USCIS Announces New Naturalization Test

America Citizenship > USCIS Announces New Naturalization Test 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced the 100 questions and answers that comprise the civics component of the new naturalization test. USCIS will administer this new test to citizenship applicants beginning in October 2008.

Earlier this year, more than 6,000 citizenship applicants volunteered to take a pilot version of the test at 10 USCIS sites across the country during a four-month period. The 100 new civics items on the new naturalization test were selected after USCIS, a panel of history and government scholars, and English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers conducted a thorough review of the responses to the 142 items on the pilot test.

“We are very proud of this new test, and the open manner that we worked with our stakeholders throughout this entire process,” said USCIS Director Emilio Gonzalez. “Together, we developed a test that will encourage citizenship applicants to learn and identify with the basic civic values that unite us as Americans.”

The revised naturalization test will help strengthen assimilation efforts by emphasizing fundamental concepts of American democracy, basic U.S. history, and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. It will also promote patriotism among prospective citizens.

Following the pilot, USCIS refined the questions and answers, dropping several and adjusting others to increase clarity, narrowing the list to the new 100 questions. The range of acceptable answers to questions will increase so that applicants may learn more about a topic and select from a wider range of responses.

For instance, one of the new questions with a range of correct answers is: “What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?” The applicant may respond with a variety of possible answers such as speech, religion, assembly, press, and petition the government.

USCIS conducted the pilot during actual citizenship interviews in 10 districts across the country: Albany, NY; Boston, MA; Charleston, SC; Denver, CO; El Paso, TX; Kansas City, MO; Miami, FL; San Antonio, TX; Tucson, AZ; and Yakima, WA. Volunteers who participated in this pilot test achieved a 92.4 percent overall pass rate on the first try. The pass rates by test component were: civics, 93.7 percent; reading, 99.8 percent; and writing, 99 percent.

Following the pilot, USCIS and an expert technical advisory group affiliated with Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) reviewed the responses and re-piloted several re-phrased questions at 64 civics and citizenship classroom sites across the country. This secondary review was primarily focused on groups of individuals possessing Low-Beginning to High-Beginning levels of English comprehension to ensure that the average citizenship applicant was able to understand the question and answer items.

USCIS has posted the 100 new question and answers, the reading and writing vocabulary lists, a side-by-side comparison of the current and new test, answers to frequently asked questions and other information about the new test online at: http://www.uscis.gov/newtest.

Civics (History and Government) Items for the Redesigned Naturalization Test

Beginning October 1, 2008, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin implementation of a redesigned naturalization test. All applicants who file for naturalization on or after October 1, 2008 will be required to take the redesigned test. For those applicants who file prior to October 1, 2008 but are not interviewed until after October 1, 2008 (but before October 1, 2009), there will be an option of taking the redesigned test or the current one.

Civics (history and government) items from the redesigned naturalization test are found below. Some of the items have more than one possible answer listed. Although we hope that applicants will learn all the content, applicants will only be required to give one answer from the list unless the question asks for more than one. An example of a question that requires more than one of the listed answers is item 36. It asks, “What are two Cabinet-level positions?” In this example, applicants would be required to tell the adjudicator any two of the listed possible responses.

Applicants for naturalization taking the redesigned test should note that USCIS is aware that the 100 items sometimes have answers that are not listed here.

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT

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

* 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.

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.

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?*

• Answers will vary. [For District of Columbia residents and residents of U.S. territories, the answer is that D.C. (or the territory where the applicant lives) has no U.S. Senators.]

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?*

• George W. Bush
• George Bush
• Bush

29. What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?

• Richard Cheney
• Dick Cheney
• Cheney

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 Interior
• Secretary of State
• Secretary of Transportation
• Secretary of Treasury
• Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs
• Secretary of Labor
• Attorney General

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?

• 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?

• Answers will vary. [Residents of the District of Columbia and U.S. territories without a Governor should say “we don’t have a Governor.”]

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.]

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?

• Republican (Party)

47. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?

• (Nancy) Pelosi

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

50. What are two rights only for United States citizens?

• apply for a federal job
• vote
• run for office
• carry a U.S. passport

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)

AMERICAN HISTORY

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?

• Native Americans
• American Indians

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

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

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.

• Cherokee
• Navajo
• Sioux
• Chippewa
• Choctaw
• Pueblo
• Apache
• Iroquois
• Creek
• Blackfeet
• Seminole
• Cheyenne
• Arawak
• Shawnee
• Mohegan
• Huron
• Oneida
• Lakota
• Crow
• Teton
• Hopi
• Inuit

INTEGRATED CIVICS

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).]

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

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

* 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.

FAQs

USCIS ANNOUNCES NEW NATURALIZATION TEST

Q1. Will applicants receive a sample of the test before it is changed?

• USCIS has posted on our website a complete list of the new civics and U.S. history questions and answers; these are free to download. USCIS will also distribute study materials corresponding with the revised test beginning in early 2008.

Q2. How will applicants know which test they are expected to take? Will there be a cutoff date?

• USCIS will begin administering the new test on October 1, 2008; one-year after the new test is announced to the public.

  If an applicant:

  • Applies BEFORE October 1, 2008 and is scheduled for his or her naturalization interview BEFORE October 1, 2008, he or she will take the current test.
  • Applies BEFORE October 1, 2008 and is scheduled for his or her naturalization interview AFTER October 1, 2008, he or she can choose to take the current test or the redesigned version.
  • Applies AFTER October 1, 2008, he or she will take the redesigned version.
  • Is scheduled for his or her naturalization interview AFTER October 1, 2009, regardless of when he or she applied, he or she will take the redesigned version.

Q3. Will USCIS provide translations of the sample civics questions for elderly applicants? Is a translation available?

• The questions have been identified in English and USCIS will soon make available the sample civics questions in other languages.

Q4. How were the new question/answer items determined?

• Before USCIS included a question/answer item on the final test, it was analyzed for its cognitive and linguistic characteristics, and to see if it met one or more of the following criteria:
  • Does the item involve critical thinking about government or history?
  • Does the item offer an inferred or implicit concept of government, history, or other areas?
  • Does the item provide a geographical context for a historical or current event?
  • Does the item help the applicant better utilize the system? Is it useful in their daily lives?
  • Does the item help the applicant better understand and relate to our shared history?

  Experts analyzed each question to determine its linguistic properties. For example, they examined whether or not the vocabulary and sentence structure of the question and answer were appropriate for someone at the high-beginning level. If not, they looked at how to revise the question/answer to make it easier without losing the necessary content.

Q5. Did stakeholder feedback change whether a question and answer was eliminated from the final version of the test? Can you provide an example?

• Yes, question and answer items were either revised or deleted as a result of feedback from stakeholders and after a thorough review by a technical advisory group affiliated with Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Before the pilot began, both the TESOL panel and many other stakeholders reviewed the test items, provided comments, and after review, many of the items were changed. For example, USCIS originally included a question about the minimum wage because it felt it was important for employees to protect their rights as wage earners. The question was deleted before the pilot began because stakeholders thought applicants might be confused by state minimum wages.

   

  During the pilot, the TESOL panel continued to advise USCIS on which questions to keep, eliminate, revise, or re-pilot. After several questions were re-piloted, the TESOL panel recommended additional changes. For example, the question, “How is each state’s number of representatives decided?” was revised to, “Why do some states have more representatives than other states?” making it more understandable for the applicant.

Q6. What feedback did pilot participants provide to USCIS about their experiences with the pilot test? How were those comments used in selecting the final questions?

• Decisions to keep, reject, or change items were based on both quantitative and qualitative data. Much of the qualitative data came from applicants and adjudicators. USCIS also re-piloted several questions during a follow-on secondary study in 64 civics and citizenship classroom sites across the country. USCIS shared all comments and feedback on specific test items with the TESOL panel. An example of the feedback and subsequent change is:

  “Name one of the things that Abraham Lincoln did.” Some students said that this question could elicit a wide range of responses about more mundane aspects of Lincoln’s life (his birth and marriage) not directly connected with his presidency. They suggested we add the word important. The revised question became, “What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?”

Q7. When will USCIS release study materials for the redesigned test?

• USCIS will provide updated versions of its study materials, including the Civics Flash Cards and Learn About the United States: Quick Civics Lessons, to correspond with the new test. These study materials will be available in early 2008. The current versions of both the Civics Flash Cards and Learn About the United States: Quick Civics Lessons will remain available as long as the current test is adminstered. Additional study materials will also be introduced throughout the course of the one full year.

Q8. Will USCIS delay using the new test to allow civics teachers, ESL staff, and applicants to prepare for the new questions on the test?

• USCIS promised stakeholders and applicants that they would have at least one full year to prepare before administration of the new test begins on October 1, 2008. This transition will allow applicants to study for the old or new test, depending on when they apply for citizenship. USCIS will continue to provide information on the current test through the end of Fiscal Year 2008.

Q9. How is USCIS informing the public about the new test questions?

• We will inform the public using the following approaches:
  • Website information,
  • Public speaking engagements,
  • Promotional materials,
  • Articles in professional journals,
  • Regional training conferences, and
  • Media outreach.

Q10. USCIS said a goal was to make the test more “meaningful”. What does that mean?

• USCIS is taking a systemic approach to making the test more meaningful, one that follows a basic U.S. history and civics curriculum. The testing process goes well beyond a set of test questions; it includes a variety of study materials and opportunities for immigrants to expand their knowledge in the areas covered on the test and civics content beyond the test itself. We approached the goal of making the test more meaningful by making it more useful or important to those about to become a new citizen. We know the basic ability to speak, read, and write in English is important and useful to help new citizens integrate. We also know that infusing the test with more opportunities to learn about the rights and responsibilities of citizenship is important. Many items added to the test either directly or indirectly help applicants learn more about their rights and responsibilities.

   

  In addition, the new naturalization test covers more content by reducing redundancy and expanding the content areas from 23 to 40. The reading and writing portion of the test are now more civic-focused as well.

Q11. Why are there questions about geography? What does geography have to do with civics?

• Many teachers requested that we add geography questions to encourage applicants to learn something about the land where they live. History cannot be studied in isolation; history and geography are interrelated. The geography questions provide a context essential to understanding past history and current events. For example, the question on the Missouri/Mississippi Rivers helps students understand the question involving the Louisiana Purchase.

Q12. Doesn’t this new test measure an individual’s ability to memorize information for a test, rather than measure their understanding of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship?

• Because we are not just designing a new test, but educational materials and teacher training tools as well, we expect that the studying process will result in new knowledge. In the process of learning, there is some memorization, but this test does a much better job of helping applicants understand the rights and responsibilities of citizenship by following a well-structured curriculum. Through educational materials and instruction accompanying the test, we anticipate that by studying information such as the Federalist Papers, new citizens will have a better understanding of important documents such as the U.S. Constitution.

Q13. How does the naturalization process, including the naturalization test, measure the allegiance of an individual to the United States?

• No test can do that. The naturalization process looks closely at the moral character of individuals applying for citizenship. While successfully passing the citizenship test cannot measure a person’s loyalty to the nation, it can demonstrate an understanding of our basic civic principles. We believe, through study, that the applicants will understand and attach themselves to those principles.

Q14. When will USCIS train District Adjudication Officers (DAOs) on how to administer the new test? How will USCIS ensure DAOs are adequately trained to administer the new test?

• DAO training opportunities include:
  • Train-the-trainer activities at USCIS District Offices beginning in early 2008,
  • On-site district training seminars beginning summer 2008, and
  • Continuted adjudicator training as part of the standard curriculum for all adjudicators.

Q15. How many community-based and national immigrant organizations were included in the test redesign process? Why were those groups included and not others?

About 150 organizations were represented in the stakeholder groups working with USCIS on the test redesign and pilot process. The stakeholder groups USCIS consulted with from the onset of this project were very broad. They consisted of English as a Second Language (ESL) experts, adult educators, historians, legal educators, ethnic organizations, current and potential applicants, students, and many other community-based organizations. USCIS welcomed and captured feedback throughout the entire pilot process. Information shared and information sought took place at a variety of venues, including conferences, meetings, and focus groups across the country. Below is a partial list of national organizations that participated regularly in stakeholder meetings to discuss the naturalization test redesign project:

• Catholic Legal Immigration Network
• Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society
• Asian American Justice Center
• National Council of La Raza
• National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials
• Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
• Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition

Scholars and Experts

• Association of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
• National Academy of Sciences
• American Institutes for Research
• Heritage Foundation (There was no contractual relationship)
• Hudson Institute
• Kenan Institute for Ethics, Duke University (There was no contractual relationship)
• Manhattan Institute
• National Endowment for the Humanities

This is a sample of the many ESL programs that the naturalization test redesign project staff met with during the development of the revised citizenship test.

• Arlington, Va. County Public Schools
• Baltimore County (MD) Community College (Montgomery County)
• Carlos Rosario School, Washington
• Los Angeles Unified School District
• Miami-Dade County Public Schools
• State ESL Educator conferences in Florida, Kansas, Ohio