How to pass the citizenship test: a 14-day study plan

The plan

Day 13 includes the eight special questions: four that change and four that depend on where you live.

A 20-minute daily routine

1. 3 minutes: review yesterday's misses.
2. 10 minutes: learn the day's new questions.
3. 5 minutes: say every answer out loud without looking.
4. 2 minutes: write down the ones you missed, so they come back tomorrow.

What to focus on in each section

• Principles of American Government (15). Learn the ideas behind the answers, such as self-government and the rule of law.
• System of Government (47). This is the biggest section, so give it the most days. It covers Congress, the President, the courts and the states.
• Rights and Responsibilities (10). Short section. Learn who can vote, the rights everyone has and the promises in the oath.
• Colonial Period and Independence (17). Learn the people and the founding documents, with their dates.
• 1800s (10). Learn the Civil War, Lincoln and the amendments about voting.
• Recent American History (19). Learn the wars of the 1900s, the civil rights movement and September 11, 2001.
• Symbols and Holidays (10). The easiest points. Do not skip them.

Five habits that make it work

1. Say answers out loud. You will answer by speaking, so practice speaking.
2. Review the misses. A question you missed today should come back tomorrow, then in a few days.
3. Mix the ways you practice: flashcards, multiple choice, typing, and listening to the question.
4. Keep sessions short. Twenty focused minutes beat one long night.
5. Finish with mock interviews so the real day feels familiar.

The last week checklist

• Look up the four answers that change.
• Look up your senators, representative, governor and capital.
• Take two or three mock interviews.
• Read your appointment notice again and gather what it lists.
• Sleep. A rested mind recalls more than a tired one.

If English is your second language

You can study the civics answers in your own language first to understand them, then practice saying them in English. Listen to the questions spoken aloud, because the officer will speak, not show you a page. Learn short answers. You can ask the officer to repeat a question you did not understand.

On test day

• Arrive early and bring what your notice lists.
• Listen to the whole question before you answer.
• Answer clearly and in a normal voice.
• If you do not know one, stay calm and move on to the next.

If you only have a week

Divide 128 by seven and you get about 18 questions a day. Keep the same order, skip the extra review days, and do your mock interviews on the last two days. If you qualify for the 65/20 rule, you only need 20 questions, so a week is plenty.

A free place to start

Work through the first set of questions with our free practice set, learn the numbers and dates, or start the course, which follows this same order.

Common questions

Keep reading

• 8 Mistakes That Cost Points on the Civics TestGiving one answer when two are needed, studying silently, skipping the state questions: eight avoidable mistakes on the citizenship civics test.
• 2025 Civics Test Questions and Answers: Free Practice SetPractice the first 15 questions of the 2025 civics test, Principles of American Government, with every official answer. Free.
• Numbers and Dates to Know for the Citizenship TestHow many amendments, senators and justices? When was the Declaration adopted? The exact numbers and dates from the 2025 civics test.
• How Many Questions Do You Need to Pass the Citizenship Test?You need 12 correct answers out of up to 20 on the 2025 civics test, or 6 out of 10 under the 65/20 rule. Here is how scoring and early stops work.