The US Citizenship Interview: What Happens, What They Ask, and How to Prepare

At the US citizenship interview, a USCIS officer puts you under oath, goes through your Form N-400 with you, and gives you the English and civics tests. The speaking test is simply your ability to understand and answer the officer during the interview. Reading and writing each take one correct sentence out of three, and the civics test, for anyone who filed on or after October 20, 2025, is up to 20 oral questions with 12 correct needed to pass.

Key points

• The interview has three parts: an N-400 review under oath, the English test, and the civics test.
• English: read 1 of 3 sentences and write 1 of 3 sentences correctly. Speaking is judged during the conversation.
• Civics (2025 version): up to 20 questions from 128, pass at 12 correct, stop at 9 incorrect.
• Since August 2025, officers apply a broader good moral character review and may run neighborhood investigations.
• You leave with Form N-652 showing whether your case was granted, continued or denied.

Before the interview

USCIS mails or posts an interview notice (Form I-797C) to your online account, usually a few weeks in advance. It gives the field office, date and time, and a list of documents to bring. If you cannot attend, ask to reschedule as soon as possible. Missing the interview without notice can lead USCIS to close your case.

What to bring

Always follow your notice, but most applicants bring:

• the interview notice;
• their green card;
• a state ID or driver’s license;
• all passports and travel documents used during the statutory period;
• originals of anything you sent as copies with your N-400;
• marriage and divorce certificates, and for applicants filing through marriage, proof of your spouse’s citizenship and of living together;
• tax transcripts or returns for the statutory period;
• certified court records for any arrest, citation or charge;
• proof of child support payments, if relevant.

If you need a disability accommodation, request it at uscis.gov/accommodations when you get the notice.

Part 1: The N-400 review under oath

The officer swears you in and confirms your identity. They then go through your application, usually in the order of the form. Expect questions such as:

• “What is your current address? How long have you lived there?”
• “Where do you work? What do you do?”
• “How many trips have you taken outside the United States since you became a permanent resident? Were any longer than six months?”
• “Are you married? How many times have you been married?”
• “How many children do you have?”

Then come the yes/no eligibility questions from the form. These cover things like claiming US citizenship, voting, taxes, arrests and citations, drug and alcohol use, Selective Service registration, membership in certain organizations, and willingness to take the oath. The officer may ask you to explain words such as “claimed” or “habitual drunkard” to check that you understood the question.

This review also counts as your English speaking test. If you can understand the questions and respond meaningfully, you pass speaking. You do not need perfect grammar.

Tip: read your copy of the N-400 the night before. Most problems at interviews come from answers that do not match the form, not from the civics test. If something has changed since you filed (a new address, job, trip, marriage or arrest), tell the officer at the start.

Good moral character questions in 2026

On August 15, 2025, USCIS issued policy memo PM-602-0188, which tells officers to evaluate good moral character holistically. Officers are directed to weigh positive factors such as community involvement, family and caregiving responsibilities, education, stable employment, length of lawful residence and tax compliance, along with negative conduct. That includes lawful behavior the memo describes as inconsistent with civic responsibility, such as habitual or reckless traffic violations.

In practice, be ready to discuss traffic tickets, unpaid taxes, missed child support and any past arrests, and bring documents showing they were resolved. We explain the memo in detail in good moral character for US citizenship.

A separate memo dated August 22, 2025 (PM-602-0189) ended the general waiver of personal investigations. USCIS may now, at its discretion, check with neighbors or employers about the 5 years before you filed. This happens outside the interview and most applicants will not see it.

Part 2: The English reading and writing tests

According to USCIS:

Test	What you do	To pass
Reading	Read aloud from a tablet or card	Read 1 of 3 sentences correctly
Writing	Write a sentence the officer reads aloud	Write 1 of 3 sentences correctly
Speaking	Answer questions during the interview	Show you understand and can respond

The officer stops as soon as you get one sentence right. For writing, small spelling or punctuation mistakes do not cause a fail unless they make the sentence hard to understand, but abbreviating a dictated word counts as a fail. USCIS publishes reading and writing vocabulary lists on its study page.

Applicants who are 50 or older with 20 years as a permanent resident, or 55 or older with 15 years, are exempt from English and may take civics in their own language. See citizenship test exemptions.

Part 3: The civics test

N-400 filed	Version	Questions asked	Pass	Fail
On or after Oct 20, 2025	2025 (128-question list)	Up to 20	12 correct	9 incorrect
Before Oct 20, 2025	2008 (100-question list)	Up to 10	6 correct	5 incorrect

The officer asks questions out loud and you answer out loud. Once you reach the pass mark the test ends, so you may not be asked all 20. For questions about officeholders, give the name of whoever holds the office on your interview day. As of October 2026 USCIS lists President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Chief Justice John Roberts and Speaker Mike Johnson.

The best preparation is practicing under the same rules. Our free US citizenship practice test draws from all 128 questions, asks up to 20, and ends at 12 correct or 9 wrong. If you qualify for 65/20, use its 65/20 mode: 10 of the 20 starred questions, with 6 needed to pass. For the full breakdown of the question list, read the 2025 civics test explained.

Results: Form N-652

At the end of the interview the officer gives you Form N-652, Naturalization Interview Results. It will show one of these outcomes:

Result	What it means	Next step
Recommended for approval	You passed and your case is approvable	Wait for an oath ceremony notice; some offices hold a same-day oath
Continued	USCIS needs more documents (often on Form N-14), or you failed a test part	Send documents by the deadline, or attend the retest 60 to 90 days later
Denied	You do not meet one or more requirements	A written decision follows; you may request a hearing on Form N-336 within 30 days

If you failed English or civics, you only retake the part you failed. See failed the citizenship test? What happens next.

Common reasons interviews go badly

• Travel dates on the form that do not match your passport stamps or CBP travel records.
• Arrests or citations left off the form because they were dismissed or old. You must disclose them.
• Unfiled tax returns or unpaid tax debt without a payment plan.
• For the 3-year marriage path, little evidence that you live with your spouse. See citizenship through marriage.
• Not understanding the yes/no questions on the form.

If any of these apply, speak with a licensed immigration attorney or DOJ-accredited representative before the interview.

What to do next

1. Reread your N-400 and note anything that has changed.
2. Gather originals and certified court records.
3. Practice the civics questions out loud with the practice test.
4. Review the USCIS reading and writing vocabulary lists.
5. Check the US country hub and updates page the week before your interview.

General information, not legal advice. Checked against USCIS sources on October 11, 2026.