More Questions Added to the New U.S. Citizenship Test; USCIS Confirms Changes Effective Today

Starting this Monday, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began administering a more rigorous naturalization exam as part of the policy changes promoted under President Donald Trump’s administration.

New US Citizenship Test 2025: Longer and more complex

The new civics test now includes 128 possible questions (previously 100), and applicants must correctly answer 12 out of 20.
Although the passing percentage (60%) remains the same, the content is significantly more demanding, with greater emphasis on US history and political systems.

Return of a Trump-era policy

This exam was originally created during Trump’s first term (2017–2021) but was later eliminated under the Biden administration, which reinstated the 2008 version.

Now, under a renewed hardline approach, USCIS is bringing back the Trump-era version of the citizenship test.

More screening and requirements for the US Citizenship Test

USCIS also announced additional measures to strengthen the vetting process:

• Interviews with neighbors and co-workers of the applicant
• Stricter background investigations
• Review of medical exemption requests
• Expanded evaluation of “good moral character”
• Possible disqualification for minor offenses, such as multiple traffic fines

Full integration required

According to USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser, the goal is to ensure that new citizens can “fully integrate and contribute to the nation’s development.”

Positive attributes now considered essential include:

• Community participation
• Educational achievements
• Legal employment history
• Consistent tax payments

These will be key factors in the moral and civic evaluation process.

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