The citizenship exam is the last step for a lawful permanent resident (LPR) on their journey to becoming a new American before taking the Oath of Allegiance. After years of waiting and preparing, this moment is the culmination of an aspiring American’s hard work and dedication.
Let’s take a look at this extensive interview process to gain a greater understanding of the effort aspiring Americans devote to achieving their goal of U.S. citizenship.
The environment
Who? The LPR is interviewed by a USCIS officer.
What? The interview consists of three portions: review of the N-400 form, the English reading and writing test, and the civics exam.
Where? The interview typically takes place at a USCIS field office.
When? The interview is the culmination of the citizenship journey after the N-400 form has been processed, a biometrics screening has been completed, and a background check has been carried out.
Why? This is the final step for the U.S. government to assess whether an LPR is prepared and eligible for citizenship.
The N-400 review
This is often the longest part of the interview. The officer will go through the submitted N-400 form line by line to ensure all information is accurate and up to date.
Parts of the review
Personal verification
Confirming the applicant’s legal name, address, and employment.
Travel history
Reviewing trips outside the U.S. to ensure the applicant hasn’t broken continuous residence or physical presence requirements.
Moral character and security
Deep-dive questions into other details in the N-400 form, including:
- Criminal history (arrests, citations, even if expunged)
- Taxes (filing history and any owed debt)
- Affiliations (memberships in certain ideological or political groups, military service, or other affiliations)
- Oaths (willingness to take the Oath of Allegiance, also referred to as the Oath of Citizenship, and bear arms for the U.S. if required)
The English test
There are multiple aspects tested during this section.
What's tested?
Speaking and comprehension
Ability to understand and respond to the officer’s questions.
- This is assessed throughout the entire interview process.
Reading
Ability to read aloud a sentence provided by the officer.
- The applicant must be able to read one of the three provided sentences correctly—usually on a tablet screen or from a printed card.
Writing
Ability to write a sentence dictated by the officer.
- The applicant must be able to write one of the three provided sentences correctly on a provided tablet.
The civics exam
This portion of the interview tests the applicant’s knowledge of U.S. history and government.
The civics exam
The format
An oral test.
The pool
Questions are drawn from a standard list.
- If the LPR filed before Oct. 20, 2025, the question bank is 100 questions.
- If the LPR filed on or after Oct. 20, 2025, the question bank is 128 questions.
Passing score
100-question version: 6 out of the 10 questions asked must be correct.
128-question version: 12 out of the 20 questions asked must be correct.
Content pillars
- American government: principles of democracy, branches of government, and rights/responsibilities
- American history: Colonial period, the 1800s, and recent history
- Integrated civics: geography, symbols (i.e., the flag, the national anthem), and holidays
Interview outcomes
There are three potential outcomes from the citizenship exam.
The outcomes
Approved
The applicant has passed the interview and will receive a notice to take the Oath of Allegiance. In some cases, the oath will be taken the same day as approval.
Continued
The officer needs more evidence (e.g., tax returns) or a supervisor’s review. The applicant is given instructions on the next steps.
Failed
If the applicant fails any portion of the test, they are offered an additional opportunity to be retested on the portion they failed between 60–90 days from the date of the initial interview. Applicants have two attempts to take and pass the exam.
Successfully passing the naturalization interview requires deep preparation and determination, and the journey to reach this final step is both long and demanding. But aspiring Americans are committed to reaching this milestone—89% of applicants pass pass the interview on their first attempt!
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