What is the supreme law of the land? The Constitution.
Civics Test
Question 001.
What is the supreme law of the land?
Listed below are the
128 civics questions and answers for the 2025 version of the civics test. These
questions cover important topics about American government and history. The
civics test is an oral test and the USCIS officer will ask you to answer up to 20
out of the 128 civics test questions. You must answer at least 12 questions
correctly to pass the 2025 version of the civics test.
On the civics test,
some answers may change because of elections or appointments. Visit
uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates 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.
65/20 Special Consideration
If you are 65 years
old or older and have been living in the United States as a lawful permanent
resident of the United States for 20 or more years, you may study just the 20
questions that have been marked with an asterisk (*) found at the end of each
question. You may also take the civics test in the language of your choice. The
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 2025 version of the civics test.
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
A: Principles of American Government
1. What is the form of
government of the United States?
• Republic
• Constitution-based federal republic
• Representative democracy
2. What is the supreme
law of the land? *
• (U.S.) Constitution
3. Name one thing the
U.S. Constitution does.
• Forms the government
• Defines powers of government
• Defines the parts of government
• Protects the rights of the people
4. The U.S.
Constitution starts with the words “We the People.” What does “We the People”
mean?
• Self-government
• Popular sovereignty
• Consent of the governed
• People should govern themselves
• (Example of) social contract
5. How are changes
made to the U.S. Constitution?
• Amendments
• The amendment process
6. What does the Bill
of Rights protect?
• (The basic) rights of Americans
• (The basic) rights of people living in
the United States
7. How many amendments
does the U.S. Constitution have? *
• Twenty-seven (27)
8. Why is the
Declaration of Independence important?
• It says America is free from British
control.
• It says all people are created equal.
• It identifies inherent rights.
• It identifies individual freedoms.
9. What founding
document said the American colonies were free from Britain?
• Declaration of Independence
10. Name two important
ideas from the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
• Equality
• Liberty
• Social contract
• Natural rights
• Limited government
• Self-government
11. The words “Life,
Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” are in what founding document?
• Declaration of Independence
12. What is the economic
system of the United States? *
• Capitalism
• Free market economy
13. What is the rule of
law?
• Everyone must follow the law.
• Leaders must obey the law.
• Government must obey the law.
• No one is above the law.
14. Many documents
influenced the U.S. Constitution. Name one.
• Declaration of Independence
• Articles of Confederation
• Federalist Papers
• Anti-Federalist Papers
• Virginia Declaration of Rights
• Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
• Mayflower Compact
• Iroquois Great Law of Peace
15. There are three
branches of government. Why?
• So one part does not become too powerful
• Checks and balances
• Separation of powers
B: System of Government
16. Name the three
branches of government.
• Legislative, executive, and judicial
• Congress, president, and the courts
17. The President of the
United States is in charge of which branch of government?
• Executive branch
18. What part of the
federal government writes laws?
• (U.S.) Congress
• (U.S. or national) legislature
• Legislative branch
19. What are the two
parts of the U.S. Congress?
• Senate and House (of Representatives)
20. Name one power of
the U.S. Congress. *
• Writes laws
• Declares war
• Makes the federal budget
21. How many U.S.
senators are there?
• One hundred (100)
22. How long is a term
for a U.S. senator?
• Six (6) years
23. Who is one of your
state’s U.S. senators now?
• Answers will vary. [District of Columbia
residents and residents of U.S. territories should answer that D.C. (or the
territory where the applicant lives) has no U.S. senators.]
24. How many voting
members are in the House of Representatives?
• Four hundred thirty-five (435)
25. How long is a term
for a member of the House of Representatives?
• Two (2) years
26. Why do U.S.
representatives serve shorter terms than U.S. senators?
• To more closely follow public opinion
27. How many senators
does each state have?
• Two (2)
28. Why does each state
have two senators?
• Equal representation (for small states)
• The Great Compromise (Connecticut
Compromise)
29. Name your U.S.
representative.
• Answers will vary. [Residents of
territories with nonvoting Delegates or Resident Commissioners may provide the
name of that Delegate or Commissioner. Also acceptable is any statement that
the territory has no (voting) representatives in Congress.]
30. 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.
31. Who does a U.S.
senator represent?
• Citizens of their state
• People of their state
32. Who elects U.S.
senators?
• Citizens from their state
33. Who does a member of
the House of Representatives represent?
• Citizens in their (congressional)
district
• Citizens in their district
• People from their (congressional)
district
• People in their district
34. Who elects members
of the House of Representatives?
• Citizens from their (congressional)
district
35. Some states have
more representatives than other states. Why?
• (Because of) the state’s population
• (Because) they have more people
• (Because) some states have more people
36. The President of the
United States is elected for how many years? *
• Four (4) years
37. The President of the
United States can serve only two terms. Why?
• (Because of) the 22nd Amendment
• To keep the president from becoming too
powerful
38. 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.
39. 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.
40. If the president can
no longer serve, who becomes president?
• The Vice President (of the United
States)
41. Name one power of
the president.
• Signs bills into law
• Vetoes bills
• Enforces laws
• Commander in Chief (of the military)
• Chief diplomat
• Appoints federal judges
42. Who is Commander in
Chief of the U.S. military?
• The President (of the United States)
43. Who signs bills to
become laws?
• The President (of the United States)
44. Who vetoes bills? *
• The President (of the United States)
45. Who appoints federal
judges?
• The President (of the United States)
46. The executive branch
has many parts. Name one.
• President (of the United States)
• Cabinet
• Federal departments and agencies
47. What does the
President’s Cabinet do?
• Advises the President (of the United
States)
48. What are two
Cabinet-level positions?
• Attorney General
• Attorney General
• Secretary of Agriculture
• Secretary of Commerce
• Secretary of Education
• Secretary of Energy
• Secretary of Health and Human Services
• Secretary of Homeland Security
• Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development
• Secretary of the Interior
• Secretary of Labor
• Secretary of State
• Secretary of Transportation
• Secretary of the Treasury
• Secretary of Veterans Affairs
• Secretary of War
• Vice-President
• Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency
• Administrator of the Small Business
Administration
• Director of the Central Intelligence
Agency
• Director of the Office of Management and
Budget
• Director of National Intelligence
• United States Trade Representative
49. Why is the Electoral
College important?
• It decides who is elected president.
• It provides a compromise between the
popular election of the president and congressional selection.
50. What is one part of
the judicial branch?
• Supreme Court
• Federal Courts
51. What does the
judicial branch do?
• Reviews laws
• Explains laws
• Resolves disputes (disagreements) about
the law
• Decides if a law goes against the (U.S.)
Constitution
52. What is the highest
court in the United States? *
• Supreme Court
53. How many seats are
on the Supreme Court?
• Nine (9)
54. How many Supreme
Court justices are usually needed to decide a case?
• Five (5)
55. How long do Supreme
Court justices serve?
• (For) life
• Lifetime appointment
• (Until) retirement
56. Supreme Court
justices serve for life. Why?
• To be independent (of politics)
• To limit outside (political) influence
57. Who is the Chief
Justice of the United States now?
• Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates
for the name of the Chief Justice of the United States.
58. Name one power that
is only for the federal government.
• Print paper money
• Mint coins
• Declare war
• Create an army
• Make treaties
• Set foreign policy
59. Name one power that
is only for the states.
• Provide schooling and education
• Provide protection (police)
• Provide safety (fire departments)
• Give a driver’s license
• Approve zoning and land use
60. What is the purpose
of the 10th Amendment?
• (It states that the) powers not given to
the federal government belong to the states or to the people.
61. 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.]
62. What is the capital
of your state?
• Answers will vary. [District of Columbia
residents should answer that D.C. is not a state and does not have a capital.
Residents of U.S. territories should name the capital of the territory.]
C: Rights and Responsibilities
63. There are four
amendments to the U.S. Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
• Citizens eighteen (18) and older (can
vote).
• You don’t have to pay (a poll tax) to
vote.
• Any citizen can vote. (Women and men can
vote.)
• A male citizen of any race (can vote).
64. Who can vote in
federal elections, run for federal office, and serve on a jury in the United
States?
• Citizens
• Citizens of the United States
• U.S. citizens
65. What are three
rights of everyone living in the United States?
• Freedom of expression
• Freedom of speech
• Freedom of assembly
• Freedom to petition the government
• Freedom of religion
• The right to bear arms
66. What do we show
loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance? *
• The United States
• The flag
67. Name two promises
that new citizens make in the Oath of Allegiance.
• Give up loyalty to other countries
• Defend the (U.S.) Constitution
• Obey the laws of the United States
• Serve in the military (if needed)
• Serve (help, do important work for) the
nation (if needed)
• Be loyal to the United States
68. How can people
become United States citizens?
• Be born in the United States, under the
conditions set by the 14th Amendment
• Naturalize
• Derive citizenship (under conditions set
by Congress)
69. What are two
examples of civic participation in the United States?
• Vote
• Run for office
• Join a political party
• Help with a campaign
• Join a civic group
• Join a community group
• Give an elected official your opinion
(on an issue)
• Contact elected officials
• Support or oppose an issue or policy
• Write to a newspaper
70. What is one way
Americans can serve their country?
• Vote
• Pay taxes
• Obey the law
• Serve in the military
• Run for office
• Work for local, state, or federal
government
71. Why is it important
to pay federal taxes?
• Required by law
• All people pay to fund the federal
government
• Required by the (U.S.) Constitution
(16th Amendment)
• Civic duty
72. It is important for
all men age 18 through 25 to register for the Selective Service. Name one
reason why.
• Required by law
• Civic duty
• Makes the draft fair, if needed
AMERICAN HISTORY
A: Colonial Period and Independence
73. The colonists came
to America for many reasons. Name one.
• Freedom
• Political liberty
• Religious freedom
• Economic opportunity
• Escape persecution
74. Who lived in America
before the Europeans arrived? *
• American Indians
• Native Americans
75. What group of people
was taken and sold as slaves?
• Africans
• People from Africa
76. What war did the
Americans fight to win independence from Britain?
• American Revolution
• The (American) Revolutionary War
• War for (American) Independence
77. Name one reason why
the Americans declared independence from Britain.
• High taxes
• Taxation without representation
• British soldiers stayed in Americans’
houses (boarding, quartering)
• They did not have self-government
• Boston Massacre
• Boston Tea Party (Tea Act)
• Stamp Act
• Sugar Act
• Townshend Acts
• Intolerable (Coercive) Acts
78. Who wrote the
Declaration of Independence? *
• (Thomas) Jefferson
79. When was the
Declaration of Independence adopted?
• July 4, 1776
80. The American
Revolution had many important events. Name one.
• (Battle of) Bunker Hill
• Declaration of Independence
• Washington Crossing the Delaware (Battle
of Trenton)
• (Battle of) Saratoga
• Valley Forge (Encampment)
• (Battle of) Yorktown (British surrender
at Yorktown)
81. There were 13
original states. Name five.
• New Hampshire
• Massachusetts
• Rhode Island
• Connecticut
• New York
• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• Delaware
• Maryland
• Virginia
• North Carolina
• South Carolina
• Georgia
82. What founding
document was written in 1787?
• (U.S.) Constitution
83. The Federalist
Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
• (James) Madison
• (Alexander) Hamilton
• (John) Jay
• Publius
84. Why were the Federalist
Papers important?
• They helped people understand the (U.S.)
Constitution.
• They supported passing the (U.S.)
Constitution.
85. Benjamin Franklin is
famous for many things. Name one.
• Founded the first free public libraries
• First Postmaster General of the United
States
• Helped write the Declaration of
Independence
• Inventor
• U.S. diplomat
86. 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
87. Thomas Jefferson is
famous for many things. Name one.
• Writer of the Declaration of
Independence
• Third president of the United States
• Doubled the size of the United States
(Louisiana Purchase)
• First Secretary of State
• Founded the University of Virginia
• Writer of the Virginia Statute on
Religious Freedom
88. James Madison is
famous for many things. Name one.
• “Father of the Constitution”
• Fourth president of the United States
• President during the War of 1812
• One of the writers of the Federalist
Papers
89. Alexander Hamilton
is famous for many things. Name one.
• First Secretary of the Treasury
• One of the writers of the Federalist
Papers
• Helped establish the First Bank of the
United States
• Aide to General George Washington
• Member of the Continental Congress
B: 1800s
90. What territory did
the United States buy from France in 1803?
• Louisiana Territory
• Louisiana
91. Name one war fought
by the United States in the 1800s.
• War of 1812
• Mexican-American War
• Civil War
• Spanish-American War
92. Name the U.S. war
between the North and the South.
• The Civil War
93. The Civil War had
many important events. Name one.
• (Battle of) Fort Sumter
• Emancipation Proclamation
• (Battle of) Vicksburg
• (Battle of) Gettysburg
• Sherman’s March
• (Surrender at) Appomattox
• (Battle of) Antietam/Sharpsburg
• Lincoln was assassinated.
94. 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
95. What did the
Emancipation Proclamation do?
• Freed the slaves
• Freed slaves in the Confederacy
• Freed slaves in the Confederate states
• Freed slaves in most Southern states
96. What U.S. war ended
slavery?
• The Civil War
97. What amendment says
all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the
jurisdiction thereof, are U.S. citizens?
• 14th Amendment
98. When did all men get
the right to vote?
• After the Civil War
• During Reconstruction
• (With the) 15th Amendment
• 1870
99. Name one leader of
the women’s rights movement in the 1800s.
• Susan B. Anthony
• Elizabeth Cady Stanton
• Sojourner Truth
• Harriet Tubman
• Lucretia Mott
• Lucy Stone
C: Recent American History and Other Important Historical
Information
100. Name one war fought
by the United States in the 1900s.
• World War I
• World War II
• Korean War
• Vietnam War
• (Persian) Gulf War
101. Why did the United
States enter World War I?
• Because Germany attacked U.S. (civilian)
ships
• To support the Allied Powers (England,
France, Italy, and Russia)
• To oppose the Central Powers (Germany,
Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria)
102. When did all women
get the right to vote?
• 1920
• After World War I
• (With the) 19th Amendment
103. What was the Great
Depression?
• Longest economic recession in modern
history
104. When did the Great
Depression start?
• The Great Crash (1929)
• Stock market crash of 1929
105. Who was president
during the Great Depression and World War II?
• (Franklin) Roosevelt
106. Why did the United
States enter World War II?
• (Bombing of) Pearl Harbor
• Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor
• To support the Allied Powers (England,
France, and Russia)
• To oppose the Axis Powers (Germany,
Italy, and Japan)
107. Dwight Eisenhower is
famous for many things. Name one.
• General during World War II
• President at the end of (during) the
Korean War
• 34th president of the United States
• Signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of
1956 (Created the Interstate System)
108. Who was the United
States’ main rival during the Cold War?
• Soviet Union
• USSR
• Russia
109. During the Cold War,
what was one main concern of the United States?
• Communism
• Nuclear war
110. Why did the United
States enter the Korean War?
• To stop the spread of communism
111. Why did the United
States enter the Vietnam War?
• To stop the spread of communism
112. What did the civil
rights movement do?
• Fought to end racial discrimination
113. 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”
114. Why did the United
States enter the Persian Gulf War?
• To force the Iraqi military from Kuwait
115. 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
116. Name one U.S.
military conflict after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
• (Global) War on Terror
• War in Afghanistan
• War in Iraq
117. Name one American
Indian tribe in the United States.
• Apache
• Blackfeet
• Cayuga
• Cherokee
• Cheyenne
• Chippewa
• Choctaw
• Creek
• Crow
• Hopi
• Huron
• Inupiat
• Lakota
• Mohawk
• Mohegan
• Navajo
• Oneida
• Onondaga
• Pueblo
• Seminole
• Seneca
• Shawnee
• Sioux
• Teton
• Tuscarora
For a complete list
of tribes, please visit bia.gov.
118. Name one example of
an American innovation.
• Light bulb
• Automobile (cars, internal combustion
engine)
• Skyscrapers
• Airplane
• Assembly line
• Landing on the moon
• Integrated circuit (IC)
SYMBOLS AND HOLIDAYS
A: Symbols
119. What is the capital
of the United States?
• Washington, D.C.
120. Where is the Statue
of Liberty?
• New York (Harbor)
• Liberty Island [Also acceptable are New
Jersey, near New York City, and on the Hudson (River).]
121. Why does the flag
have 13 stripes? *
• (Because there were) 13 original
colonies
• (Because the stripes) represent the
original colonies
122. Why does the flag
have 50 stars?
• (Because there is) one star for each
state
• (Because) each star represents a state
• (Because there are) 50 states
123. What is the name of
the national anthem?
• The Star-Spangled Banner
124. The Nation’s first
motto was “E Pluribus Unum.” What does that mean?
• Out of many, one
• We all become one
B: Holidays
125. What is Independence
Day?
• A holiday to celebrate U.S. independence
(from Britain)
• The country’s birthday
126. 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
127. What is Memorial Day?
• A holiday to honor soldiers who died in
military service
128. What is Veterans Day?
• A holiday to honor people in the (U.S.)
military
• A holiday to honor people who have
served (in the U.S. military)
){kind=link}