Becoming a U.S. citizen when you aren’t naturalized at birth can be a long and arduous process. It’s not as simple as just signing up to take the citizenship test.
The road to becoming an American citizen typically starts with getting a green card, which grants legal residency and the right to work in the U.S. Then, there’s a wait of five years before applying for naturalization (three years if the applicant is married to a U.S. citizen).
Applicants also face strict eligibility requirements, including reading, writing and speaking basic English, as well as demonstrating good moral character. Then there’s a multi-step naturalization process that includes forms, fees, an interview and more.
All this time and energy is pointless if you can’t pass the citizenship test, though. But what does that include?
Citizenship questions
Applicants must take an oral test consisting of 20 questions chosen for them from a list of 128 questions. There’s a special exception for certain people, though.
The 65/20 Special Consideration says that if someone is age 65 or older and has lived as a lawful permanent resident in the U.S. for at least 20 years, they’ll be asked 10 questions from a list of 20.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has a study guide including all 128 questions, including the 20 that fall under the 65/20 Special Consideration.
So, let’s go over the first 10 of those 20 questions:
- What is the supreme law of the land?
- How many amendments does the U.S. Constitution have?
- Name one power of the U.S. Congress.
- What is the economic system of the United States?
- What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
- The President of the United States is elected for how many years?
- What is the name of the President of the United States now?
- What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?
- Who vetoes bills?
- What is the highest court in the United States?
Want the answers? Keep reading. Some questions have more than one answer.
1. The supreme law of the U.S.
Question: What is the supreme law of the land?
Answer: U.S. Constitution
In 1787, delegates met in Philadelphia under George Washington to create a new Constitution. James Madison’s Virginia Plan for a strong national authority competed with William Paterson’s New Jersey Plan for a “union of the States merely federal,” making acts of Congress and ratified treaties “the supreme law of the States.”
A compromise produced population-based representation in the House, equal representation in the Senate, and the Electoral College. It was then signed on Sept. 17, 1787, and ratified in 1788 after the Bill of Rights was added.
2. Constitutional amendments
Question: How many amendments does the U.S. Constitution have?
Answer: 27
The first 10 amendments made to the Constitution are those of the Bill of Rights:
- First Amendment protects speech, press, religion, assembly and petition rights
- Second Amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms
- Third Amendment bars quartering soldiers in homes without consent
- Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable searches and seizures
- Fifth Amendment ensures due process; bars double jeopardy and self-incrimination; requires just compensation for takings
- Sixth Amendment guarantees a speedy, public jury trial, notice of charges, confrontation, defense witnesses and counsel
- Seventh Amendment preserves jury trials in federal civil cases
- Eighth Amendment prohibits excessive bail and fines and cruel and unusual punishments
- Ninth Amendment affirms unenumerated rights retained by the people
- Tenth Amendment says that any powers that are not delegated to federal government are given to states or the people
The rest were added sporadically after the Constitution’s ratification. The most recent amendment was ratified in 1992 and says:
“No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.”
3. Powers of Congress
Question: Name one power of the U.S. Congress.
Answer: Writes laws, declares war and makes the federal budget
Congress makes up the legislative branch of the government. In addition to the accepted answers listed by the Department of Homeland Security, Congress is also tasked with confirming or rejecting presidential nominations for heads of federal agencies, federal judges and the Supreme Court.
4. The U.S. economic system
Question: What is the economic system of the United States?
Answer: Capitalism and a free market economy
American capitalism developed evolutionarily from the 150-year colonial era, as settlers adapted existing British and Dutch practices.
After 1787, constitutional protections for property and contract — and the creation of a national currency, securities markets and a largely private Bank of the United States — accelerated growth and provided financial infrastructure.
5. The House speaker
Question: What is the name of the speaker of the House of Representatives now?
Answer: Mike Johnson
Mike Johnson is the 56th speaker of the House. He was elected in October 2023 to serve unanimously by House Republicans.
He’s one of the fastest representatives to be given the honor, having served in the House for about 6.8 years. The closest to that was John G. Carlisle in 1883, with 6.75 years of experience in the House before becoming speaker.
6. Presidential terms
Question: The president of the United States is elected for how many years?
Answer: Four years
In the Federalist Papers, Alexander Hamilton explains the argument in favor of four-year terms. He argued that a four-year term gives the president enough time to act with firmness and independence while allowing the public to fairly judge results, but isn’t so long that it threatens the country’s liberty.
7. The president
Question: What is the name of the president of the United States now?
Answer: Donald Trump
Donald Trump is now the 47th president and also served as the 45th president after the 2016 election. Trump is the second president to serve non-consecutive terms. During his first term, he notably signed a major tax reform bill into law and oversaw a reduction of federal regulations.
8. The vice president
Question: What is the name of the vice president of the United States now?
Answer: J.D. Vance
J.D. Vance was elected to the Senate in 2022, representing Ohio. He also enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served for four years with a tour in Iraq.
9. Veto power
Question: Who vetoes bills?
Answer: The president of the United States
After both chambers of Congress pass the same bill, it’s presented to the president who may refuse to approve it and veto it instead of signing. In most cases, Congress can vote to override the veto and the bill becomes law. But if the president leaves a bill unsigned while Congress is no longer in session, it is vetoed by default.
10. The highest court
Question: What is the highest court in the United States?
Answer: The Supreme Court
The Constitution established the Supreme Court, however, Congress decides how to organize it. Congress did so through the Judiciary Act of 1789, which established that the Supreme Court consists of six justices.
Congress has altered the number of seats on the Supreme Court several times over the years, though, ranging from a low of five to a high of 10. Currently, there are nine.
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