Not an official website of the United States government — an independent study tool based on official USCIS materials.
The civics test is just one part of the day. Here is everything that happens at your interview — and the questions to expect.
You arrive at your local USCIS field office, check in with your interview notice and green card, and wait to be called. The officer brings you to their office and places you under oath — you swear to tell the truth for everything that follows.
The officer goes through your Form N-400 with you, question by question, confirming everything is still true. This conversation doubles as your English speaking test — the officer is listening to how well you understand and respond.
You read one sentence out loud from a digital tablet. You get up to three tries with different sentences, and you only need to read one correctly. Sentences use a short official vocabulary list (below).
The officer reads a sentence and you write it down. Again, up to three tries, and one correct sentence passes. The writing vocabulary list is also published in advance (below).
The officer asks up to 20 questions from the official pool of 128, orally. Answer 12 correctly and you pass — the test stops as soon as you reach 12 (or can no longer reach it).
At the end, the officer tells you the result: granted (you'll be scheduled for the Oath of Allegiance ceremony), continued (they need more evidence or you'll retake a failed test portion in 60–90 days), or denied (with a written explanation and appeal rights).
The officer confirms your application out loud — these conversational questions are also your English speaking test. Typical topics and examples:
Reading and writing sentences are built from short official word lists (USCIS form M-715) — every word is published in advance, so they are very learnable.
Verify against the official lists: USCIS study materials.
Most interviews take about 20 to 30 minutes, though your total time at the field office is longer with check-in and waiting. The civics and English tests are only a few minutes of that.
Your interview notice, green card (permanent resident card), passports and travel documents, state ID, and any documents USCIS requested — plus originals of anything that changed since you filed, like a new marriage certificate or updated tax returns.
The officer reviews your Form N-400 with you under oath: your identity, address history, trips outside the United States, marital status and family, employment, taxes, any arrests or citations, and whether you support the Constitution and are willing to take the Oath of Allegiance.
Yes. If you are 50+ with 20 years as a permanent resident, or 55+ with 15 years, you are exempt from the English test and can take the civics test in your language with an interpreter. And at 65+ with 20 years, you also study only the 20 starred civics questions.
You get a second chance. USCIS reschedules you, generally 60 to 90 days later, and retests only the portion you did not pass — if you passed civics but missed the writing test, you only redo the writing test.
You may bring an attorney or accredited representative. Interpreters are only for applicants who qualify for an English-test exemption. If you have questions about your specific case, talk to a licensed immigration attorney — this site is a study tool, not legal advice.
The civics test is the part you can fully prepare for.
Study the 128 questions free