Overview

• The Federal Register notice specifies that N-400 applications filed on or after October 20, 2025 will use the new test, while earlier filers remain under the 2008 version.
• Officers will ask 20 civics questions from a 128-question list, and applicants must answer at least 12 correctly to pass, with failure after nine incorrect answers.
• USCIS says the reduced 10-question option continues for applicants aged 65 or older with at least 20 years as lawful permanent residents, and English reading, writing, and speaking tests are unchanged.
• USCIS is expanding good-moral-character reviews to include community inquiries and checks of public statements, with stricter scrutiny of disability exceptions and disqualifications for unlawful voter activity.
• Some reports cited an October 17 start, but the published Federal Register date is October 20, and officials have framed the update as part of broader tightening that advocates warn could lower current pass rates.