News Alert: USCIS Overhauls the N-400 Naturalization Test
Frank McKenna on Unsplash. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced the implementation of the 2025 naturalization civics test, the first in a series of planned changes to American citizenship standards, including new processes.
A New Test for a New Era
In a significant move aimed at restoring integrity to the naturalization process, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has recently announced the implementation of the 2025 Naturalization Civics Test, the first in a series of planned changes to American citizenship standards. According to USCIS, this new test, which will officially begin for applicants whose N-400 Naturalization application is filed on or after October 20, 2025, is designed to better assess an applicant's knowledge of U.S. history and government.
What’s New?
The core of the new test is based on a bank of 128 questions, a significant increase (28 new questions) from the previous 2008 version with 100 questions.
Applicants will now be asked up to 20 questions and must correctly answer 12 to pass, double the previous requirement, where USCIS administered a 10-question test and required only six questions correctly answered.
Another notable change is in the administration of the test. Now, officers will stop asking questions once an applicant has reached a passing score or has failed. Whereas before, all 10 questions had to be asked.
Why is USCIS making this change?
According to USCIS, this overhaul is part of a broader agency effort to enhance the integrity of the naturalization process. The last major update to the citizenship test was back in 2008, nearly 20 years ago. The agency has already made other changes in keeping with the raised bar in obtaining U.S. citizenship, including:
Stricter reviews of disability exceptions for English and civics requirements.
New guidance for officers to assess "good moral character" by looking for positive contributions to society, instead of the mere absence of bad behavior.
Resuming discretionary neighborhood investigations when insufficient documentation is submitted on the outset, highlighting the importance of ensuring that one meets the requirements for naturalization and to avoid submitting a sparsely documented (“bare bones”) application.
Emphasizing the non-partisan nature of voter registration services offered to new citizens at administrative naturalization ceremonies. USCIS will no longer allow non-government or private organizations to provide voter registration information, at the end of naturalization ceremonies, instead relying on state/local election officials or by USCIS staff present during these ceremonies to do so.
What else should I know?
USCIS has provided updated study materials for the new test on its Citizenship Resource Center website, while also keeping materials for the 2008 test available for those who filed their applications before the October 20, 2025, effective date. The agency anticipates announcing further initiatives in the coming weeks and months.
It’s important to know that this change does not extend to the English language parts of the naturalization test (reading, writing, speaking, and understanding), which remains unchanged. Also, USCIS continues to provide accommodations, including disability, medical and language exemptions for those who are eligible.
We’ve included links to the Naturalization Test below. Test your knowledge!
Will you pass the USCIS Naturalization test?
[Take the 2008/Current Citizenship/Naturalization Test on the USCIS website]
This is a fairly new development, so we won’t know until after October 20th how this will be implemented in practice. In the meantime, learn about the requirements for naturalization, review the resources included on this page & the USCIS Citizenship Resource Center and learn about the benefits of U.S. citizenship. Stay tuned as we monitor this development. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Tumblr and TikTok, for up-to-date immigration news.
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