Founding Father / First Secretary of State / Founder of the University of Virginia
123. Who was John Adams?
Second President / First Vice President / A Founding Father
124. What was the main purpose of the Constitutional Convention?
To write the Constitution / To create a new plan of government
125. Name one thing the federal government does for public health.
Regulates food and drugs (FDA) / Provides public health programs / Provides Medicare and Medicaid / Supports medical research
126. What is one benefit of being a U.S. citizen?
Vote in federal elections / Run for federal office / Carry a U.S. passport / Petition to bring family members to the U.S.
127. What is one example of a check on the executive branch by the legislative branch?
Congress can override a Presidential veto / The Senate approves treaties / The Senate approves Presidential appointments / Congress can impeach the President
128. What is one example of a check on the legislative branch by the judicial branch?
The Supreme Court can declare a law unconstitutional / Judicial review
How to Use This List
Don’t try to memorize all 128 questions in one sitting. Instead:
- Week 1: Study questions 1-57 (American Government)
- Week 2: Study questions 58-96 (American History)
- Week 3: Study questions 97-128 (Integrated Civics + Additional)
- Week 4: Review everything and take practice tests
Remember, you only need 12 out of 20 correct — but the more questions you know, the more confident and relaxed you’ll be on test day. Aim to know all 128, and passing becomes almost guaranteed.
Practice With These Questions Now
Reading the list is a great start, but the real test is oral — an officer asks and you answer aloud. Our free practice test simulates this experience with all 128 questions, randomized 20-question sets, and the same smart-stop scoring used on the actual exam.