Updated
· 5 min read · Built from the official USCIS question lists
If you are 65 or older and have been a lawful permanent resident for 20 years or more, you
qualify for "65/20 special consideration". You study only the 20 starred questions
instead of the full bank, the officer asks you 10 of them, and you need
6 correct to pass. You may also take the civics test in the language of your choice.
That is a dramatically smaller job than the 128-question test — and it applies whether you are on the
2025 version or the 2008 version, since both lists mark exactly 20 questions with an asterisk.
Two conditions, both measured as of the date you file Form N-400:
You are 65 years old or older, and
You have been a lawful permanent resident for 20 years or more.
You do not have to apply for this separately or fill in an extra form. USCIS applies it based on your
age and residence date, and you may bring an interpreter to the interview.
What 65/20 changes
Standard test
65/20
Questions to study
128 (2025) or 100 (2008)
20 starred questions
Questions asked
Up to 20, or up to 10
10
Correct to pass
12, or 6
6
Language
English
The language of your choice, with your own interpreter
65/20 does not remove the English test by itself
The 65/20 rule is about the civics test. The English reading, writing and speaking requirement is
waived under the separate 50/20 and 55/15 rules. In practice most people
who meet 65/20 also meet 50/20, so both apply — but they are two different rules and it is worth knowing
which one is doing what.
The other age exemptions
50/20 — 50 or older with 20 years as an LPR: exempt from the English test. Take the
interview and the full civics test in your own language with an interpreter.
55/15 — 55 or older with 15 years as an LPR: same as 50/20.
65/20 — 65 or older with 20 years as an LPR: the reduced 20-question civics test in
your own language.
There is also a medical disability exception (Form N-648) which can waive the English and civics
requirements entirely for applicants with a qualifying physical or developmental disability or mental
impairment. That one does require a form, completed by a licensed medical professional.
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.
Practise the 20 starred questions
The starred questions are the ones USCIS considers most fundamental — the supreme law of the land, how
many amendments, the economic system, one power of Congress, who vetoes bills, the highest court, your
governor, the Pledge of Allegiance, who wrote the Declaration of Independence, why the flag has 13
stripes, and so on.
Because there are only twenty, the whole thing is genuinely learnable in a couple of weeks of short
daily sessions. Four of the twenty on the 2025 list still depend on outside information — your governor,
the Speaker of the House, the President and the Vice President — so those need looking up close to your
interview date.
Setting up 65/20 study
In the free practice test above, choose 65/20 test and it will only ever show you the
starred questions, ask 10, and grade against 6 to pass. Set the version switch to match your N-400 filing
date first.
The iPhone app does the same and adds the language setting — pick your language under
Settings → App Language and each of the twenty questions appears in your language, which
matters a great deal if you will be taking the test with an interpreter. It also works offline and keeps
track of which of the twenty you still get wrong.
Frequently asked
What is the 65/20 rule for the citizenship test?
If you are 65 or older and have been a lawful permanent resident for 20 years or more when you file Form N-400, you study only the 20 starred civics questions instead of the full bank. The officer asks 10 of them and you need 6 correct to pass. You may also take the civics test in the language of your choice with your own interpreter.
How many questions is the citizenship test if you are over 65?
Ten questions, drawn from a list of just 20 starred questions, with 6 correct needed to pass — provided you have also been a lawful permanent resident for at least 20 years.
Do I need to apply for the 65/20 exemption?
No separate application is needed. USCIS applies the special consideration based on your age and how long you have been a permanent resident. You are responsible for bringing your own interpreter if you want to take the test in another language.
Does 65/20 exempt me from the English test?
Not by itself — 65/20 concerns the civics test. The English reading, writing and speaking requirement is waived under the separate 50/20 and 55/15 rules. Most applicants who qualify for 65/20 also qualify for 50/20, so in practice both usually apply.
