Civics questions
All 128 questions for the 2025 test
These are the questions from the USCIS list. On the real test, the officer asks up to 20 of them, and you need 12 correct answers to pass. Choose a question to see its answers.
Not sure which test is yours? See which test you take.
65/20 One of the 20 questions for the 65/20 ruleAnswer changes Can change after elections or appointmentsDepends on where you live Different in each state
For 65/20: USCIS’s Test Updates page also marks question 23. The USCIS question list does not. Study it too.
American Government
Principles of American Government
- Question 1What is the form of government of the United States?
- Question 2What is the supreme law of the land?Starred for 65/20
- Question 3Name one thing the U.S. Constitution does.
- Question 4The U.S. Constitution starts with the words “We the People.” What does “We the People” mean?
- Question 5How are changes made to the U.S. Constitution?
- Question 6What does the Bill of Rights protect?
- Question 7How many amendments does the U.S. Constitution have?Starred for 65/20
- Question 8Why is the Declaration of Independence important?
- Question 9What founding document said the American colonies were free from Britain?
- Question 10Name two important ideas from the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
- Question 11The words “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” are in what founding document?
- Question 12What is the economic system of the United States?Starred for 65/20
- Question 13What is the rule of law?
- Question 14Many documents influenced the U.S. Constitution. Name one.
- Question 15There are three branches of government. Why?
System of Government
- Question 16Name the three branches of government.
- Question 17The President of the United States is in charge of which branch of government?
- Question 18What part of the federal government writes laws?
- Question 19What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
- Question 20Name one power of the U.S. Congress.Starred for 65/20
- Question 21How many U.S. senators are there?
- Question 22How long is a term for a U.S. senator?
- Question 23Who is one of your state’s U.S. senators now?Depends on where you live
- Question 24How many voting members are in the House of Representatives?
- Question 25How long is a term for a member of the House of Representatives?
- Question 26Why do U.S. representatives serve shorter terms than U.S. senators?
- Question 27How many senators does each state have?
- Question 28Why does each state have two senators?
- Question 29Name your U.S. representative.Depends on where you live
- Question 30What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?Starred for 65/20Answer changes
- Question 31Who does a U.S. senator represent?
- Question 32Who elects U.S. senators?
- Question 33Who does a member of the House of Representatives represent?
- Question 34Who elects members of the House of Representatives?
- Question 35Some states have more representatives than other states. Why?
- Question 36The President of the United States is elected for how many years?Starred for 65/20
- Question 37The President of the United States can serve only two terms. Why?
- Question 38What is the name of the President of the United States now?Starred for 65/20Answer changes
- Question 39What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?Starred for 65/20Answer changes
- Question 40If the president can no longer serve, who becomes president?
- Question 41Name one power of the president.
- Question 42Who is Commander in Chief of the U.S. military?
- Question 43Who signs bills to become laws?
- Question 44Who vetoes bills?Starred for 65/20
- Question 45Who appoints federal judges?
- Question 46The executive branch has many parts. Name one.
- Question 47What does the President’s Cabinet do?
- Question 48What are two Cabinet-level positions?
- Question 49Why is the Electoral College important?
- Question 50What is one part of the judicial branch?
- Question 51What does the judicial branch do?
- Question 52What is the highest court in the United States?Starred for 65/20
- Question 53How many seats are on the Supreme Court?
- Question 54How many Supreme Court justices are usually needed to decide a case?
- Question 55How long do Supreme Court justices serve?
- Question 56Supreme Court justices serve for life. Why?
- Question 57Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?Answer changes
- Question 58Name one power that is only for the federal government.
- Question 59Name one power that is only for the states.
- Question 60What is the purpose of the 10th Amendment?
- Question 61Who is the governor of your state now?Starred for 65/20Depends on where you live
- Question 62What is the capital of your state?Depends on where you live
Rights and Responsibilities
- Question 63There are four amendments to the U.S. Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
- Question 64Who can vote in federal elections, run for federal office, and serve on a jury in the United States?
- Question 65What are three rights of everyone living in the United States?
- Question 66What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?Starred for 65/20
- Question 67Name two promises that new citizens make in the Oath of Allegiance.
- Question 68How can people become United States citizens?
- Question 69What are two examples of civic participation in the United States?
- Question 70What is one way Americans can serve their country?
- Question 71Why is it important to pay federal taxes?
- Question 72It is important for all men age 18 through 25 to register for the Selective Service. Name one reason why.
American History
Colonial Period and Independence
- Question 73The colonists came to America for many reasons. Name one.
- Question 74Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?Starred for 65/20
- Question 75What group of people was taken and sold as slaves?
- Question 76What war did the Americans fight to win independence from Britain?
- Question 77Name one reason why the Americans declared independence from Britain.
- Question 78Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?Starred for 65/20
- Question 79When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
- Question 80The American Revolution had many important events. Name one.
- Question 81There were 13 original states. Name five.
- Question 82What founding document was written in 1787?
- Question 83The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
- Question 84Why were the Federalist Papers important?
- Question 85Benjamin Franklin is famous for many things. Name one.
- Question 86George Washington is famous for many things. Name one.Starred for 65/20
- Question 87Thomas Jefferson is famous for many things. Name one.
- Question 88James Madison is famous for many things. Name one.
- Question 89Alexander Hamilton is famous for many things. Name one.
1800s
- Question 90What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
- Question 91Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
- Question 92Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.
- Question 93The Civil War had many important events. Name one.
- Question 94Abraham Lincoln is famous for many things. Name one.Starred for 65/20
- Question 95What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
- Question 96What U.S. war ended slavery?
- Question 97What amendment says all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are U.S. citizens?
- Question 98When did all men get the right to vote?
- Question 99Name one leader of the women’s rights movement in the 1800s.
Recent American History and Other Important Historical Information
- Question 100Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.
- Question 101Why did the United States enter World War I?
- Question 102When did all women get the right to vote?
- Question 103What was the Great Depression?
- Question 104When did the Great Depression start?
- Question 105Who was president during the Great Depression and World War II?
- Question 106Why did the United States enter World War II?
- Question 107Dwight Eisenhower is famous for many things. Name one.
- Question 108Who was the United States’ main rival during the Cold War?
- Question 109During the Cold War, what was one main concern of the United States?
- Question 110Why did the United States enter the Korean War?
- Question 111Why did the United States enter the Vietnam War?
- Question 112What did the civil rights movement do?
- Question 113Martin Luther King, Jr. is famous for many things. Name one.Starred for 65/20
- Question 114Why did the United States enter the Persian Gulf War?
- Question 115What major event happened on September 11, 2001 in the United States?Starred for 65/20
- Question 116Name one U.S. military conflict after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
- Question 117Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
- Question 118Name one example of an American innovation.
Symbols and Holidays
Symbols
- Question 119What is the capital of the United States?
- Question 120Where is the Statue of Liberty?
- Question 121Why does the flag have 13 stripes?Starred for 65/20
- Question 122Why does the flag have 50 stars?
- Question 123What is the name of the national anthem?
- Question 124The Nation’s first motto was “E Pluribus Unum.” What does that mean?