The 2025 version of the test does not ask all 128 questions. It asks up to 20 and stops early. Understanding the rules is worth as much as memorising: it tells you when you have already won.
| Item | 2025 test | 65/20 exception |
|---|---|---|
| Questions in the bank | 128 | 20 (the starred ones) |
| Questions asked | Up to 20 | 10 |
| Correct answers needed | 12 (60%) | 6 (60%) |
| Test stops when | 12 correct or 9 wrong | 6 correct or 5 wrong |
| Format | Oral, no multiple choice | Oral, in your language if you choose |
| Attempts | Two (initial and re-examination) | Two |
The officer counts both ways. Reach 12 correct and the test ends in your favour — you may be asked only 15 questions. Reach 9 incorrect first and it ends against you. In practice this means a bad start is survivable: if you miss the first three and then answer fifteen correctly, you pass. Panic is a bigger risk than a gap in knowledge, which is exactly why practising aloud — with a voice that keeps going after a miss — is worth more than a fourth read of the list.
USCIS keeps the same 60 percent standard as the previous 100-question test. 12/20 is 60 percent. There is no partial credit, no half point for a nearly-right answer, and no possibility of bargaining: the officer applies the list of acceptable answers.
Answers do not have to be verbatim. The USCIS list gives several acceptable answers per question precisely because people phrase them differently, and USCIS says applicants are encouraged to use the published answers but that other correct answers exist. "Six years" and "a senator serves six years" are the same answer. What fails is a different fact: confusing the Senate with the House, or saying "the president writes the laws".
You have a second opportunity: the re-examination, normally 60 to 90 days after the first interview. Use it to work only on the questions you missed. Two failures in total mean the application is denied and a new application and fee are required, so the second attempt deserves the same preparation as the first.
A 20-question test scored out of 20 is the only number that predicts your real result. Our free practice test is scored the same way, and the paid kit adds five timed tests on paper plus the audio for all 128 questions.
Civics 128 — an independent study kit. The 128 questions and their acceptable answers are taken from USCIS form M-1778 (09/25), 128 Civics Questions and Answers (2025 version), published on uscis.gov and in the public domain. Audio, practice tests, answer keys and all written guidance are original to this kit. No affiliation with, endorsement by, or connection to USCIS, DHS or any government agency.
Answers that change with elections or appointments were checked on 5 November 2026 — always confirm them at uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates before your interview. No tracking cookies, no personal data collected. Page updated 2026-11-05.