Civics Questions and Answers for the 65/20 Special Consideration
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Only a small portion of applicants may have the choice to take the 2020 version of the Civics Test.
If you filed your Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, on or after December 1, 2020, and before March 1, 2021, and were scheduled for your initial examination (interview) before April 19, 2021, you may choose to take the 2008 or 2020 civics test as you go through the naturalization process. All others will be required to take the 2008 civics test.
Listed below are the questions and answers from the 2020 version of the civics test for those who qualify for the 65/20 special consideration.
The Immigration and Nationality Act provides special consideration for applicants who, at the time of filing their Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, are aged 65 years old or older, and who have been living in the United States as a lawful permanent resident for at least 20 years. Instead of studying all 128 civics questions, qualifying applicants are only required to study the 20 questions that have been marked with an asterisk (*) found at the end of each question. Applicants who qualify for the 65/20 special consideration are exempt from the English requirements and may take the civics test in the language of their choice.
The civics test is an oral test and covers important topics about American government and history. If you qualify for the 65/20 special consideration, a USCIS officer will ask you to answer 10 out of the 20 civics test questions with an asterisk. You must answer at least 6 out of 10 questions (or 60%) correctly to pass the 2020 version of the civics test.
On the civics test, some answers may change because of elections or appointments. Visit our Check for Test Updates page to find any answers that may have changed on the civics test. You must answer the question with the name of the official serving at the time of your naturalization interview.
Although USCIS is aware that there may be additional correct answers to the civics questions, applicants are encouraged to respond to the questions using the answers provided below.
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
A: Principles of American Government
1. What is the supreme law of the land?*
- (U.S.) Constitution
2. How many amendments does the U.S. Constitution have?*
- Twenty-seven (27)
3. What is the economic system of the United States?*
- Capitalism
- Free market economy
B: System of Government
4. Name one power of the U.S. Congress.*
- Writes laws
- Declares war
- Makes the federal budget
5. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?*
- Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
6. The President of the United States is elected for how many years?*
- Four (4) years
7. What is the name of the President of the United States now?*
- Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the name of the President of the United States.
8. What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?*
- Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the name of the Vice President of the United States.
9. Who vetoes bills?*
- The President (of the United States)
10. What is the highest court in the United States?*
- Supreme Court
11. Who is the governor of your state now?*
- Answers will vary. [District of Columbia residents should answer that D.C. does not have a governor.]
C: Rights and Responsibilities
12. What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?*
- The United States
- The flag
AMERICAN HISTORY
A: Colonial Period and Independence
13. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?*
- American Indians
- Native Americans
14. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?*
- (Thomas) Jefferson
15. George Washington is famous for many things. Name one.*
- “Father of Our Country”
- First president of the United States
- General of the Continental Army
- President of the Constitutional Convention
B: 1800s
16. Abraham Lincoln is famous for many things. Name one.*
- Freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation)
- Saved (or preserved) the Union
- Led the United States during the Civil War
- 16th president of the United States
- Delivered the Gettysburg Address
C: Recent American History and Other Important Historical Information
17. Martin Luther King, Jr. is famous for many things. Name one.*
- Fought for civil rights
- Worked for equality for all Americans
- Worked to ensure that people would "not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character"
18. What major event happened on September 11, 2001 in the United States?*
- Terrorists attacked the United States
- Terrorists took over two planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center in New York City
- Terrorists took over a plane and crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia
- Terrorists took over a plane originally aimed at Washington, D.C., and crashed in a field in Pennsylvania
SYMBOLS AND HOLIDAYS
A: Symbols
19. Why does the flag have 13 stripes?*
- (Because there were) 13 original colonies
- (Because the stripes) represent the original colonies
B: Holidays
20. Name three national U.S. holidays.*
- New Year’s Day
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- Presidents Day (Washington’s Birthday)
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Columbus Day
- Veterans Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day