Story perspectives

New Civics Test Raises Bar for U.S. Citizenship

10/23/2025

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Summary

Story summary

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services implemented a revised civics test for naturalization on October 20, 2025, with 20 questions from 128 and longer answers emphasizing American history.
Jonathan Wong, an instructor at USCitizenshipTest, notes the test's increased difficulty, especially for non-native English speakers.
The changes come amid heightened scrutiny of citizenship applications by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Applicants must answer 12 questions correctly to pass.

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Story summary

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services implemented a revised civics test for naturalization on October 20, 2025, with 20 questions from 128 and longer answers emphasizing American history.
Jonathan Wong, an instructor at USCitizenshipTest, notes the test's increased difficulty, especially for non-native English speakers.
The changes come amid heightened scrutiny of citizenship applications by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Applicants must answer 12 questions correctly to pass.