Give one answer
1. What is the supreme law of the land?
- the Constitution
Up to date as of October 21, 2026
All 100 Civics Test Questions and Answers (2008)
All 100 official civics questions and answers for the 2008 version of the US citizenship test, grouped by topic. The answers are the accepted answers published by USCIS, word for word.
100 questions · up to 10 asked · 6 correct to pass · for Form N-400 filed before October 20, 2025
Each question shows every answer USCIS accepts. You only need to give one answer unless the question asks for two or three. Words in brackets are optional — “(Thomas) Jefferson” means “Jefferson” is also correct.
How to use this page
Read one topic at a time and say each answer out loud. Use Filters to show only the 65/20 questions or the answers that change, switch to flashcards, or hide the answers to test yourself. Oral — asked by a USCIS officer at your naturalization interview.
American Government
Principles of American Democracy
Give one answer
2. What does the Constitution do?
- sets up the government
- defines the government
- protects basic rights of Americans
Give one answer
3. The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?
- We the People
Give one answer
4. What is an amendment?
- a change (to the Constitution)
- an addition (to the Constitution)
Give one answer
5. What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
- the Bill of Rights
65/20Give one answer
6. What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?
- speech
- religion
- assembly
- press
- petition the government
Give one answer
7. How many amendments does the Constitution have?
- twenty-seven (27)
Give one answer
8. What did the Declaration of Independence do?
- announced our independence (from Great Britain)
- declared our independence (from Great Britain)
- said that the United States is free (from Great Britain)
Give two answers
9. What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?
- life
- liberty
- pursuit of happiness
Give one answer
10. What is freedom of religion?
- You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion.
65/20Give one answer
11. What is the economic system in the United States?
- capitalist economy
- market economy
Give one answer
12. 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.
Finished Principles of American Democracy?
System of Government
65/20Give one answer
13. Name one branch or part of the government.
- Congress
- legislative
- President
- executive
- the courts
- judicial
Give one answer
14. What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
- checks and balances
- separation of powers
Give one answer
15. Who is in charge of the executive branch?
- the President
Give one answer
16. Who makes federal laws?
- Congress
- Senate and House (of Representatives)
- (U.S. or national) legislature
65/20Give one answer
17. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
- the Senate and House (of Representatives)
Give one answer
18. How many U.S. Senators are there?
- one hundred (100)
Give one answer
19. We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?
- six (6)
20. Who is one of your state’s U.S. Senators now?
to see the answer for where you live.
Answers will vary.
District of Columbia residents and residents of U.S. territories should answer that D.C. (or the territory where the applicant lives) has no U.S. Senators.
Give one answer
21. The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
- four hundred thirty-five (435)
Give one answer
22. We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?
- two (2)
Depends on your stateGive one answer
23. Name your U.S. Representative.
to see the answer for where you live.
Answers will vary.
Residents of territories with nonvoting Delegates or Resident Commissioners may provide the name of that Delegate or Commissioner. Also acceptable is any statement that the territory has no (voting) Representatives in Congress.
Give one answer
24. Who does a U.S. Senator represent?
- all people of the state
Give one answer
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
Give one answer
26. We elect a President for how many years?
- four (4)
65/20Give one answer
27. In what month do we vote for President?
- November
28. What is the name of the President of the United States now?
Current answer: Donald J. Trump
Checked on October 21, 2026 · Check the latest answers on USCIS
Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the name of the President of the United States.
Changes with electionsGive one answer
29. What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?
Current answer: JD Vance
Checked on October 21, 2026 · Check the latest answers on USCIS
Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the name of the Vice President of the United States.
Give one answer
30. If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
- the Vice President
Give one answer
31. If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
- the Speaker of the House
Give one answer
32. Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?
- the President
Give one answer
33. Who signs bills to become laws?
- the President
Give one answer
34. Who vetoes bills?
- the President
Give one answer
35. What does the President’s Cabinet do?
- advises the President
Give two answers
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
- Secretary of Labor
- Secretary of State
- Secretary of Transportation
- Secretary of the Treasury
- Secretary of Veterans Affairs
- Attorney General
- Vice President
Give one answer
37. What does the judicial branch do?
- reviews laws
- explains laws
- resolves disputes (disagreements)
- decides if a law goes against the Constitution
Give one answer
38. What is the highest court in the United States?
- the Supreme Court
Changes with electionsGive one answer
39. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
Current answer: Nine
Checked on October 21, 2026 · Check the latest answers on USCIS
Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the number of justices on the Supreme Court.
Changes with electionsGive one answer
40. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
Current answer: John G. Roberts, Jr.
Checked on October 21, 2026 · Check the latest answers on USCIS
Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the name of the Chief Justice of the United States.
Give one 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
Give one answer
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
Depends on your stateGive one answer
43. Who is the Governor of your state now?
to see the answer for where you live.
Answers will vary.
District of Columbia residents should answer that D.C. does not have a Governor.
44. What is the capital of your state?
to see the answer for where you live.
Answers will vary.
District of Columbia residents should answer that D.C. is not a state and does not have a capital. Residents of U.S. territories should name the capital of the territory.
65/20Give one answer
45. What are the two major political parties in the United States?
- Democratic and Republican
Changes with electionsGive one answer
46. What is the political party of the President now?
Current answer: Republican
Checked on October 21, 2026 · Check the latest answers on USCIS
Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the political party of the President.
Changes with electionsGive one answer
47. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
Current answer: Mike Johnson
Checked on October 21, 2026 · Check the latest answers on USCIS
Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Finished System of Government?
Rights and Responsibilities
Give one answer
48. There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
- Citizens eighteen (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).
65/20Give one answer
49. What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?
- serve on a jury
- vote in a federal election
Give one answer
50. Name one right only for United States citizens.
- vote in a federal election
- run for federal office
Give two answers
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
Give one answer
52. What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
- the United States
- the flag
Give one answer
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
65/20Give one answer
54. How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?
- eighteen (18) and older
Give two answers
55. 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 Senators and Representatives
- publicly support or oppose an issue or policy
- run for office
- write to a newspaper
65/20Give one answer
56. When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?
- April 15
Give one answer
57. When must all men register for the Selective Service?
- at age eighteen (18)
- between eighteen (18) and twenty-six (26)
Finished Rights and Responsibilities?
American History
Colonial Period and Independence
Give one answer
58. What is one reason colonists came to America?
- freedom
- political liberty
- religious freedom
- economic opportunity
- practice their religion
- escape persecution
Give one answer
59. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
- American Indians
- Native Americans
Give one answer
60. What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
- Africans
- people from Africa
Give one answer
61. Why did the colonists fight the British?
- because of high taxes (taxation without representation)
- because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering)
- because they didn’t have self-government
Give one answer
62. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
- (Thomas) Jefferson
Give one answer
63. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
- July 4, 1776
Give three answers
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
Give one answer
65. What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
- The Constitution was written.
- The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution.
Give one answer
66. When was the Constitution written?
- 1787
Give one answer
67. The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
- (James) Madison
- (Alexander) Hamilton
- (John) Jay
- Publius
Give one answer
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
Give one answer
69. Who is the “Father of Our Country”?
- (George) Washington
65/20Give one answer
70. Who was the first President?
- (George) Washington
Finished Colonial Period and Independence?
1800s
Give one answer
71. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
- the Louisiana Territory
- Louisiana
Give one answer
72. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
- War of 1812
- Mexican-American War
- Civil War
- Spanish-American War
Give one answer
73. Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.
- the Civil War
- the War between the States
Give one answer
74. Name one problem that led to the Civil War.
- slavery
- economic reasons
- states’ rights
65/20Give one answer
75. What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?
- freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation)
- saved (or preserved) the Union
- led the United States during the Civil War
Give one answer
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
Give one answer
77. What did Susan B. Anthony do?
- fought for women’s rights
- fought for civil rights
Finished 1800s?
Recent American History and Other Important Historical Information
65/20Give one answer
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
Give one answer
79. Who was President during World War I?
- (Woodrow) Wilson
Give one answer
80. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?
- (Franklin) Roosevelt
Give one answer
81. Who did the United States fight in World War II?
- Japan, Germany, and Italy
Give one answer
82. Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in?
- World War II
Give one answer
83. During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?
- Communism
Give one answer
84. What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
- civil rights (movement)
65/20Give one answer
85. What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?
- fought for civil rights
- worked for equality for all Americans
Give one answer
86. What major event happened on September 11, 2001, in the United States?
- Terrorists attacked the United States.
Give one answer
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
USCIS Officers will be supplied with a list of federally recognized American Indian tribes.
Finished Recent American History and Other Important Historical Information?
Integrated Civics
Geography
Give one answer
88. Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.
- Missouri (River)
- Mississippi (River)
Give one answer
89. What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?
- Pacific (Ocean)
Give one answer
90. What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
- Atlantic (Ocean)
Give one answer
91. Name one U.S. territory.
- Puerto Rico
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- American Samoa
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Guam
Give one answer
92. Name one state that borders Canada.
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- Ohio
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- North Dakota
- Montana
- Idaho
- Washington
- Alaska
Give one answer
93. Name one state that borders Mexico.
- California
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Texas
65/20Give one answer
94. What is the capital of the United States?
- Washington, D.C.
65/20Give one answer
95. Where is the Statue of Liberty?
- New York (Harbor)
- Liberty Island
Also acceptable are New Jersey, near New York City, and on the Hudson (River).
Finished Geography?
Symbols
Give one answer
96. Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
- because there were 13 original colonies
- because the stripes represent the original colonies
65/20Give one answer
97. 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
Give one answer
98. What is the name of the national anthem?
- The Star-Spangled Banner
Finished Symbols?
Holidays
65/20Give one answer
99. When do we celebrate Independence Day?
- July 4
Give two answers
100. 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
Finished Holidays?
Answers that change
Some answers may change because of elections or appointments. Answer with the name of the official who is serving at the time of your eligibility interview with USCIS.
Checked on October 21, 2026 · Check the latest answers on USCIS
Answers for your state
Four answers depend on where you live: your U.S. Senators, your U.S. Representative, your Governor and your state capital. Choose your state to see them.
65/20 special consideration
If you are 65 or older and have been a lawful permanent resident for 20 or more years, you may study just the 20 questions marked 65/20. The officer asks you 10 of them, and you must answer at least 6 correctly. You may also take the civics test in the language of your choice.
Ready to test yourself?
Quick Answers
How many questions are on the 2008 civics test?
There are 100 questions on the official list. A USCIS officer asks you up to 10 of them at your naturalization interview, and you must answer 6 correctly to pass.
Who takes the 2008 civics test?
You take the 2008 version if your Form N-400 was filed before October 20, 2025. If it was filed on or after that date, you take the 2025 version, which has 128 questions.
Do I have to give the exact answer from the list?
USCIS says there may be additional correct answers, but encourages applicants to answer using the answers on the official list. Words in brackets are optional.
Which answers change?
The names of the President, the Vice President, the Chief Justice and the Speaker of the House, the President’s political party, and the number of Supreme Court justices are checked against USCIS test updates. Your U.S. Senators, Representative, Governor and state capital depend on where you live.
What is the 65/20 special consideration?
If you are 65 or older and have been a legal permanent resident for 20 or more years, you may study just the 20 questions marked with an asterisk.
Questions and answers: USCIS, Civics (History and Government) Questions for the Naturalization Test (rev. 01/19). Milestone is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with USCIS.
Up to date as of October 21, 2026: checked against the official USCIS civics test questions and answers.