Overview

• Starting with applications filed on or after October 20, 2025, applicants face a 128-question study pool, with 20 questions asked and a passing requirement of 12 correct answers.
• The exam remains an oral interview, and officers may stop once an applicant has definitively passed or failed based on correct or incorrect totals.
• Question content shifts away from geography toward U.S. history, politics, and governance, according to the Federal Register notice and agency statements.
• USCIS is tightening related procedures, including stricter reviews of disability exemptions, renewed neighborhood checks, and heightened moral‑character scrutiny with potential disqualification for unlawful voting or false citizenship claims.
• Special consideration remains for certain older or long‑term permanent residents, who are asked 10 questions and must answer 6 correctly, and applicants may attempt the test twice before needing to reapply.