The requirements for US citizenship application + 100 Sample citizenship test practice questions
OHMYGOSSIP — The U.S. Citizenship Test is an important step in your U.S. citizenship application. During the citizenship interview, a US citizenship and immigration officer will ask the applicant ten(10) questions. The applicant must answer six(6) out of the ten(10) questions correctly in order to pass the civics portion of the naturalization test. If you fail the citizenship interview test, your citizenship application will be rejected.
Since there are 100 potential questions, applicants must have enough practice before going for a citizenship interview.
Note: If you are applying for citizenship application after Oct 1, 2008, when you are having an interview with a Citizenship Officer, you will be asked some of the questions listed below.
* If you are 65 years old or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, you may study just the questions that have been marked with an asterisk.
The general(minimum) requirements for US citizenship application include:
♦ at least 18 years old;
♦ have been a Permanent Resident (green card holder) for at least 3 years;
♦ a period of continuous residence and physical presence in the United States;
♦ an ability to read, write, and speak English;
♦ a knowledge and understanding of U.S. history and government;
♦ good moral character;
♦ attachment to the principles of the U.S. Constitution.
U.S. Citizenship Test Practice Questions:
Part A: Principles of American Democracy
1. What is the supreme law of the land?
the Constitution
2. What does the Constitution do?
sets up the government
defines the government
protects basic rights of Americans
3. The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?
We the People
4. What is an amendment?
a change (to the Constitution)
an addition (to the Constitution)
5. What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
the Bill of Rights
6. What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?*
speech
religion
assembly
press
petition the government
7. How many amendments does the Constitution have?
twenty-seven (27)
8. What did the Declaration of Independence do?
announced our independence (from Great Britain)
declared our independence (from Great Britain)
said that the United States is free (from Great Britain)
9. What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?
life
liberty
pursuit of happiness
10. What is freedom of religion?
You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion.
11. What is the economic system in the United States?*
capitalist economy
market economy
12. 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.
Part B: System of Government
13. Name one branch or part of the government.*
Congress
legislative
President
executive
the courts
judicial
14. What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
checks and balances
separation of powers
15. Who is in charge of the executive branch?
the President
16. Who makes federal laws?
Congress
Senate and House (of Representatives)
(U.S. or national) legislature
17. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?*
the Senate and House (of Representatives)
18. How many U.S. Senators are there?
one hundred (100)
19. We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?
six (6)
20. 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.]
NOTE: Find out the senators of your state here.
21. The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
four hundred thirty-five (435)
22. We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?
two (2)
23. 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.]
24. Who does a U.S. Senator represent?
all people of the state
25. Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?
(because of) the state’s population
(because) they have more people
(because) some states have more people
26. We elect a President for how many years?
four (4)
27. In what month do we vote for President?*
November
28. What is the name of the President of the United States now?*
Barack Obama
Obama
29. What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?
Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
Joe Biden
Biden
30. If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
the Vice President
31. If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
the Speaker of the House
32. Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?
the President
33. Who signs bills to become laws?
the President
34. Who vetoes bills?
the President
35. What does the President’s Cabinet do?
advises the President
36. What are two Cabinet-level positions?
Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of Commerce
Secretary of Defense
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
Attorney General
Vice President
37. What does the judicial branch do?
reviews laws
explains laws
resolves disputes (disagreements)
decides if a law goes against the Constitution
38. What is the highest court in the United States?
the Supreme Court
39. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
nine (9)
40. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
John Roberts (John G. Roberts, Jr.)
41. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?
to print money
to declare war
to create an army
to make treaties
42. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states?
provide schooling and education
provide protection (police)
provide safety (fire departments)
give a driver’s license
approve zoning and land use
43. 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.]
NOTE: Find out the Governor of your state here.
44. 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.]
NOTE: Find ou
t the capital of your state here.
45. What are the two major political parties in the United States?*
Democratic and Republican
46. What is the political party of the President now?
Democratic (Party)
47. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
(Nancy) Pelosi
Part C: Rights and Responsibilities
48. There are four amendments to the 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).
49. What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?*
serve on a jury
vote in a federal election
50. Name one right only for United States citizens.
vote in a federal election
run for federal office
51. What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?
freedom of expression
freedom of speech
freedom of assembly
freedom to petition the government
freedom of worship
the right to bear arms
52. What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
the United States
the flag
53. What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
give up loyalty to other countries
defend the Constitution and laws of the United States
obey the laws of the United States
serve in the U.S. military (if needed)
serve (do important work for) the nation (if needed)
be loyal to the United States
54. How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?*
eighteen (18) and older
55. What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?
vote
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
call Senators and Representatives
publicly support or oppose an issue or policy
run for office
write to a newspaper
56. When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?*
April 15
57. When must all men register for the Selective Service?
at age eighteen (18)
between eighteen (18) and twenty-six (26)
Part A: Colonial Period and Independence
58. What is one reason colonists came to America?
freedom
political liberty
religious freedom
economic opportunity
practice their religion
escape persecution
59. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
American Indians
Native Americans
60. What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
Africans
people from Africa
61. Why did the colonists fight the British?
because of high taxes (taxation without representation)
because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering)
because they didn’t have self-government
62. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
(Thomas) Jefferson
63. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
July 4, 1776
64. There were 13 original states. Name three.
New Hampshire
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Connecticut
New York
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Delaware
Maryland
Virginia
North Carolina
South Carolina
Georgia
65. What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
The Constitution was written.
The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution.
66. When was the Constitution written?
1787
67. The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
(James) Madison
(Alexander) Hamilton
(John) Jay
Publius
68. What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
U.S. diplomat
oldest member of the Constitutional Convention
first Postmaster General of the United States
writer of “Poor Richard’s Almanac”
started the first free libraries
69. Who is the “Father of Our Country”?
(George) Washington
70. Who was the first President?*
(George) Washington
Part B: 1800s
71. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
the Louisiana Territory
Louisiana
72. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
War of 1812
Mexican-American War
Civil War
Spanish-American War
73. Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.
the Civil War
the War between the States
74. Name one problem that led to the Civil War.
slavery
economic reasons
states’ rights
75. What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?*
freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation)
saved (or preserved) the Union
led the United States during the Civil War
76. 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
77. What did Susan B. Anthony do?
fought for women’s rights
fought for civil rights
Part C: Recent American History and Other Important Historical Information
78. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.*
World War I
World War II
Korean War
Vietnam War
(Persian) Gulf War
79. Who was President during World War I?
(Woodrow) Wilson
80. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?
(Franklin) Roosevelt
81. Who did the United States fight in World War II?
Japan, Germany, and Italy
82. Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in?
World War II
83. During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?
Communism
84. What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
civil rights (movement)
85. What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?*
fought for civil rights
worked for equality for all Americans
86. What major event happened on September 11, 2001, in the United States?
Terrorists attacked the United States.
87. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
[USCIS Officers will be supplied with a list of federally recognized American Indian tribes.]
Cherokee
Navajo
Sioux
Chippewa
Choctaw
Pueblo
Apache
Iroquois
Creek
Blackfeet
Seminole
Cheyenne
Arawak
Shawnee
Mohegan
Huron
Oneida
Lakota
Crow
Teton
Hopi
Inuit
Part A: Geography
88. Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.
Missouri (River)
Mississippi (River)
89. What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?
Pacific (Ocean)
90. What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
Atlantic (Ocean)
91. Name one U.S. territory.
Puerto Rico
U.S. Virgin Islands
American Samoa
Northern Mariana Islands
Guam
92. Name one state that borders Canada.
Maine
New Hampshire
Vermont
New York
Pennsylvania
Ohio
Michigan
Minnesota
North Dakota
Montana
Idaho
Washington
Alaska
93. Name one state that borders Mexico.
California
Arizona
New Mexico
Texas
94. What is the capital of the United States?*
Washington, D.C.
95. 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).]
Part B: Symbols
96. Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
because there were 13 original colonies
because the stripes represent the original colonies
97. 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
98. What is the name of the national anthem?
The Star-Spangled Banner
Part C: Holidays
99. When do we celebrate Independence Day?*
July 4
100. Name two national U.S. holidays.
New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Presidents’ Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving
Christmas
______________________________________________
The United States of America (USA or U.S.A.), commonly referred to as the United States (US or U.S.), America, or simply the States, is a federal republic consisting of 50 states, 16 territories, and a federal district. The 48 contiguous states and the federal district of Washington, D.C. are in central North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is the northwestern part of North America, west of Canada and east of Russia, which is across the Bering Strait in Asia, and the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-North Pacific. The country also has five populated and nine unpopulated territories in the Pacific and the Caribbean.
At 3.79 million square miles (9.83 million km2) in total and with around 316 million people, the United States is the fourth-largest country in total area, the fifth largest in the contiguous area and third in population. It is one of the world’s most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries. The geography and climate of the U.S. is also extremely diverse, with deserts, plains, forests, and mountains that are home to a wide variety of wildlife.
Paleo-indians migrated from Asia to what is now the US mainland around 15,000 years ago, with European colonization beginning in the 16th century. The United States emerged from 13 British colonies located along the Atlantic seaboard. Disputes between Great Britain and these colonies led to the American Revolution. On July 4, 1776, delegates from the 13 colonies unanimously issued the Declaration of Independence. The ensuing war ended in 1783 with the recognition of independence of the United States from the Kingdom of Great Britain, and was the first successful war of independence against a European colonial empire. The current Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787. The first 10 amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and guarantee many fundamental civil rights and freedoms.
Driven by the doctrine of manifest destiny, the United States embarked on a vigorous expansion across North America throughout the 19th century. This involved displacing native tribes, acquiring new territories, and gradually admitting new states. The American Civil War ended legalized slavery in the United States. By the end of the 19th century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean, and its economy was the world’s largest. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the country’s status as a global military power. The United States emerged from World War II as a global superpower, the first country with nuclear weapons, and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union left the United States as the sole superpower.
The United States is a developed country and has the world’s largest national economy, with an estimated 2013 GDP of $16.2 trillion –22% of global GDP at purchasing-power parity, as of 2011. The per capita GDP of the U.S. was the world’s sixth-highest as of 2010 and the U.S. has the highest mean and second highest median household income in the OECD as well as the highest average wage. The U.S. has the fourth most unequal income distribution among OECD nations. The economy is fueled by an abundance of natural resources, a well-developed infrastructure, and high productivity; and while its economy is considered post-industrial the US continues to be one of the world’s largest manufacturers. The country accounts for 39% of global military spending, being the foremost economic and military power, a prominent political and cultural force in the world, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovation.
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