Notice2025-18050
Notice of Implementation of 2025 Naturalization Civics Test
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 18, 2025
Effective
September 18, 2025
Issuing agencies
Homeland Security DepartmentU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Abstract
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS or the Department), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is reimplementing the 2020 Naturalization Civics Test, which was originally announced on November 13, 2020, with some modifications (henceforth "2025 Naturalization Civics Test"). This 2025 Naturalization Civics Test satisfies the statutory requirement for aliens to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of American history, and of the principles and form of government of the United States in pursuit of naturalization. This notice does not change the English language parts of the naturalization test (reading, writing, speaking, and understanding).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 179 (Thursday, September 18, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 179 (Thursday, September 18, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45047-45050]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-18050]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
[CIS No. 2823-25; DHS Docket No. USCIS-2025-0008]
Notice of Implementation of 2025 Naturalization Civics Test
AGENCY: Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS or the Department),
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is reimplementing the
2020 Naturalization Civics Test, which was originally announced on
November 13, 2020, with some modifications (henceforth ``2025
Naturalization Civics Test''). This 2025 Naturalization Civics Test
satisfies the statutory requirement for aliens to demonstrate a
knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of American history,
and of the principles and form of government of the United States in
pursuit of naturalization. This notice does not change the English
language parts of the naturalization test (reading, writing, speaking,
and understanding).
DATES: This notice is effective on September 18, 2025. USCIS will
administer the 2025 Naturalization Civics Test to aliens who file their
naturalization applications on or after October 20, 2025.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Residence and Naturalization Division,
Office of Policy and Strategy, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services, Department of Homeland Security, 5900 Capital Gateway Drive,
Camp Springs, MD 20746; or by phone at 240-721-3000.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Purpose
United States citizenship confers rights, privileges, and
responsibilities that are vital to the security and safety of the
United States, unification around a common American identity, and
dedication to the common welfare of the American people. The ability to
become a naturalized citizen is the most meaningful immigration benefit
the United States can bestow on an alien. In order to become a United
States citizen, an alien must be willing and able to accept all of the
responsibilities of being a United States citizen in return for certain
rights and privileges. The rights of U.S. citizenship include the right
to vote and the right to hold public office. The responsibilities of
U.S. citizenship include serving on federal juries and most state
juries, supporting and defending the United States and the U.S.
Constitution, bearing loyalty to the United States and abjuring
allegiance to any other country, and serving in the military or
performing civilian service when called upon by the government.\1\
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\1\ See USCIS, Citizen's Almanac (Form M-76), pg. 2, <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/guides/M-76.pdf">https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/guides/M-76.pdf</a> (Rev.
Sept. 2014).
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In recognition that aliens applying for naturalization must be
willing and able to carry out these rights and responsibilities,
Congress, among other things, required that such aliens must
demonstrate English proficiency, knowledge of the fundamentals of
American history, and U.S. government and civics.\2\
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\2\ INA sec. 312, 8 U.S.C. 1423; see 8 CFR part 312.
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Demonstration of English and civics knowledge is essential to
showing an alien's commitment to fulfill the rights and
responsibilities of U.S. citizenship and to actively assimilate into
American society. Understanding the rights and responsibilities of
citizenship, engaging with the government, and fully contributing to
the democratic process all rely on a basic understanding of U.S.
government and civics. Further, knowledge of U.S. government and civics
enables naturalized citizens to more fully engage with local and
federal government agencies and be active and responsible members of
their local communities, furthering the success of our democracy.
II. Background
Legal Authority
Section 312 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C.
1423, outlines the civics requirements for naturalization.\3\
Candidates for naturalization must have ``knowledge and understanding
of the fundamentals of the history, and of the principles and form of
government, of the United States.'' See INA sec. 312(a)(2), 8 U.S.C.
1423(a)(2).\4\ Under INA sec. 312(b)(3), special consideration is
provided for the civics test for aliens who are over the age of 65 when
they file their naturalization application and have been living in the
United States for periods totaling at least 20 years subsequent to
lawful admission for permanent residence. In addition, INA sec. 332(a),
8 U.S.C. 1443(a), provides specific authority for administering the
civics test. Specifically, the INA states that the Secretary ``shall
make such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry into
effect the provisions of this part and is authorized to prescribe the
scope and nature of the examination of applicants for naturalization as
to their admissibility to citizenship.'' INA sec. 332(b), 8 U.S.C.
1443(b), provides authority to ``promote instruction and training in
citizenship responsibilities of applicants for naturalization.'' DHS
develops and administers these tests pursuant to its regulations in 8
CFR part 312.
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\3\ Although several provisions of the INA discussed in this
final rule refer exclusively to the ``Attorney General,'' such
provisions now refer to the Secretary of Homeland Security by
operation of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (HSA) (Pub. L. 107-
296, 116 Stat. 2135) (codified at 6 U.S.C. 101 et. seq.). See 6
U.S.C. 202(3), 251, 271(b), 542 note, 557; see also 8 U.S.C.
1103(a)(1), (a)(3), (g), 1551 note; Nielsen v. Preap, 586 U.S. 392,
397 n.2 (2019).
\4\ The requirements of INA section 312(a) do not apply to
aliens who are unable because of physical or developmental
disability or mental impairment to comply with them. INA sec.
312(b)(1), 8 U.S.C. 1423(b)(1).
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The language in INA secs. 312 and 332, 8 U.S.C. 1423 and 1443, as
well as the Secretary's broad general authority under INA sec. 103(a),
8 U.S.C. 1103(a), and the Homeland Security Act,\5\ authorize the
Secretary to issue regulations and delegate certain duties to any
organizational unit, including USCIS, to administer the immigration and
naturalization of aliens,\6\ and to
[[Page 45048]]
develop, revise, and administer the naturalization test.
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\5\ HSA sec. 102, 6 U.S.C. 112, specifically authorizes the
Secretary to delegate any of the Secretary's functions to any
officer, employee, or organizational unit of the Department.
\6\ USCIS, previously known as the Bureau of Immigration and
Citizenship Services, was established by HSA sec. 451, 6 U.S.C. 271.
The Secretary delegated certain authorities to USCIS including broad
authority over naturalization and citizenship of aliens. See
Delegation 0150.1, Delegation to the Bureau of Citizenship and
Immigration Services (Jun. 5, 2003) (``I hereby delegate to the
Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services . . . [a]uthority
under the immigration laws, including but not limited to sections
310 and 341 of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1421 and 1452), to grant
applications for naturalization and certificates of citizenship (and
revoke such naturalization), including administration of oaths,
issuance of certificates, provision of citizenship materials and
services to public schools to prepare naturalization candidates,
supervision of courts designated under INA sec. 310 to administer
oaths, and any other rights and responsibilities relating to the
naturalization or citizenship of aliens.'').
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The Naturalization Test
Consistent with the above authority and delegation, USCIS is
responsible for assessing an alien's knowledge of civics through
testing.\7\ As discussed previously, USCIS's authority to administer
the civics test also extends to developing and revising the test, as
USCIS deems appropriate and necessary.\8\
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\7\ See 8 CFR 312.2(c).
\8\ While major revisions of the test, like the 2008 and 2020
efforts have not been very frequent, USCIS updates responses to
certain questions on a rolling basis for accuracy. For example,
questions may be updated because of Federal or state elections,
certain judicial appointments, or due to statutory changes or
updates. When test questions are updated, so is the public-facing
bank of questions and study materials, if applicable. See USCIS,
Check for Test Updates, <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/find-study-materials-and-resources/check-for-test-updates">https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/find-study-materials-and-resources/check-for-test-updates</a> (last reviewed/
updated Jan. 21, 2025). The National Reporting System for Adult
Education recommends that tests used for adult education be
recertified every 7 years, although most standardized tests are
recertified on a 4 or 5 year basis. See 34 CFR 462.14(a).
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The civics test has been administered in some form since the early
1900s. As far back as 1908, the former Immigration Service and the
Courts determined that a person could not establish the naturalization
requirement of showing an attachment to the Constitution unless he or
she had some understanding of its provisions.\9\ However, without a
standard test, local judges or magistrates administered their own
test.\10\
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\9\ See In re Meakins, 164 F. 334, 335 (E.D. Wash. 1908); see
also In re Vasicek, 271 F. 326, 330 (E.D. Mo. 1921).
\10\ Prior to 1906, the Federal Government did not oversee
naturalization proceedings and naturalization hearings. The
questions were normally asked in open court and appear to have been
impromptu, with judges basing follow-questions upon the answers
provided (during this era many newspapers made it a practice to
occasionally send a reporter to the local naturalization courts to
record and repot on comical or particularly lackadaisical question
and answer sessions.). For example, in 1896, a Pennsylvania court
ruled that all applicants for naturalization in his court would be
required to demonstrate a ``general familiarity with the Federal
Constitution and with our method of government, state and
national.'' In re Northumberland County Naturalization, 5 Pa. D. 597
(Pa.Com.Pl. 1896) In 1902, the Supreme Court of Mississippi judged
that ``a very ignorant Swede'' with little knowledge of US law could
become a citizen despite his lack of understanding of the
Constitution. Ex parte Johnson, 31 So.208, 209 (1902). The court
opined that even ``[t]he most ignorant day laborer may so conduct
himself as to be as worthy a citizen as any of the numerous great
men of the nation.'' Id. In most cases, the key question was whether
behavior (following the laws, supporting one's family, etc.) could
alone be sufficient evidence of attachment to the Constitution.
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In the 1930s, the former Immigration and Naturalization Service
(INS) under INS Commissioner D.W. MacCormack made reforming
naturalization testing a major initiative under his tenure.
Commissioner MacCormack issued instructions to create a definite and
uniform procedure for examining aliens for citizenship and stressed
that the examinations were meant to demonstrate the attachment to the
principles of the Constitution rather than memorization of facts, and
that the examination be uniform, fair, and devoid of ``trick
questions.'' \11\ The Nationality Act of 1940 expanded the agency's
authority to test naturalization candidates' knowledge of the
Constitution and U.S. Government.\12\
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\11\ See Citizenship Program of the Immigration and
Naturalization Service (1936).
\12\ See the Nationality Act of 1940, Public Law 76-853, 54
Stat. 1137, 1151 (1940) (``Under the Act, . . . . [s]uch examination
shall be limited to inquiry concerning the applicant's . . .
understanding of and attachment to the fundamental principles of the
Constitution of the United States, and other qualifications to
become a naturalized citizen as required by law, and shall be
uniform throughout the United States.'').
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The Internal Security Act of 1950 put into place what can be
considered the modern educational requirements for naturalization, by
amending the Nationality Act of 1940 to make knowledge of U.S. history
and civics an explicit requirement for naturalization.\13\ These
amendments were carried forward essentially without change into the
Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) when it was enacted in 1952.\14\
INS policy in 1950 maintained the civics test as primarily an oral
quiz, with the degree of questioning determined by the alien's
education, background, and interactions with the examiner.\15\
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\13\ See Internal Security Act of 1950, Public Law 81-831, 64
Stat. 987, 1018 (1950) (Adding the requirement that an alien must
demonstrate ``a knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of
the history and the principles and form of government, of the United
States'') (emphasis added).
\14\ See Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, Public Law 82-
414, 66 Stat. 163,240 (1952) (Incorporating into Section 312 of the
Act the requirement that an alien must demonstrate ``a knowledge and
understanding of the fundamentals of the history and the principles
and form of government, of the United States.'').
\15\ See INS, Nationality Manual Sec. 835.82 (updated Apr. 1,
1950).
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The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) mandated that
aliens legalized under INA 245A meet basic citizenship skills.\16\
Aliens who qualified under IRCA could choose to demonstrate their
understanding of U.S. history and government by taking a course
prescribed in IRCA. For all other aliens, including those aliens who
qualified under IRCA who chose not to take a prescribed course, INS
developed the ``100 civics questions,'' based on content from the
Federal Textbooks on Citizenship.\17\
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\16\ See Public Law 99-603, 100 Stat. 3359, 3396 (1986). The INS
Standardized Citizenship Testing Program was conducted by five non-
government companies on behalf of the INS. That program was
established in 1991 and ended on August 30, 1998. See English
Language, American History and Civics, Standardized Naturalization
Test, 63 FR 25080 (May 6, 1998).
\17\ See United States, Bureau of Naturalization, Federal
Textbook on Citizenship (1918). (First published in 1918 by the
former Bureau of Naturalization, it was designed to assist
immigrants prepare for naturalization examinations and was
distributed to public schools offering citizenship classes).
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In years past, the standardization and meaningfulness of the
naturalization test came under scrutiny for several reasons, including
the lack of standard content, instruments, protocols, or scoring
rubrics.\18\ In response, the INS began a revision process in 1997 and
published an updated naturalization test in 2000 that standardized test
questions; however, INS did not at that time standardize the manner in
which the test was administered.\19\ Since then, USCIS has actively
worked to continue standardizing the naturalization civics test and to
ensure the test is transparent. USCIS revised the test in 2008 and then
again on December 1, 2020.\20\ USCIS rescinded the December 1, 2020
revisions on February 22, 2021, when USCIS announced it was reverting
to the 2008 Naturalization Civics Test beginning on March 1, 2021.\21\
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\18\ See U.S. Comm'n on Immigration Reform, 105th Cong.,
Becoming an American: Immigration and Immigrant Policy: 1997
Executive Summary, (1997), pp. 46-47.
\19\ See INS, U.S. Dep't of Justice, Policy Memorandum No. 73:
Standardization of Procedures for Testing Naturalization Applicants
on English and Civic (Dec. 26, 2000) (announced plans to redesign
the test, provided sample civics test questions, and provided
interim guidance and procedures for testing aliens on English
literacy and civics knowledge until the naturalization test was
redesigned).
\20\ See generally, USCIS, Memorandum from L. Francis Cissna,
Revision of the Naturalization Civics Test (May 3, 2019), <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/memos/Revision_of_the_Naturalization_Civics_Test_D1_Signed_5-3-19.pdf">https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/memos/Revision_of_the_Naturalization_Civics_Test_D1_Signed_5-3-19.pdf</a>. See
also USCIS, PA-2020-20, Policy Alert, Civics Educational Requirement
for Purposes of Naturalization (Nov. 13, 2020), <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/policy-manual-updates/20201113-CivicsTest.pdf">https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/policy-manual-updates/20201113-CivicsTest.pdf</a>.
\21\ See USCIS, PA-2021-02, Policy Alert, Revising Guidance on
Naturalization Civics Educational Requirement (Feb. 22, 2021),
<a href="https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/policy-manual-updates/20210222-CivicsTest.pdf">https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/policy-manual-updates/20210222-CivicsTest.pdf</a>.
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The 2020 Naturalization Civics Test
In 2018, after closely examining the 2008 Naturalization Civics
Test, USCIS determined that the test could be improved and initiated a
revision
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process. The revision included an expansion of the bank of testing
questions, rewording/revising of questions, and adding questions to
ensure adequate familiarity with American history and principles and
form of U.S. government. These revisions culminated in the 2020
Naturalization Civics Test.\22\
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\22\ See USCIS, 128 Civics Questions and Answers (2020 version)
(revised Feb. 2021), <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/crc/M_1778LG.pdf">https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/crc/M_1778LG.pdf</a>.
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The 2020 Naturalization Civics Test fulfills the statutory
requirement that an alien must demonstrate ``a knowledge and
understanding of the fundamentals of the history, and of the principles
and form of government, of the United States'' as required under sec.
312 of the INA and further outlined in 8 CFR part 312.
The 2020 Naturalization Civics Test increased the general bank of
civics test questions from 100 to 128, the number of test questions for
the exam to 20 (from 10), and the number of correct answers needed to
pass the civics test to 12 (from 6). Officers asked all 20 questions,
and the alien had to answer 12 questions correctly. The test was
administered by an officer who asked the alien questions from a
computer-generated list of 20 questions selected randomly at prescribed
levels of difficulty from the bank of 128 questions. With the 2020
Naturalization Civics Test, USCIS aimed to standardize the
administration of the Naturalization Civics Test and ensure that the
test provided a meaningful assessment of an alien's knowledge and
understanding of U.S. history and government, and that it was uniform
and fair for all aliens applying for naturalization.\23\
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\23\ See USCIS, PA-2020-20, Policy Alert, Civics Educational
Requirement for Purposes of Naturalization, <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/policy-manual-updates/20201113-CivicsTest.pdf">https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/policy-manual-updates/20201113-CivicsTest.pdf</a>.
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Although the 2020 Naturalization Civics Test increased the number
of questions in the questions bank from 100 to 128, approximately 75
percent of the content came from the 2008 Naturalization Civics
Test.\24\ This included some questions that were taken verbatim from
the 2008 Naturalization Civics Test, as well as content that was
revised or recontextualized. Some questions from the 2008 version of
the civics test no longer appeared in the 2020 Naturalization Civics
Test and approximately 25 percent of the test constituted new content.
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\24\ See USCIS, Civics Questions and Answers (2008 version)
(revised Aug. 2021) <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/questions-and-answers/OoC_100_Questions_2008_Civics_Test_V1.pdf">https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/questions-and-answers/OoC_100_Questions_2008_Civics_Test_V1.pdf</a>.
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Before full implementation, USCIS conducted a pilot of the 2020
Naturalization Civics Test in the summer of 2020.\25\ The pilot test
reviewed the effectiveness and difficulty level of some of the
questions with volunteers. USCIS recruited community-based
organizations (CBOs) that offered adult citizenship education courses
to lawful permanent residents preparing for the naturalization test as
volunteers to participate in the pilot test.\26\ USCIS then worked with
the CBOs to help identify students who would volunteer to take the
pilot test. The pilot test was administered remotely to students who
volunteered to participate in the pilot test. USCIS asked participants
the civics test questions orally and then captured their answers on a
digital testing platform. The pilot test was originally intended to be
administered in-person, but due to restrictions resulting from the
COVID-19 pandemic, it was converted to a virtual pilot test. Based on
the data and results from the pilot test, USCIS edited questions and
answer choices,\27\ and identified the 20 questions from which to
select 10 questions for the aliens over the age of 65 who had at least
20 years of residence as lawful permanent residents (LPRs).\28\ The
pilot helped USCIS determine the language and grammatical structure of
individual test items and assign linguistic and cognitive weights to
each test item.\29\
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\25\ See USCIS, USCIS Announces a Revised Naturalization Civics
Test (Nov. 13, 2020), <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-announces-a-revised-naturalization-civics-test">https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-announces-a-revised-naturalization-civics-test</a> (last reviewed/
updated Nov. 13, 2020).
\26\ Id.
\27\ Id.
\28\ See INA 312(b)(3), 8 U.S.C. 1423(b)(3).
\29\ See USCIS, USCIS Announces a Revised Naturalization Civics
Test (Nov. 13, 2020), <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-announces-a-revised-naturalization-civics-test">https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-announces-a-revised-naturalization-civics-test</a> (last updated/
reviewed Nov. 13, 2020).
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III. The 2025 Naturalization Civics Test
On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order (E.O.)
14161, Protecting the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other
National Security and Public Safety Threats.\30\ The E.O. directs the
Secretary to ``[e]valuate the adequacy of programs designed to ensure
the proper assimilation of lawful immigrants into the United States,
and recommend any additional measures to be taken that promote a
unified American identity and attachment to the Constitution, laws, and
founding principles of the United States[.]''
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\30\ See 90 FR 8451 (Jan. 30, 2025).
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Consistent with this directive, USCIS is reimplementing the 2020
Naturalization Civics Test with some modifications (discussed in this
section) (``2025 Naturalization Civics Test'') as a measure to promote
a unified American identity and attachment to the Constitution, laws,
and founding principles of the United States. For the reasons discussed
previously, USCIS believes that the 2020 Naturalization Civics Test
made important improvements, and thus better fulfills the statutory
requirement that an alien must demonstrate ``a knowledge and
understanding of the fundamentals of the history, and of the principles
and form of government, of the United States'' as required under INA
sec. 312 and further outlined in 8 CFR part 312.
The 2020 Naturalization Civics Test was announced on November 13,
2020, and was administered from December 1, 2020, to April 30, 2021,
including to aliens whose naturalization applications were already
pending as of the date of implementation. After a change in
administration, USCIS gradually reverted to the 2008 Naturalization
Civics Test. USCIS announced the reversion on February 22, 2021.\31\
The reversion to the 2008 Naturalization Civics Test was based on a
preliminary ``determination that the 2020 civics test development
process, content, testing procedures, and implementation schedule may
inadvertently create potential barriers to the naturalization process
[and that the reversion was] consistent with the framework of the
Executive Order on Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems.''
\32\ This prior determination was not supported by data or other
evidence that the revised 2020 Naturalization Civics Test had or would
create such barriers, and the revised test was in place for too short a
time for USCIS to gather sufficient data from its administration to be
able to make a reasonable assessment of possible impacts.
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\31\ See USCIS, USCIS Reverts to the 2008 Version of the
Naturalization Civics Test, <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/archive/uscis-reverts-to-the-2008-version-of-the-naturalization-civics-test">https://www.uscis.gov/archive/uscis-reverts-to-the-2008-version-of-the-naturalization-civics-test</a> (last
reviewed/updated Feb 22, 2021).
\32\ Id.; E.O. 14012, Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration
Systems and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New
Americans, 76 FR 8277 (Feb. 2, 2021).
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USCIS believes that the 2020 Naturalization Civics Test development
process and the pilot test made critical updates to the accuracy and
relevance of the civics test. USCIS also believes that the changes in
the test and process ensured that the administration of the
[[Page 45050]]
test is standardized, methodical, and fair. USCIS believes that the
2020 Naturalization Civics test better ascertains the understanding and
knowledge necessary to qualify for naturalization than the 2008
Naturalization Civics test. In addition, USCIS believes that the
publication of this notice in the Federal Register, the advance
publication of study materials (as discussed in the next section),
along with the implementation schedule based on the date on which a
naturalization application is filed, will provide the public, and
specifically aliens applying for naturalization, sufficient time to
adapt to the new test, while also preserving the reliance interests of
aliens who may have already prepared for the 2008 Naturalization Civics
Test. USCIS also believes that these implementation improvements will
address the underlying concerns that led to the reversion to the 2008
Naturalization Civics Test.
As discussed previously, when USCIS initially implemented the 2020
Naturalization Civics Test, USCIS administered a 20-question test of
which the alien had to answer 12 test questions correctly. This was a
change from the 2008 Naturalization Civics Test where USCIS
administered a 10-question test of which the alien had to answer six
questions correctly. In implementing the 2025 Naturalization Civics
Test, USCIS will resume administering 20-question tests using the same
bank of 128 questions and answers that it used for the 2020
Naturalization Civics Test. USCIS believed and continues to believe
that administering a 20-question test is necessary to more
comprehensively assess an alien's knowledge of U.S. history and
government by ensuring that each test covers a broader set of topics.
USCIS, however, is making a modification in the administration of
the test. When USCIS initially implemented the 2020 Naturalization
Civics Test, officers were required to orally ask all 20 test questions
regardless of whether the alien had already answered a sufficient
number to either pass or fail the test. This was a change from the 2008
Naturalization Civics Test where the officers were only required to
orally ask questions until the alien either passed or failed the test.
In implementing the 2025 Naturalization Civics Test, officers will only
be required to ask questions until the alien either passes or fails the
test. This is the only difference from the 2020 Naturalization Civics
Test. Therefore, when an alien answers 12 questions correctly, the
officer will stop administering the test. Similarly, when an alien
answers nine questions incorrectly thus failing the test, the officer
will stop administering the test. The implementation of the 2025
Naturalization Civics Test, as discussed in this notice, is a
procedural change and will not change the passing score.
These changes balance the need of USCIS to ascertain the aliens'
knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of American history,
and of the principles and form of government of the United States with
the time available for each interview, and take into account feedback
USCIS received in response to the initial implementation of the 2020
Naturalization Civics Test.\33\
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\33\ See, e.g., Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Re: Policy
Guidance Revisions: Civics Educational Requirement for Purposes of
Naturalization (Dec. 1, 2020) (Noting that USCIS will need more time
to administer the new test given the increase in the number of
questions that must be asked and expressing concern about potential
backlogs).
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IV. Implementation
In advance of the implementation of the 2025 Naturalization Civics
Test, USCIS will update the Naturalization Test and Study Materials
\34\ and Resources for Educational Programs \35\ that aliens may
consult to study for the test. These study guide materials will also
include the bank of 128 possible civics test questions, from which 20
test questions will be randomly selected for each individual test,
along with the answers to those questions. USCIS will also temporarily
retain on its website the study materials for the 2008 Naturalization
Civics Test to help aliens applying for naturalization who will be
administered the 2008 Naturalization Civics Test based on their
application filing date to prepare for the civics test.
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\34\ See USCIS, Naturalization Test and Study Resources, <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/find-study-materials-and-resources">https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/find-study-materials-and-resources</a> (last
reviewed/updated Dec. 9, 2024).
\35\ See USCIS, Resources for Educational Programs, <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/resources-for-educational-programs">https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/resources-for-educational-programs</a> (last
reviewed/updated Nov. 2, 2024). USCIS will also temporarily retain
on its website the study materials for the 2008 Naturalization
Civics Test.
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To address any reliance interests that aliens applying for
naturalization may have as related to the 2008 Naturalization Civics
Test, and to ensure sufficient time for the public to become familiar
with the revised content, and for aliens to adequately prepare for the
2025 Naturalization Civics Test, USCIS will implement the 2025
Naturalization Civics Test as follows:
1. Aliens who have already filed a naturalization application, or
who file a naturalization application less than 30 days after this
notice is published in the Federal Register, will take the 2008
Naturalization Civics Test;
2. Aliens who file a naturalization application 30 days or more
after this notice is published in the Federal Register will take the
2025 Naturalization Civics Test; and
3. With respect to aliens who qualify for special consideration
because they are age 65 or older and have resided in the U.S. as a
lawful permanent resident for at least 20 years, USCIS will continue to
administer a test with 10 questions from a specially selected bank of
20 test questions from either the 2008 or 2025 Naturalization Civics
Test.\36\ Specifically, aliens who have already filed a naturalization
application, or who file a naturalization application less than 30 days
after this notice is published in the Federal Register, will be
administered a test with questions from the 2008 Naturalization Civics
Test, while aliens who file a naturalization application 30 days or
more after this notice is published in the Federal Register will be
administered a test with questions from the 2025 Naturalization Civics
Test. Regardless of their filing date, these aliens will only need to
answer six questions correctly to achieve a passing score.
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\36\ See INA 312(b)(3), 8 U.S.C. 1423(b)(3).
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Most aliens who will be subject to the 2025 Naturalization Civics
Test will not be tested until at least 3 months after the publication
of this notice in the Federal Register based on the 30-day delay and
interview scheduling times. USCIS believes that the 30-day delay before
use of the 2025 Naturalization Civics Test, along with the timing of
when the alien files the application for naturalization, allows
sufficient notice for aliens applying for naturalization to prepare for
the test.\37\
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\37\ In 2020, USCIS began administering the 2020 Naturalization
Civics Test with two weeks advance notice, and the test was
administered to both applicants whose applications were pending and
those who filed their applications after the announcement of the
2020 Naturalization Civics Test.
Joseph B. Edlow,
Director U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Department of
Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2025-18050 Filed 9-17-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111-97-P
</pre></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 18, 2025.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.