This archive report was first published on 31 July 2019.
July 31, 2019
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a major overhaul of the US citizenship test, a mandatory exam for permanent residents seeking to become naturalized US citizens.
According to USCIS, the revised test will focus on assessing applicants' knowledge and understanding of US history, government, and values. The goal is to create a 'meaningful, uniform, and efficient test' that accurately measures a naturalization applicant's civics knowledge.
Currently, the test consists of 100 questions on US government, American history, and integrated civics. An immigration officer selects 10 questions from the pool, and applicants must answer six out of ten correctly to pass.
USCIS acting Director Ken Cuccinelli has confirmed that the new test will be launched in December 2020 or early 2021. The current test was introduced in 1986 and revised in 2008.
