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U.S. Citizenship Test Questions 2026: The 128 and the 100 Official Questions

The official civics questions in 2026: 128 for the 2025 test and 100 for the 2008 test. How the oral test works and which answers can change.

By the Citizo Team6 min read

A woman studies the civics questions at her kitchen table with printed pages and her phone.

In short

  • In 2026 there are two official lists of civics questions: 128 questions for the 2025 test and 100 questions for the 2008 test.
  • Your list depends on the date you filed Form N-400, not on the date of your interview.
  • The civics test is oral. The officer asks the questions out loud and you answer out loud.
  • A few answers change after elections or appointments. USCIS publishes the current answers on its "Check for Test Updates" page.

If you are applying to become a U.S. citizen, you will hear about "the 100 questions" and "the 128 questions." Both lists are real and both are in use in 2026. This guide explains what each list is, how the test works and where to get the official questions.

In this guide
  1. Two lists, two tests
  2. What the 128 questions cover
  3. Answers that change
  4. How to get the official questions, step by step
  5. If you are 65 or older
  6. Study the right list with Citizo
  7. Frequently asked questions
  8. Sources

Two lists, two tests

USCIS started the 2025 civics test on October 20, 2025. People who filed before that date still take the older 2008 test.

2008 civics test2025 civics test
Who takes itFiled Form N-400 before October 20, 2025Filed Form N-400 on or after October 20, 2025
Questions in the list100128
Questions the officer asksUp to 10Up to 20
To pass6 correct12 correct
You fail with5 wrong9 wrong

The officer stops as soon as you pass or fail. On the 2025 test, if you answer 12 questions correctly, the test ends there. In both versions you need 60 percent of the questions right.

Not sure which test is yours? Read 2008 or 2025: which civics test will you take?.

What the 128 questions cover

The 2025 list has three big parts:

PartSectionsQuestions
American GovernmentPrinciples of American Government; System of Government; Rights and Responsibilities1 to 72
American HistoryColonial Period and Independence; 1800s; Recent American History and Other Important Historical Information73 to 118
Symbols and HolidaysSymbols; Holidays119 to 128

The 2008 list has 100 questions in American Government, American History and Integrated Civics (geography, symbols and holidays).

Many questions accept more than one answer. USCIS says there may be other correct answers, but it asks applicants to use the answers on the official list. Our advice: learn one short answer from the list for each question and say it clearly.

Answers that change

Some answers depend on who holds a job today. On the test, you must give the name of the person serving on the day of your interview. USCIS lists the current answers on its "Check for Test Updates" page. On October 29, 2026, that page (last updated September 18, 2025) listed:

Question (2025 test)Answer on the USCIS page
38. Name of the President nowDonald J. Trump, Donald Trump or Trump
39. Name of the Vice President nowJD Vance or Vance
30. Name of the Speaker of the House nowMike Johnson, Johnson or James Michael Johnson
57. Chief Justice of the United States nowJohn Roberts, John G. Roberts, Jr. or Roberts

Four more questions depend on where you live: one of your senators, your representative, your governor and your state capital. Learn how to find those in answers that depend on your state.

How to get the official questions, step by step

  1. Find the date you filed Form N-400. It is on your receipt notice. That date tells you which list to study.
  2. Download the list from uscis.gov. The 2025 list is the document "128 Civics Questions and Answers," edition M-1778 (09/25). The 2008 list is "Civics Questions and Answers (2008 version)."
  3. Open the "Check for Test Updates" page a few days before your interview and again after any election.
  4. Write down your state answers. Look up your senators, your representative, your governor and your capital.
  5. Practice out loud. The test is spoken, so reading silently is not enough.

If you are 65 or older

If you are 65 or older and have been a permanent resident for 20 years or more when you file, you get "special consideration." You study only 20 questions marked with an asterisk, the officer asks 10 of them, and you pass with 6. You may also take the civics test in the language you choose. Details are in the 65/20 rule and language exemptions.

Study the right list with Citizo

Citizo asks for the date you filed your N-400 and shows you the list that matches it. You can study every question with flashcards, listen to each question and answer in English, and take a practice test that stops at 12 right or 9 wrong, like the real 2025 test. The practice test plays each question in English when you press a button; you answer out loud and mark whether you got it right, or you choose from options. The your state screen shows the answers for where you live. To see which questions give people the most trouble, read the hardest questions on the citizenship test, and for a plan, see how to study for the citizenship test.

Frequently asked questions

Is the test still 100 questions in 2026?

Only for people who filed Form N-400 before October 20, 2025. If you filed on or after that date, your list has 128 questions.

Do I need to memorize all 128 questions?

The officer can ask any of them, so you should study all of them. You only need 12 correct answers out of up to 20 questions.

Is the civics test written?

No. The civics test is oral. The officer reads each question and you answer out loud. The English test has separate reading and writing parts.

What happens if I fail the civics test?

You get a second chance. USCIS retests you on the part you failed between 60 and 90 days after your first interview. If you fail again, USCIS denies the application.

About this guide

This guide is general information, not legal advice. For questions about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney or an accredited representative. Citizo is an independent app. It is not part of the U.S. government and has no connection to USCIS. The official information is at uscis.gov. Written by the Citizo Team. Facts checked on October 29, 2026.

Sources