US Citizenship Test Cheat Sheet.
The night-before summary, built like the exam.
Download the PDFTest mechanics — know your version
- Filed N-400 on/after Oct 20, 2025 → 2025 test: 20 oral questions from a 128-question pool · 12 correct passes · officer stops at 12 right or 9 wrong
- Filed before Oct 20, 2025 → 2008 test: up to 10 questions from a 100-question pool · 6 correct passes · stops at 6 right or 5 wrong
- 65/20 rule: age 65+ and a green-card holder 20+ years → 10 questions from the 20 starred questions, any language
- English portion: read 1 of 3 sentences · write 1 of 3 sentences · speaking judged during the interview
Numbers that decide questions
- Senators: 100, term 6 years, 2 per state
- House: 435 voting members, term 2 years, seats follow population
- President: term 4 years, elected in November
- Voting age: 18 (26th Amendment) · Tax day: April 15 · Selective Service: men 18-26
- Amendments: 27 total · first 10 = Bill of Rights · original states: 13
- Flag: 13 stripes (colonies) · 50 stars (states)
One-line answers the officers expect
- Supreme law of the land → the Constitution
- First three words → We the People (self-government)
- Three branches → legislative, executive, judicial; stopped from over-power by checks and balances
- Makes federal laws → Congress · signs/vetoes bills → the President · highest court → the Supreme Court
- President can't serve → the Vice President · Commander in Chief → the President · Cabinet → advises the President
- Federal powers → print money, declare war, treaties · State powers → schooling, licenses, police
- Economic system → capitalist / market economy · Rule of law → no one is above the law
History one-liners
- Declaration: written by Jefferson, adopted July 4, 1776
- Constitution written 1787 · Federalist Papers: Hamilton, Madison, Jay
- Father of Our Country / first President → Washington · Franklin → diplomat, first Postmaster General
- 1803 → Louisiana Purchase from France · North-vs-South war → Civil War, over slavery
- Lincoln → led Civil War, Emancipation Proclamation freed Confederate-state slaves
- Susan B. Anthony → women's rights · Depression + WWII President → Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Cold War concern → communism · MLK → civil rights · 9/11/2001 → terrorist attack on the U.S.
Symbols & geography
- Anthem → Star-Spangled Banner · Statue of Liberty → New York Harbor · Independence Day → July 4
- East Coast → Atlantic · West Coast → Pacific · North border → Canada · South border → Mexico · Capital → Washington, D.C.
- Memorial Day (May) honors the fallen · Veterans Day (Nov 11) honors all who served — don't swap them
The night before
- Refresh current officials: President, VP, Speaker, your governor, one senator — answers must match who serves on interview day
- Say answers out loud — the test is oral
- Bring your interview notice and green card; the civics test happens inside the N-400 interview
Frequently asked questions
What should I review the night before the interview?
Three things: the numbers block (100 senators / 435 representatives / terms / amendment counts), the current-officials answers checked against official sources that same week, and your weakest history section from practice. Then stop — the civics test rewards steady recall, not a late-night cram.
Can I bring this sheet or notes into the interview?
No — the civics test is an oral exchange with the officer and you answer from memory. Use the sheet up to the day itself: the printable format exists so the highest-yield facts get one final pass in the waiting room parking lot, not the interview chair.
Does this sheet cover both the 2008 and 2025 tests?
Yes. The mechanics block at the top shows both versions' rules side by side — which one applies depends on whether your N-400 was filed before October 20, 2025. The substantive facts (branches, numbers, history, symbols) serve both pools, which overlap heavily.
Sources
- 1.Study for the Test — USCIS Citizenship Resource Center — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) (accessed Aug 6, 2026)
- 2.Check for Test Updates — USCIS — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) (accessed Aug 6, 2026)
Official sources
Every exam fact on this page traces to a primary document published by the body that administers the exam.
- Study for the Test — USCIS Citizenship Resource CenterU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)uscis.gov
- Study for the Test — naturalization civics test formatsUSCISuscis.gov
- Form G-1055 Fee Schedule — N-400, Application for NaturalizationUSCISuscis.gov
- Exceptions and Accommodations — English language exemptionsUSCISuscis.gov
- Check for Test Updates — USCISU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)uscis.gov
Last verified against the official exam content outline: