Updated
· 5 min read · Built from the official USCIS question lists
The passing score is 60% on every version of the civics test — but the number of correct
answers you need is different. On the 2025 version the officer asks up to 20 questions and you
need 12 correct. On the 2008 version the officer asks up to 10 and you need
6 correct. Under the 65/20 special consideration, 10 questions are asked and you need
6 correct.
Failing is not final. You are retested on the portion you failed, between 60 and 90 days later.
The percentage is identical across all three, but the practical difficulty is not. Six correct answers
out of ten leaves room for a couple of lucky guesses. Twelve out of twenty does not — you have to actually
know the material.
Why the officer stops early
The officer asks questions only until the result is determined. On the 2025 version, answer the first
12 correctly and the civics test ends at question 12 — you have passed and there is no reason to keep
going. Equally, once you have missed 9, reaching 12 is impossible and the test ends.
So if your interview ends after 12 questions, that is the best possible outcome, not a bad sign.
The English test pass marks
The civics test is not the only thing scored. The English requirement has its own thresholds:
Reading: read 1 of 3 sentences correctly.
Writing: write 1 of 3 sentences correctly.
Speaking: assessed from your ordinary conversation with the officer during the
interview — there is no separate test and no numeric score.
You have to pass both the English requirement and the civics test to be approved.
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.
What happens if you fail
Nothing dramatic happens on the day. The officer records the result and USCIS schedules a second
interview.
The key detail: you are retested only on the portion you failed. Pass English and
fail civics, and the second interview covers civics alone. Pass civics and fail the writing test, and you
retake the writing test alone. You do not start over.
The re-examination is scheduled between 60 and 90 days after your first interview,
which is a genuinely useful amount of study time.
Retaking the test
You get two attempts on a single application. If you fail the second attempt, the N-400 is denied —
but a denial for failing the test does not bar you from reapplying. You file a new application, pay the
fee again, and start the process fresh.
Use the 60–90 days properly
Applicants who fail once and then study systematically usually pass comfortably the second time. Work
from the specific questions you missed rather than starting the whole bank again, and switch from
multiple choice to saying answers out loud.
The free practice test on this site keeps track of which questions you get wrong and shows them to you
more often. The iPhone app does the same across sessions and adds a per-category mastery view, so you can
see exactly where the remaining risk is rather than guessing.
Frequently asked
What is the passing score for the US citizenship test?
Sixty percent. On the 2025 version that means 12 correct out of 20 questions asked. On the 2008 version it means 6 correct out of 10. Under the 65/20 special consideration it is 6 correct out of 10 from the 20 starred questions.
How many questions do you need to pass the citizenship test?
Twelve if you are taking the 2025 version, or six if you are taking the 2008 version. Which one applies depends on whether you filed Form N-400 on or after 20 October 2025.
What happens if you fail the citizenship test?
You are given a second interview between 60 and 90 days later, and you are retested only on the portion you failed — English or civics, not both. If you fail the second attempt the application is denied, but you may file a new application.
Can you retake the citizenship test?
Yes. Every applicant gets two attempts on a single application, with the second scheduled 60 to 90 days after the first interview. If you fail twice you can reapply with a new Form N-400.
