How to Study for US Citizenship Questions

Study material for both the English and civics citizenship exams is available on the USCIS website.

All persons wishing to naturalize in the United States must pass both an oral English language and American civics exam in order to become a citizen. The English exam comtains reading, writing, and speaking sections that test basic knowledge in the subject. The civics exam covers the fundamentals of U.S. History and how the U.S. Government funtions. Studying for the test is best done through the resources of those who administer the test; the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS.)

Instructions

1. Enter the website of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) at uscis.gov. The USCIS is a branch of the United States Department of Homeland Security and is responsible for all matters concerning immigration and application for U.S. Citizenship, including the citizenship English and civics exams.

2. Select your desired area of study (either English or civics) by accessing the “Resources” tab at the top of the USCIS homepage followed by selecting “Citizenship and Naturalization Based Resources” on the right hand link column, followed by “Study Materials for the Naturalization Test” also on the right hand link colum. The test study material is divided into the English and civics. Select the type of study aide you wish to use; either practice test, flash cards, audio questions, or vocabulary lists. Click on the study aide to download the application.

3. Download as many study guide resources as you desire, there is no limit the the number of practice tests you can complete before taking the exam. You can also watch the video (available on the same page as the practice tests and study aides) that describes the exam process and what to expect.

4. Seek outside resources. While the USCIS website is the most accredible source for obtaining test preparation excercises, there are many other resources and test preparation guides available on the internet. Websites such as 800citizen.org, american-citizenship.org, citizenshipstudyguide.com and citizenshipcoach.com also offer study guides to help you pass the test. However, some guides such as Citizenship Coach, require a purchasing fee.

5. Practice your English with family and friends. Get them to test you on the questions.

References

• USCIS: Study Materials for the Naturalization Test
• Coming to America: Citizenship Study Guide

Resources

• USCIS: Home