U.S. Naturalization & Citizenship Test

The Naturalization test is one of the last steps that stands between you and your naturalization certificate. In order to become an American citizen you must have the knowledge to successfully pass the test. If you wish to start studying, USCIS provides extensive study materials for the Civics and English tests, which will help you greatly with the preparation.

What if you don’t pass?

In the unlikely event of not passing the two tests from the first try, you will be given a second opportunity. In total, you have two chances of taking the tests. Since you will be asked the questions during your interview, the part you fail will be the same part you will have to repeat from , up to 90 days after the initial interview.

1. What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
   • Answer: The United States
   • Hint: The Pledge of Allegiance is a promise to be loyal to the United States: “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” We show loyalty to the United States when we say the Pledge of Allegiance.
2. Name one right only for United States citizens.
   • Answer: Run for federal office
   • Hint: Only United States citizens can vote in federal elections and run for federal office. Citizens make laws through elected representatives. Many naturalized citizens have been elected as U.S. senators and U.S. representatives. However, naturalized citizens cannot run for president.
3. The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
   • Answer: four hundred thirty-five (435)
   • Hint: There are 435 voting members in the House of Representatives. Each state is divided into districts. Each district elects one representative. California is the state with the most people. It has more than 50 representatives. States with fewer people, like Alaska, have only one representative.
4. What is freedom of religion?
   • Answer: You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion
   • Hint: Freedom of religion is the ability to practice any religion, or not practice a religion. Freedom to practice different religions is part of American life. It is part of the First Amendment to the Constitution. Everyone living in the United States has religious freedom. They can choose to practice any religion, or not practice a religion.
5. The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?
   • Answer: We the people
   • Hint: The first three words of the Constitution are “We the People.” The document says that the people of the United States choose to create the government. “We the People” also explains that people elect representatives to make laws. This is a form of self-government.
6. Who makes federal laws?
   • Answer: Congress
   • Hint: Congress makes federal laws. A bill is a proposed law. Members of Congress can introduce bills. They debate the bill. They make changes. Congress must agree to send the bill to the president. When the president signs the bill, it becomes a federal law.
7. During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?
   • Answer: Communism
   • Hint: The United States' main concern during the Cold War was communism. The Cold War was not a traditional war. It was “cold” because the United States and the Soviet Union did not fight each other directly. The Cold War began after World War II ended in 1945.The Soviet Union was a communist country. Communism is an economic system where most property belongs to the government. The United States has a capitalist economy, where property usually belongs to individuals. The United States and the Soviet Union competed for world power. Leaders of both countries worried that the other would use the atomic bomb to turn the Cold War into a real war. This never happened. The Cold War ended in 1991 when the Soviet Union divided into many smaller countries.
8. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?
   • Answer: To declare war
   • Hint: The powers of the United States government are listed in the Constitution. The powers of the federal government include the power to print money, create an army, and make treaties. Another is the power to declare war. The president can ask Congress for a declaration of war. In 1941, after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war. Congress voted to declare war and the United States entered World War II.
9. Name one problem that led to the Civil War.
   • Answer: Slavery
   • Hint: Disagreements over slavery and other issues led to the Civil War. Some people believed slavery should be illegal. Other people did not. When the Civil War started in 1861, enslaved African Americans worked on farms and in cities. Many people in the South believed their economy and daily life needed slaves. Many people in the North wanted to stop slavery. The South fought the Civil War because they wanted states' rights to keep slavery legal. The North won the war in 1865. Slavery became illegal in all states.Slavery, economic reasons, and states' rights were problems that led to the Civil War.
10. Why does the flag have 50 stars?
    • Answer: Because there is one star for each state
    • Hint: The United States flag has 50 stars because there is one star for each state. After independence from Great Britain, the United States had 13 states. Then, the United States grew. Many immigrants came from around the world. The country grew bigger. The borders expanded. New states formed. A star was added to the flag for each new state. Today we have 50 states, so the flag has 50 stars.