As a foreign-born resident of the United States, you must pass a naturalization test in order to become a US citizen. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services explains that the basic purposes of this test are twofold: to ensure that you understand the English language and know some basic facts regarding American life and culture.
Specifically, the naturalization test consists of two parts: an English test and a civics test. You may wish to consider attending citizenship classes before taking the test to help you prepare.
English test
The English test consists of the following three parts:
- Speaking English
- Reading English
- Writing English
You take the speaking part by means of an interview with a USCIS officer. He or she will ask you about yourself and the application you made to become a US citizen.
For the reading part, your interviewer will ask you to read three English sentences out loud. To pass, you must read at least one of the sentences correctly.
For the writing part, your interviewer will ask you three questions in English. To pass, you must correctly write, in English, the answer to at least one of them.
Civics test
The civics test consists of 10 written English language multiple-choice questions on such things as American history, geography, holidays, a form of government, etc. To pass, you must answer at least six of the questions correctly.
If you fail any part of the test, you can retake that portion within 90 days. You may wish to consider taking additional citizenship classes in the interim in order to enhance your English skills and give you a better understanding of America.
