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2008 or 2025: Which Civics Test Will You Take, and How Many Questions Does It Have?

Your N-400 filing date decides your civics test: 2008 (100 questions, 6 of 10 to pass) or 2025 (128 questions, 12 of 20). Check yours in one step.

By the Citizo Team5 min read

A man at home holds an envelope and looks toward a wall calendar.

In short

  • Filed Form N-400 before October 20, 2025: you take the 2008 test. The list has 100 questions. The officer asks up to 10 and you pass with 6.
  • Filed on or after October 20, 2025: you take the 2025 test. The list has 128 questions. The officer asks up to 20 and you pass with 12.
  • What counts is the filing date of your N-400. The date of your interview does not change your test.
  • The English test (speaking, reading and writing) is the same for both.

Many people ask: "Did the citizenship test change?" Yes. In 2025 USCIS started a new civics test. But not everyone takes it. This guide shows you how to know which test is yours in a few minutes.

In this guide
  1. The rule in one table
  2. How to find your filing date, step by step
  3. What changed in the 2025 test
  4. How many questions will the officer ask?
  5. What did not change
  6. Let Citizo pick the right test
  7. Frequently asked questions
  8. Sources

The rule in one table

Your N-400 filing dateYour civics testQuestions in the listQuestions askedCorrect answers to pass
Before October 20, 20252008 civics test100Up to 106
On or after October 20, 20252025 civics test128Up to 2012

This rule comes from USCIS. The agency gave people time to prepare: only applicants who file on or after October 20, 2025 must take the 2025 test.

How to find your filing date, step by step

  1. Find your receipt notice. After you file Form N-400, USCIS sends a receipt notice. If you filed online, the notice is also in your USCIS online account.
  2. Look for the date USCIS received your application. That is the date you compare with October 20, 2025.
  3. Compare. Before October 20, 2025 means the 2008 test. October 20, 2025 or later means the 2025 test.
  4. Have you not filed yet? If you file today, you will take the 2025 test.
  5. Still not sure? Check your case in your USCIS online account or with your receipt number. See how to check your USCIS case status.

What changed in the 2025 test

The 2025 test is based on the 2020 civics test, with one change in how it is given: the officer stops asking questions as soon as you have 12 correct answers or 9 wrong answers. The passing score stays the same: 60 percent.

2008 test2025 test
List of questions100128
Questions askedUp to 10Up to 20
Test stops at6 right or 5 wrong12 right or 9 wrong
Special list for 65/2020 questions, asked 10, pass with 620 questions, asked 10, pass with 6

Many 2025 questions are new or worded differently. Some ask "why" (for example, why each state has two senators), and some ask about people such as Benjamin Franklin, James Madison or Alexander Hamilton. If you studied the old list, do not assume it is enough.

How many questions will the officer ask?

It depends on your answers. On the 2025 test, the officer asks up to 20 questions. If you answer the first 12 correctly, the test ends after 12 questions. If you answer 9 incorrectly, the test also ends, and you did not pass that day. On the 2008 test, the same idea applies with 6 right or 5 wrong out of up to 10.

All of this happens out loud, during your interview. There is no paper civics test.

What did not change

  • The English test. The Federal Register notice that started the 2025 test says it does not change the English parts: reading, writing, speaking and understanding. Read the reading and writing test.
  • The second chance. If you fail a part, USCIS retests only that part between 60 and 90 days after your first interview.
  • The 65/20 rule. People who are 65 or older with 20 years as permanent residents still study a list of 20 questions. Their list comes from the 2008 or 2025 test, depending on the filing date. See the 65/20 rule and language exemptions.

Let Citizo pick the right test

When you set up Citizo, you enter the date you filed your N-400 (or leave it empty if you have not filed yet). Citizo then shows the list that matches: 128 questions or 100 questions. The practice test follows the same stop rule as your real test. To see the full lists, read citizenship test questions 2026.

Frequently asked questions

My interview is in 2026, but I filed in 2024. Which test do I take?

The 2008 test. Only the filing date of Form N-400 matters.

I filed exactly on October 20, 2025. Which test is mine?

The 2025 test. USCIS says "on or after October 20, 2025."

If I file a new N-400, does my test change?

Each Form N-400 has its own filing date. A new application filed on or after October 20, 2025 means the 2025 test. Ask an attorney or accredited representative before you file again.

Is the 2025 test harder?

You need the same share of correct answers (60 percent), but the list is longer and some questions ask "why." You need more study time.

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