The 2025 civics test is the naturalization exam USCIS applies to anyone who filed Form N-400 on or after October 20, 2025. The study pool grew from 100 to 128 questions, the officer asks up to 20, and you need 12 correct to pass.
What happened
USCIS put the 2025 version of the naturalization civics test into effect. The main changes:
- The study bank now holds 128 possible questions — the 2008 version had 100.
- At the interview, the officer asks up to 20 questions.
- You need 12 correct to pass. At 9 wrong answers, the test is failed.
The rule applies to anyone who filed Form N-400 on or after October 20, 2025. Filed before that date? You stay on the 2008 version with 100 questions. USCIS itself described the change as the “first step” in a broader overhaul — more adjustments may follow.
What changes for you
The test is still oral and still in English, and the English reading and writing components remain part of the interview. What grew is the volume of material: 128 questions on US history and government, and you do not know which 20 will come up. It is more work. But the material is public — the official list of 128 questions and answers is on the USCIS website, free.
There is an important exception for long-time residents. If you are 65 or older and have been a permanent resident (green card holder) for at least 20 years, you take a simplified version: 10 questions from a reduced bank, with 6 correct to pass. If you or someone in your family fits that profile, check the special rule before you start memorizing all 128.
In practice
- Confirm which version applies to you by looking at your N-400 filing date: before 10/20/2025, the 2008 test (100 questions); on or after that date, the 2025 test (128 questions).
- Study from the official source. The list of 128 questions and answers is on the USCIS site — download it there and do not pay for “updated lists” sold elsewhere.
- 65 or older with 20 years of permanent residence? Check whether you qualify for the 10-question version before studying all 128 for nothing.
Citizenship is the last stretch of a long road, and the test is the part you can master with study and organization. Prime helps you prepare and organize the N-400 paperwork calmly. Studying the content is on you — and guidance on your specific case is for a licensed immigration attorney, when you need it.
Sources
- USCIS — 2025 Civics Test
- USCIS — 128 Civics Questions and Answers (2025 version) (PDF)
- USCIS Newsroom — USCIS Unveils First Changes to Naturalization Test
Educational information, not legal advice. Prime Immigration Office is a paralegal service — document preparation only. For legal advice, consult a licensed Texas attorney or DOJ-accredited representative.