On this page
How to use this list
The complete list is at the top of this page, numbered 1–128 exactly as USCIS numbers it, with every acceptable answer. Questions marked for 65/20 are flagged. Use it three ways:
- Read a section, then cover the answers and say them out loud. The real test is oral, so recognition isn't enough.
- Pick one answer for every "name one" question and drill only that one. You get no extra credit for knowing all 25 tribes.
- Test yourself in Interview Mode once you've been through everything.
The 128 questions by category
| Category | Section | Questions | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Government | Principles of American Government | 1–15 | 15 |
| System of Government | 16–62 | 47 | |
| Rights and Responsibilities | 63–72 | 10 | |
| American History | Colonial Period and Independence | 73–89 | 17 |
| 1800s | 90–99 | 10 | |
| Recent American History and Other Important Historical Information | 100–118 | 19 | |
| Symbols and Holidays | Symbols | 119–124 | 6 |
| Holidays | 125–128 | 4 |
"System of Government" is the biggest single chunk at 47 questions. Good news: it's also the most repetitive. Four of those questions (42–45) have the same answer: "the President."
Answers that change, and where to check them
| # | Question | Answer as of Sept. 29, 2026 / where to check |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | Speaker of the House | Mike Johnson |
| 38 | President | Donald J. Trump |
| 39 | Vice President | JD Vance |
| 57 | Chief Justice | John G. Roberts, Jr. |
| 23 | One of your state's U.S. senators | senate.gov |
| 29 | Your U.S. representative | house.gov (search by ZIP code) |
| 61 | Your governor | Your state's official website |
| 62 | Your state capital | Your state's official website |
USCIS posts current answers for the officials questions at uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates. Check it the week of your interview. D.C. and U.S. territory residents: the official list has specific answers for you (for example, D.C. has no U.S. senators and no governor), shown in the list below.
Same answer, different question
Group these and you knock out a dozen questions at once:
- "The President": Commander in Chief (42), signs bills (43), vetoes bills (44), appoints federal judges (45). Also: the President runs the executive branch (17).
- "Declaration of Independence": said the colonies were free from Britain (9); has "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" (11).
- "The Constitution": supreme law of the land (2); founding document written in 1787 (82).
- "To stop the spread of communism": Korean War (110) and Vietnam War (111).
- "The Civil War": war between the North and South (92); the war that ended slavery (96).
Numbers and dates cheat sheet
| Number | What it answers | # |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | Amendments to the Constitution | 7 |
| 100 | U.S. senators | 21 |
| 6 years | Senator's term | 22 |
| 435 | Voting members of the House | 24 |
| 2 years | Representative's term | 25 |
| 2 | Senators per state | 27 |
| 4 years | President's term | 36 |
| 9 | Supreme Court seats | 53 |
| 5 | Justices usually needed to decide a case | 54 |
| 1776 | Declaration of Independence adopted (July 4) | 79 |
| 1787 | Constitution written | 82 |
| 1803 | Louisiana bought from France | 90 |
| 1870 | All men get the right to vote (15th Amendment) | 98 |
| 1920 | All women get the right to vote (19th Amendment) | 102 |
| 1929 | Great Depression starts (stock market crash) | 104 |
| 13 / 50 | Stripes (original colonies) / stars (states) | 121, 122 |
One hook per famous person
Eight questions ask what a person is famous for. Any listed answer works, so lock in one:
- Benjamin Franklin (85): U.S. diplomat or inventor
- George Washington (86): "Father of Our Country" or first president
- Thomas Jefferson (87): writer of the Declaration of Independence
- James Madison (88): "Father of the Constitution"
- Alexander Hamilton (89): first Secretary of the Treasury
- Abraham Lincoln (94): led the United States during the Civil War
- Dwight Eisenhower (107): general during World War II
- Martin Luther King, Jr. (113): fought for civil rights
Easy picks for the long “name one” lists
| # | Question asks for | Easy pick |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | A document that influenced the Constitution | Declaration of Independence |
| 48 | Two Cabinet-level positions | Secretary of State, Attorney General |
| 65 | Three rights of everyone in the U.S. | Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly |
| 69 | Two examples of civic participation | Vote, run for office |
| 77 | Why Americans declared independence | Taxation without representation |
| 81 | Five of the 13 original states | New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Georgia |
| 117 | An American Indian tribe | Cherokee |
| 118 | An American innovation | Airplane |
| 126 | Three national holidays | Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day |
How to read the answer list
The official list uses a few conventions. Know them and you'll save yourself a lot of memorizing:
- Words in parentheses are optional. "(Thomas) Jefferson" means "Jefferson" is enough. "Senate and House (of Representatives)" means "Senate and House" works.
- Each bullet is a separate acceptable answer. For "What is the economic system of the United States?" you can say "capitalism" or "free market economy." You don't need both.
- Brackets are instructions, not answers. For example, the note on question 23 tells D.C. and territory residents to say they have no U.S. senators.
- "Answers will vary" means the answer depends on where you live. Look yours up.
The amendment questions in one place
Amendments show up all over the list. Learn them as a set:
| Amendment | What it does | Question |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | Powers not given to the federal government belong to the states or the people | 60 |
| 14th | Citizenship for people born or naturalized in the U.S. | 68, 97 |
| 15th | Men of any race can vote (1870) | 63, 98 |
| 16th | Federal income tax | 71 |
| 19th | Women can vote (1920) | 63, 102 |
| 22nd | President limited to two terms | 37 |
| 24th | No poll tax to vote | 63 |
| 26th | Citizens 18 and older can vote | 63 |
Question 63 asks you to describe one of the four voting amendments (15th, 19th, 24th, 26th). "Citizens eighteen and older can vote" is the easiest to remember.
Questions people mix up
- Who becomes President if the President can't serve (40)? The Vice President, not the Speaker. The Speaker comes after the Vice President.
- Who appoints federal judges (45)? The President. The Senate confirms them, but "the Senate" is the wrong answer.
- Who elects U.S. senators (32)? Citizens from their state, not the state legislature (that ended with the 17th Amendment).
- Memorial Day (127) vs. Veterans Day (128): Memorial Day honors those who died in military service; Veterans Day honors everyone who served.
- 13 stripes (121) vs. 50 stars (122): stripes = original colonies, stars = states.
- Men's vote (98) vs. women's vote (102): 15th Amendment, 1870 vs. 19th Amendment, 1920.
- Holidays (126): You need three, not one. Juneteenth counts: it's on the 2025 list. Easy picks: Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day.
A two-week sprint
Already know some U.S. history? Ten questions a day covers the list in under two weeks:
- Days 1–7: questions 1–72 (government). Look up your four local answers on day 1.
- Days 8–12: questions 73–128 (history, symbols, holidays).
- Days 13–14: one Interview Mode round each morning and evening; drill only your misses.
New to U.S. history? Use the 6-week plan in our main guide instead.
More U.S. Citizenship Test guides
The U.S. Citizenship Test in 2026: How the 2025 Naturalization Test Works
The citizenship test is two tests given at your naturalization interview: English and civics.
Read Practice testU.S. Citizenship Practice Test (2025 Civics Test)
Practice the civics test the way the officer gives it: out loud, up to 20 questions, stopping at 12 right or 9 wrong.
Read GuideThe 65/20 Civics Test: 20 Questions, 10 Asked, 6 to Pass
If you’re 65 or older and have been a green card holder for at least 20 years, you study 20 questions instead of 128…
Read GuideThe Citizenship Reading and Writing Test: How It Works and How to Pass
Read one sentence right, write one sentence right. The English test is short, the word lists are public, and it didn’t…
Read GuideExamen de ciudadanía 2025 en español: las 128 preguntas y respuestas
Si califica para una exención del inglés, puede tomar el examen de educación cívica en español con un intérprete.
ReadFrequently asked questions
Do I have to memorize all 128 questions?
Yes, unless you qualify for 65/20. The officer can ask any question on the list. 65/20 applicants only study the 20 marked questions (see the 65/20 list).
Do my answers have to match the list word for word?
Officers work from the official answer list. You don't need to recite a bullet exactly, but stay close to the listed wording so there's no doubt your answer is on the list.
Is this the complete official list?
Yes: all 128 questions and acceptable answers from USCIS's 2025 civics test, in USCIS's numbering. The only additions are current names for the four officials questions, as of September 29, 2026.
Where do I get the official PDF?
On USCIS's Study for the Test page.
I filed before October 20, 2025. Is this my list?
No. You take the 2008 test, which uses a different list of 100 questions. Get that list from USCIS.
Sources & official links
- USCIS — Check for Test Updatesuscis.gov