What is included on the naturalization test?

On Behalf of | May 15, 2015 | Citizenship |

Achieving American citizenship status is by far one of the most important things that you and other immigrants can do in your life. Not only may becoming a U.S. citizen have a huge impact on your future but it may also affect your family for generations to come. That is why it is so crucial to understand the various components of the naturalization interview and test process.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services explains that the naturalization interview and exams are conducted in conjunction with one another in order to determine your level of competency in English, as well as U.S. history and government. Unless you have a qualifying exemption or waiver, you’ll be required to take both a civics and English exam as part of your naturalization application. Beyond that, you will be interviewed about your background and other related topics.

The civics test is comprised of 100 questions relating to U.S. government and history. However, you will not be required to answer all of the questions. Instead, the USCIS officer conducting your naturalization interview may ask you up to 10 of the questions, and you will be expected to answer at least six of them correctly in order to pass that portion of the exam.

The English exam involves three components: writing, reading and speaking. The writing portion of the English test involves you writing one sentence in English correctly. You will have three sentences to choose from. The reading test also allows you to choose one of three sentences in order to illustrate your proficiency in English, and the speaking portion of the exam will be conducted by a USCIS officer during the course of your eligibility interview.

Keep in mind that vocabulary lists and study guides are available for every component of your naturalization test, and that you can take the civics and English exams twice during the course of your application process. You may also be able to retest for a specific portion of the exam that you do not pass, if necessary.

 

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