Updated
· 6 min read · Built from the official USCIS question lists
The English test has three parts and a surprisingly forgiving pass mark. You must
read 1 of 3 sentences correctly, write 1 of 3 sentences correctly, and
demonstrate spoken English through ordinary conversation with the officer during the interview.
Crucially, USCIS publishes the vocabulary the sentences are built from. The sentences are short, they
use civics and everyday words, and they are far more predictable than applicants expect.
The officer shows you sentences on a digital tablet and asks you to read them aloud. You must read
one of three sentences correctly. If you read the first one correctly, that part is over.
You pass a sentence if you convey its meaning. Small pronunciation slips, pauses and intonation
problems are tolerated. You fail a sentence if you omit a word that changes the meaning, substitute a
different word, or cannot read it at all.
Typical sentences look like: "Who was the first President?" · "Citizens can vote." ·
"What is the capital of the United States?" · "Washington is on the dollar bill."
The writing test
The officer dictates sentences and you type or write them. You must write one of three
correctly.
The grading is more generous than people assume. Spelling and grammar errors are acceptable
as long as the meaning survives. Capitalisation and punctuation errors are also acceptable. You
fail a sentence if you write something that does not convey the meaning, abbreviate a word that was
dictated in full, or leave it blank.
Typical sentences: "Citizens can vote." · "Washington is the capital." ·
"The President lives in the White House." · "We pay taxes."
Write it, do not print it neatly
Do not slow yourself down trying to make the handwriting beautiful. The officer needs to read it and see
the right words. Legible and fast beats neat and incomplete.
The speaking assessment
There is no separate speaking test. The officer assesses your spoken English from the whole interview —
your answers about your address, your travel, your work, and the civics questions themselves.
This means the interview starts being scored the moment you sit down. It also means the best speaking
practice is not drilling sentences, it is having ordinary English conversations about your own life:
where you live, who you live with, what you do, where you have travelled.
The vocabulary to know
USCIS publishes reading and writing vocabulary lists. They cluster into a few groups:
Civics: American flag, Bill of Rights, capital, citizen, city, country, Father of
Our Country, government, President, right, Senators, state/states, White House.
Places: America, United States, U.S., Alaska, California, Canada, Delaware, Mexico,
New York City, Washington, Washington D.C.
Months and holidays: February, May, June, July, September, October, November,
Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving.
Other common words: colors, dollar bill, first, largest, many, most, north, one,
people, second, south, and the question words how, what, when, where, who, why.
Notice how much of this overlaps with the civics answers. Studying civics is studying the
English test vocabulary — the two reinforce each other, which is why doing both together is efficient.
Study the whole bank on your phone
All 128 questions of the 2025 version and all 100 of the 2008 version, offline, with mastery
tracking per category and study in your own language. Free on iPhone and Android.
Who is exempt
50/20 — 50 or older with 20 years as a lawful permanent resident.
55/15 — 55 or older with 15 years as a lawful permanent resident.
If either applies, you take the interview and the civics test in your own language with your own
interpreter, and skip the English reading, writing and speaking requirement entirely. You still take the
civics test. A separate medical disability exception (Form N-648) can waive both requirements.
How to practise
Read the civics questions aloud rather than silently. That covers reading practice
and civics practice at the same time.
Have someone dictate five sentences a few times a week and write them by hand.
Talk about your own life in English — the speaking assessment is conversation, not
recitation.
Learn the vocabulary in context, not as a word list.
The iPhone app's multilingual mode is useful here in a specific way: it shows each civics question in
your own language beside the English, so you build the English vocabulary while you learn the civics
content rather than treating them as two separate subjects.
Frequently asked
How many sentences do I have to read for the citizenship test?
You must read one of three sentences correctly. If you read the first sentence correctly, the reading test is over.
Do spelling mistakes fail the citizenship writing test?
No. Spelling, grammar, capitalisation and punctuation errors are acceptable as long as the sentence still conveys the meaning that was dictated. You fail a sentence only if the meaning is lost, if you abbreviate a word that was dictated in full, or if you write nothing.
Is there a separate speaking test for citizenship?
No. Your ability to speak English is assessed from your ordinary conversation with the officer throughout the naturalization interview, including your answers about your Form N-400.
Who is exempt from the English test for citizenship?
Applicants who are 50 or older with 20 years as a lawful permanent resident (50/20), and applicants who are 55 or older with 15 years (55/15). Both may take the interview and civics test in their own language with an interpreter. A medical disability exception on Form N-648 can waive both the English and civics requirements.
