Becoming a U.S. citizen can be an exciting but daunting process. To become a naturalized citizen, you must meet specific requirements and pass your exam. According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the interview process involves a USCIS officer and yourself. After the questions, you have to take a test made of two parts; a civics test and an English test.
Understanding how to prepare can help you pass the exam the first time.
What to expect from the civics test?
There are two types of civics tests. People who filed a form N-400 before December 1, 2020, and after March 1, 2021, take the 2008 civics test. If you applied between December 1, 2020, and March 1, 2021, you choose between a 2020 civics test and a 2008 civics test.
The 2008 civics test only has 10 questions. There is a list of 100 questions to study and you only have to answer six out of 10 correctly to pass the civics portion. In the 2020 version, you have 20 questions out of a pool of 128 questions. You must answer 12 questions correctly to pass. Your interviewer will ask the questions and you answer them out loud.
How to prepare for the English test?
The English test has three portions to prepare for. The USCIS officer determines your ability to speak and understand English during the interview during the speaking portion. Next, you have to read one out of three sentences to demonstrate that you can read English. Next, you write one out of three sentences to show you can write.
When it comes to the English test, there are vocabulary lists to study ahead of time to make it easier. If you fail either portion of the test, you can retake it twice.