USCIS announced on 22 February 2021 that it would go back to the 2008 version of the naturalisation civics test from 1 March 2021. The 2020 version, which asked up to 20 questions and needed 12 correct answers, had only been in use since 1 December 2020.
Key facts
- What Return to the 2008 civics test
- From 1 March 2021 filings
- Choice Filed 1 December 2020 to 28 February 2021: either test
- 2020 test phased out 19 April 2021 for first-time test takers
Who took which test
Anyone filing on or after 1 March 2021 took the 2008 test: up to 10 oral questions from a list of 100, with 6 correct answers needed to pass. People who filed on or after 1 December 2020 and before 1 March 2021 could choose either version. Both tests were offered during a transition, and the 2020 test was phased out for first-time test takers on 19 April 2021.
Why it changed
USCIS said the way the 2020 test was developed, its content, its testing procedures and its rushed rollout might create barriers to naturalisation. The decision followed a presidential executive order of February 2021 calling for a review of the naturalisation process to remove barriers. By contrast, USCIS noted that the 2008 test had been built over several years with more than 150 organisations and piloted before use.
At around the same time, the USCIS test updates page was refreshed to show Joseph R. Biden, Jr. as President, Kamala D. Harris as Vice President and Democratic as the President’s party, for both test versions.
What this means
This change shaped the test for more than four years. Anyone who filed from March 2021 until 19 October 2025 still takes the 2008 test of 10 questions from 100, even if their interview is later. If you filed in that window, study the 2008 list, not the 2025 list of 128 questions. Check which list applies using your filing date and the USCIS interview and test page, and check current office-holder answers on the test updates page.