By Pedro Bianco
En esta noticia
Becoming a U.S. citizen has become more demanding. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has rolled out a new version of the naturalization civics test, harder than the previous one: it increased the total number of study questions, raised the number asked on the exam, and increased the number of correct answers needed to pass.
The citizenship test got harder
The new test returns to a stricter version. There are three main changes:
- The study question bank has grown from 100 to 128. In other words, there are 28 more questions to prepare for.
- On the exam, the officer no longer asks 10 questions but 20.
- To pass, applicants must answer at least 12 of those 20 correctly, instead of 6 out of 10 under the previous test.
In addition, some questions have been reworded so they are not as direct, and some answers now require more detail or precision. Taken together, the test is clearly more demanding than the version in place until now.
When it takes effect and who it applies to
The new test went into effect on Oct. 20, 2025. One key point to avoid confusion: which version each person takes depends on the date they filed their citizenship application, Form N-400.
Those who filed on or after Oct. 20, 2025, will take the new, more demanding version; those who filed before that date will continue with the previous version, the 2008 test with 100 questions. So before studying, it is worth checking which version applies based on the application date.
How to prepare
The best preparation is still to study the official materials. USCIS publishes the complete list of current questions and answers, which forms the basis of what is covered on the exam.