American Citizenship Test

What Is This Test? Is It a Difficult Test to Prepare for? What Are Some of the Pros and Cons of Becoming a Citizen of the United States?

While the timeline from applying for a green card (permanent residence) to receiving one seems like an age-long wait that needs patience, thorough and proper documentation, following up on status, etc., obtaining a US citizenship is no less of an effort. Well, the intention is not to scare you but to prepare you ahead, so you know what to anticipate. Naturalization comes with a lot of privileges that are exclusive to a US citizen, but you need to go through various stages or processes to successfully achieve that. One of those stages is the American citizenship test. 

What Is the US Citizenship Test, and How Hard Is It to Clear This Exam? 

If you are a lawful permanent resident who has fulfilled all the requirements that qualify you for applying for Naturalization, then you should go for US citizenship. While many people dream of becoming a citizen and staying in the US permanently, some of them are skeptical about opting for Naturalization. Of course, they have their logical reasons or identity-related situations that keep them from deciding on this. 

Those who are ready to opt for citizenship, need to be persistent and patient throughout the process. Applicants need to answer the US citizenship test questions which is one of the crucial stages in moving forward with the process. So what is this test? 

American citizenship test is a verbal exam that an individual wanting to obtain citizenship has to give throughout the USCIS interview.  A USCIS officer will first ask questions that relate to the background and the application that one has filled. The officer will then ask people the US citizenship test questions that they need to answer correctly. Don’t worry, there is a cut-off that we are going to tell you in a bit. If you fall under any of the exemption or accommodation categories, there is some flexibility given. 

What Is the Difficulty Level of the Citizen Test 2021? 

Many people ask how difficult the US citizenship test is. Well, to be honest, it completely depends on how you prepare yourself for it. It isn’t that difficult to clear the test if you prepare thoroughly but if you are unprepared, then it might be quite challenging especially the Civics test. You cannot answer unless you know the correct answer right? The best part, however, is that USCIS gives you a set of questions that you need to learn the answers for. So basically it is not a surprise test; you already know beforehand what might be asked in the interview! 

It is advisable to start preparing and learning the questions from long before the interview so you do not panic when the date of the interview is nearing. In the next section of this article, we are going to cover extensively about what are the things included in the US Citizenship Test, resources that have the American citizenship test questions and answers 2021, some tips to prepare for the citizen test 2021, and more. 

Before moving to that, let’s go over the various benefits that obtaining Naturalization can bring to you and a few potential downsides as well. You need to have complete transparency of this so you know that whatever you decide is right for you. 

The Pros and Cons of Obtaining US Citizenship

Pros

You Are Protected From Being Deported

Having US Citizenship will give you the same amount of rights as that of other Americans and you can never be deported to your native country. You wouldn’t plan and do anything antisocial that may lead to deportation, but Naturalization will secure your place in the United States and you will not be deported even if you commit an offense or violate the law. The only time you can be deported is when the Naturalization or citizenship is taken away from you which happens in an extreme and a very rare case. 

You Can Travel to Most of the Countries in the World Without a Visa

People can get an American passport which is considered one of the most powerful passports in the world. People can easily go on short or long trips to more than 180 countries without needing a visa. One can stay outside America for as long as one wants and return to the United States whenever they want. Having a US passport will help one seek help from any of the local embassies of the country that they are in should there be any trouble. 

You Have the Voting Rights

Being a citizen of America, you can cast your vote in any of the United States elections including the federal elections. Other than that, you can also run for positions in Federal/ elected office. 

Get a Green Card for Your Family

You can bring in your family – parents, or siblings and get them a green card in the US easily so they can live with you in the States. Being a citizen yourself the immigration process of your relatives can be much faster and hassle-free. 

Ability to Get Jobs Associated With the US Government

To apply for or have access to a government job, you need to have citizenship. If you are on the lookout for a job, you will have more options because the federal jobs will also be open to you.

Enjoy the Federal Benefits

Granting citizenship to you also makes you eligible to gain all the federal benefits (cash, services, or grants) that are only available to citizens. The citizens also have complete access to government-aided benefits like federal college assistance, certain healthcare benefits, and more. 

No Immigration-related Hassles and Immigration Agencies Anymore

Once someone gains US citizen status, you do not have to get involved with the USCIS or other immigration-related agencies anymore unless you need to deal with the family’s green card petition. 

Your children gain US Citizenship status by default even if they are born in another country. 

Cons

Well, while there are so many gains when you become a Citizen, there are some downsides and responsibilities that you cannot ignore: 

• You cannot escape from the tax liability to the government. Pay the taxes irrespective of where your income comes from or in which country you work in. 

• One will have to perform jury duty whether it is for a couple of days or sometimes even for months. While it is the responsibility of a Citizen to be a part of the jury, people do not like this because they may end up losing a lot of their work hours and hence money. The worst thing is that there is no escape from it. 

• Also, depending on which country you originally belong to, you may have to give up citizenship of that country on becoming a US Citizen. This way you one can let go of all the privileges of being a citizen of that country. Many countries do not allow dual citizenship even though the United States does. 

A Complete Guide to the American Citizenship Test and How You Can Prepare for the American Citizenship Test

As mentioned earlier, the American citizenship test is to demonstrate your ability to understand English and your knowledge about the country (the United States) you are going to be a citizen of. Along with error-free documentation of the papers like the application, the required supporting documents, etc., answering the US citizenship test questions clearly and correctly is of equal importance. This is a major parameter the USCIS takes into consideration when deciding about moving forward with your application for Naturalization. 

Now, before starting with the naturalization test questions, the USCIS officer will put forward some general queries related to your naturalization application, your background, or eligibility to understand your ability to follow the language or the instructions. It is also to check how truthful you answer the queries. Therefore, make sure to answer everything true to your knowledge and correctly for a hassle-free process. Remember that lying during the interview may lead to rejection of the application and is considered an offense against the state especially when you take an oath, to tell the truth. 

You are not expected to understand all the technical things in the application, but it is always good to read up the answers that you have written in the application before you go in for the test, so you are ready to answer. 

What Do the American Citizenship Test Questions Include? 

The American citizenship test questions, or rather the citizen test 2021 are categorized into two sections: English test and Civic test. 

The English Test

The purpose of the English test is to check your competence in different areas like speaking, reading, and writing basic English language-

The reading and writing assessments take up the major portion of the English test. In the reading section, you will be asked to read some lines provided to you by the interviewer. You have to read out loud at least one line correctly out of the three provided to showcase your ability to read English. In the writing part, you will have to write at least one out of the three sentences correctly to show that you can write basic English. In both cases, the content provided is related to History and Civics related topics. Click on this to access some study materials and exercises related to the test. 

The speaking section of the English test is yet another crucial part where you need to farewell. The purpose of the speaking assessment is for the USCIS interviewer to ensure that you are eligible for the interview for Application for Naturalization. You will need to answer the questions asked in your Naturalization (Form N-400) interview clearly for the USCIS officers to understand your application/background information and make a favorable decision on your case. This speaking test will determine whether you are capable of it or not.

The Civics Test

The next part is the civics test which is another important segment of the American citizenship test and involves United States history and civics-related queries. Just like the English test, you need to hit the minimum score needed. It is going to be a verbal test that the USCIS officer is going to ask you and you need to answer the required number of queries correctly. You will have to prepare and revise the queries properly because there are no choices or options of answers to choose from. That said, to get through the civics test, USCIS sends you a set of queries to prepare for. 

Some changes were made during the Trump administration on the US Citizen test 2021 that became effective December 1, 2020, which made it harder. From the initial set of 100 questions, it was increased to 128 questions that the applicant needed to prepare from. And 20 questions instead of 10 questions would be asked and applicants needed to answer 12 of them correctly instead of 6 in the previous to pass the test. Some of the questions in the new version are also a little more subjective and you may need to explain the answer.

However, an amendment has been made later on by allowing some of the applicants to choose between two test versions (2008 version and 2020 version) to be more comfortable. Click on the link to learn more about the two different civic test versions and see the category you fall under. 

What Kind of Questions Are Asked During the Interview? 

Most parts of the test will have government-related questions and the rest of them are topics from the history of the country. Here’s a list of 100 questions provided by the USCIS that you need to prepare for the Civics Test. 

Here’s the list of 128 questions and answers from the civics test 2020 version to go over. 

For the English test- USCIS provides an entire set of reading vocabularies and writing vocabularies separately that you need to prepare. 

The complexity of the question may vary depending on a few factors like your age, educational qualification, since how long have you been in the US, your background, the learning opportunities available to you, etc. 

**For people aged 65 years or above who have been living in the US as a permanent resident for over 20 years may just learn the 20 questions that are marked with an asterisk (*) at the end of each question. You are also given the flexibility of taking the American citizenship test in any language you choose. 

Citizen Test 2021: How to Prepare for the US Citizenship Test? 

It is recommended that you start preparing for the test much ahead of time so you get enough time to practice and prepare for the citizenship test questions before the actual exam date. Here are a few tips on how you can prepare:

Look Out for the Resources and Study Materials

USCIS provides you with a lot of study materials that you have to download. There are plenty of resources on both English and civics tests that you can prepare from. You will also get the “Oath of Allegiance” that educates you about the oath you take, what it entails including the various principles in it.

Do Not Waste Time!

Your ultimate aim is to gain citizenship after which you will have plenty of time to enjoy. Make sure to use all of your time to study.

Check for Test Updates

Check for test updates on the information that some of the questions may require, like, the current President of the United States, or what is the political party of the President now, etc. 

Make sure not to use any word or vocabulary that you do not know or are unsure of. The whole point of the interview is to make sure that you understand and follow English. 

Take Practice Tests

The USCIS website provides you with practice tests that you can pick up here to judge your ability to score the passing number. This is a great way to analyze where you stand and prepare in a better way accordingly. Remember that the practice tests have multiple choice questions and you need to pick the right answer from there. However, in a real-life interview, you will not get multiple choices to pick from. The USCIS officer will ask and you need to answer. 

You can visit the USCIS website as many times as you want to seek guidance during the process of your preparation. 

Don’t Worry about the Languages!

You will get the American citizenship test questions and answers in 2021 in different languages. Go to the “Study for the test” page on the USCIS website, scroll down to find links to the citizen test 2021 questions and answers list available in different languages for easy learning. 

It Will Also Be Easier for You to Divide Your Study Subject-wise

The Civic test for Naturalization is based on 5 different topics-Government, History, Holidays, Symbols, and Geography of the country. This will make learning much easier and interesting at the same time. 

Information Is The Key

Keep yourself well-informed and up-to-date about the country by watching the news about current affairs, elections, political affairs. There might be changes in certain terms, names, rules, policies, etc. from the time you prepare till the date of your exam. Following the news will help you keep yourself informed about the current answer to the questions and will raise your chances of clearing the American citizenship test. 

What Happens if You Are Not Able to Clear the Test on the First Attempt? 

USCIS gives you two chances to pass the English and Civics test. If you could not achieve the required score or failed to answer the questions that USCIS needs you to for them to grant Naturalization, then you will be given a second chance. USCIS will schedule a date for you to retake the test within 60 to 90 days from the date of your initial US citizenship test. In the second attempt, you may need to answer all the questions that you couldn’t answer in the initial interview or might be completely different from what you were asked as well. 

If you are not able to pass on the second attempt also, then unfortunately your application for naturalization gets rejected. You have the right to appeal by writing to them within 30 days of receiving the decision notice from the USCIS. If they accept your request then they will schedule a hearing session within 6 months. When you go for the hearing, the officer taking the session may ask you the questions that you couldn’t answer in your second attempt and you will have to answer them correctly. Therefore, it is advised to go there for the hearing prepared with answers. 

**Note that the decision to consider your appeal is completely on USCIS. They may or may not accept it depending on the individual case. 

How Can You Apply for the American Citizenship Test? How Can You Go About Applying for Us Citizenship? 

To apply for citizenship, you need to file N-400-Application for Naturalization. However, to file this application, there are a few prerequisites that you need to go by. Here’s a step-by-step process of how you can go about applying for Naturalization and go for the American citizenship test thereby: 

Check Your Eligibility

The very first step of filing for Naturalization is to ensure that you are eligible for obtaining Citizenship. USCIS provides a worksheet that makes it easy for you to find out if you are eligible to be a US citizen. Remember that this worksheet is for your personal use and not to be sent to the USCIS at any point in time. Also, here are a few fundamental things that you need to take into consideration: 

• You are 18 years or older. 
• You should be a permanent resident for at least 5 years or more. In case you are married to a US citizen, then you should have held a green card for at least  3 years along with the other requirements. 

Start Working on Form N-400

At some point someone has determined that you are eligible to move forward, then you need to file an N-400 application for Naturalization. The form comprises 20 pages and to fill it online, you will have to first create an account with the USCIS. 

Once done, start filling the form. Read all the instructions carefully and make sure to answer them honestly and truthfully. The form is lengthy and complex but take your time in filling it to ensure you do not make any mistakes.  

Make Your Supporting Documents Ready

Here’s a checklist of the documents that will tell you what supporting papers need to go with your Naturalization application. The application process is long and therefore takes a lot of time. Therefore, make sure that you provide the right documents in the first go so it doesn’t get further extended. 

The common documents needed are 2 passport size photographs, a copy of your permanent resident document (Green card). In case you have lost your green card, then you need to provide a copy of the I-90 form (Application for replacement of permanent resistant card). 

If one is paying the N-400 fees by cheque or money order, one will have to include that with the application. (The fee for filing naturalization is $725 including the biometric fee. One can also pay the fee with a credit card. If one is paying with a credit card they need to attach Form G-1450 to the application package.                                                               

Submit the application form along with the supporting documents and pay the filing fee. Once you have applied, you can keep a track of the case status online.

Biometrics Appointment

Once they receive the application, USCIS will send you a memo informing you about the receipt of the application and the biometrics appointment. The memo will have all the details like the time, date, and location where you need to go and give the biometrics. 

American Citizenship Test and Interview

Once the biometrics and all the initial stages including the security check etc. are completed, USCIS will send you a notice for the interview appointment. The appointment letter will include the date, time, and venue. You need to reach at least 30 minutes before the scheduled time. Typically, the US citizenship test and the interview together last for about 20 to 30 minutes. 

After the Interview

USCIS will send you the memo including the results of both the interview and the test. If everything is perfect about the application and the overall interview including the test went well, you will be called for the oath ceremony. In case you did not clear the test or cleared only a part of it, you will be notified if the application is further continued or not. Follow the next steps as notified by the immigration team. 

Conclusion

Applying for Naturalization or US citizenship is complicated, and the American citizenship test needs a lot of determination and studying. However, it is not impossible. Almost 90% of the applicants every year clear the exam and get their citizenship which means that if you prepare yourself well, it isn’t a tough nut to crack. Do not forget to double-check the supporting documents and provide enough evidence to show that you are eligible for obtaining citizenship. We have provided in this article the American citizenship test questions and answers 2021, for you to prepare for your exam in the coming time. You just need to make sure that you have the updated answers to these questions that are related to politics and government and that are prone to change with time. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):