The U.S. Citizenship test is now more difficult to complete due to changes made by President Donald Trump’s administration
Test takers must now answer twice the number of questions and get twice as many correct
The updated test is being administered to those who applied to become a U.S. citizen on or after Oct. 20
One part of the test taken to obtain citizenship in the United States has just become more difficult to complete, thanks to President Donald Trump’s administration.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said in a news release on Oct. 20 that it is updating the 2020 Naturalization Civics Test in an effort to “ensure proper assimilation of lawful immigrants into the United States and promote a unified American identity and attachment to the Constitution, laws and founding principles of the United States.”
The organization added that it believes the update will provide a clearer understanding of what those hoping to obtain citizenship most know and understand “of civics as required under section 312 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA),” including being able to “demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of U.S. history and of the principles and form of government in the United States.”
Among the changes are an increase in the number of questions, from 10 to 20, and that a minimum of 12 questions must be answered correctly, double the previous requirement of six answers to pass.
Additionally, administrators must stop the test completely, per the USCIS, “when the applicant correctly answers the minimum number of 12 questions required to pass the test, or answers nine questions incorrectly.”
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The updated test is being administered to those who applied to become a U.S. citizen on or after Oct. 20.
Those who applied before will still take the 2008 version of the exam, while applicants who “qualify for special consideration because they are age 65 or older and have resided in the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident for at least 20 years” will be given a 10-question test formed from a “specially selected bank of 20 test questions” from either the 2008 or 2025 tests, according to the Federal Register.
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The test includes questions from a list of 128. Some examples include answering who makes federal laws, what the Constitution does and who lived in America before the Europeans arrived. Other questions ask applicants to name three of the 13 original states, identify two national U.S. holidays and to state two of the three rights in the Declaration of Independence.
The overall civics questions tied to the U.S. citizenship test have increased to 128 total from a prior 100.
Alongside the civics portion of the U.S. citizenship test, those hoping to become citizens in the country must show that they can read, write, speak and understand English.
Joseph Edlow, director of the USCIS, said in September that he believed the former U.S. citizenship test was “just too easy” to pass.
“We need to make it a little bit more challenging,” he said. “We’ve got to make sure that people are actually understanding what it means to be a U.S. citizen, what it means to get that benefit.”
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Many have spoken out against the update, however, including Clinic Legal Immigration Network Inc. (CLINIC), the Citizenship Test Working Group (CTWG) and more than 120 national, state and local organizations and educators.
They said in a letter that the exam would disproportionately affect test takers with “low literacy, limited financial resources, lack of access to preparation materials, and older applicants who may find the increased complexity difficult to navigate.”
