United States Citizenship Exam (Part II)

Note (5 September 2017): On Oct. 1, 2008, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) replaced the set of questions formerly used as part of the citizenship test with new/ modified questions. All applicants who filed for naturalization on or after October 1, 2008 are required to take the new test.

In the citizenship test, the applicant for citizenship is asked up to 10 (of the available 100) questions, verbally. The interviewer reads the questions in English and the applicant must answer in English. To pass, the prospective citizen must correctly respond to 6 or more of the 10 questions. The questions are divided among five themes:

A. Principles of American Democracy
B. American History: Colonial Period and Independence
C. Rights and Responsibilities
D. Recent American History and Other Important Historical Information
E. Civics (Government Structure, Geography, Law)


For administration within Mr.V’s US History course, questions have been appropriately modified for the classroom environment. Changes made to the exam include:
-All questions and responses will be written.
-Questions have been modified in format and style to conform to a ‘multiple choice’ exam environment.
-Only 33 of the approved 100 questions appear here. The remaining questions will be incorporated into the classroom version of the exam as circumstances merit.

What has not changed in this written version of the citizenship exam is:
-The core content knowledge.
-The choice of correct responses.
-The goal of maintaining a citizenry that’s knowledgeable about the government and the role citizens play in preserving our Democratic Republic.

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1. Which of these IS NOT a cabinet-level position?
A. Secretary of Agriculture
B. Attorney General
C. Secretary of State
D. Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)


2. Which of these responsibilities does the judicial branch of the Federal government carry?
A. Creates/ Writes the laws.
B. Veto laws it does not support.
C. Determines if a law conflicts with the US Constitution.
D. All are accurate.

3. What is the highest court in the United States?
A. The New York State Court Of Appeals
B. The New York State Supreme Court
C. The US District Court of Washington, DC.
D. The US Supreme Court

4. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
A. 7
B. 8
C. 9
D. 10

5. A US Supreme Court Justice serves for…
A. 2 years
B. 4 years
C. 6 years
D. Life

6. The Chief Justice of the United States is…
A. Justice Anthony Kennedy
B. Justice Ruth B. Ginsberg
C. Justice Clarence Thomas
D. Justice John G. Roberts, Jr.


7. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the Federal government. What is one power of the Federal government?
A. Write/ Create State laws.
B. Determine the legal age for alcohol consumption and acquiring drivers licenses.
C. Print currency.
D. Publish requirements for public school graduation.

8. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the States. What is one power of the States?
A. Print Currency
B. Provide access to public education.
C. Declare war.
D. Control Interstate commerce.

9. Who is the Governor of your State?
A. Charles Schumer
B. Chris Christie
C. Andrew Cuomo
D. Cory Booker

10. What is the capital of your State?
A. New York City
B. Buffalo
C. Rochester
D. Albany

11. What are the two major political parties in the United States?
A. Democratic and Independent
B. Libertarian and Green
C. Republican and Democratic
D. Conservative and Republican

12. What is the political party of the President now.
A. Democratic
B. Conservative
C. Republican
D. Libertarian

13. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
A. John Boehner
B. Paul Ryan
C. Mitch McConnell
D. Charles Schumer

14. There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Which of these references to voting rights IS NOT from those amendments?
A. Citizens eighteen (18) and older (can vote).
B. You don’t have to pay (a poll tax) to vote.

C. Any citizen can vote. (Women and men can vote.)

D. A male citizen owning $100 in property and his legal wife.

15. Which pairing of responsibilities are reserved only for United States citizens?
A. Serve in the military & run for public office
B. Vote & serve on a jury.
C. Vote & serve in the military.
D. All are exclusively for US Citizens.

16. What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?
A. freedom of assembly & run for public office
B. Vote & serve on a jury.
C. freedom of worship & serve in the military.
D. freedom to petition the government & Voting


17. To what do we show our loyalty when we recite the Pledge of Allegiance?
A. The President of the United States
B. The United States of America
C. The Declaration of Independence
D. The US Constitution

18. What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
A. To hate the enemies of the United States.
B. Practice a particular religion.
C. Defend the Constitution and laws of the United States.
D. Pledge loyalty to a political party or person.

19. The youngest age that citizens must be to vote for President?
A. 16
B. 17
C. 18
D. 19


20. All of these are ways Americans can participate in their democracy, EXCEPT…
A. call Senators and Representatives
B. refuse to vote as a form of protest.
C. join a civic group
D. run for office


21. When is the last day you can file a federal income tax form (unless it falls on a weekend or holiday)?
A. January 1st.
B. February 14th
C. April 15th
D. Citizens don’t have to file income tax forms.

22. The youngest age that all men must register for the Selective Service is…
A. 16
B. 17
C. 18
D. 19

23. All of these qualify as reasons for colonists to willingly travel to America, EXCEPT…
A. political liberty
B. economic opportunity
C. freedom
D. All are acceptable reasons.


24. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
A. Native Americans
B. Europeans
C. Africans
D. Quakers


25. What group of people was taken to America and enslaved?
A. Native Americans
B. Europeans
C. Africans
D. Quakers


26. All of these contributed to colonial resentment of British rule, EXCEPT…
A. portions of the British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering)
B. searches and seizures without permission.
C. high taxes (taxation without representation)
D. British policy of expanding slavery against colonial wishes.


27. Of the founding fathers assigned the task of drafting the Declaration of Independence, who is generally recognized as the author?
A. John Adams
B. Benjamin Franklin
C. Alexander Hamilton
D. Thomas Jefferson 


28. In which year was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
A. 1776
B. 1781
C. 1787
D. 1812


29. There were 13 original States. Which of these WAS NOT from the original 13?
A. New Hampshire
B. Delaware
C. Vermont
D. Georgia


30. What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
A. The US Constitution was written.
B. The Founding Fathers wrote the Declaration of Independence.
C. Betsy Ross stitched the first flag of the United States.
D. The Federalist Papers were written.


31. When was the US Constitution brought to the States for ratification?
A. 1776
B. 1781
C. 1787
D. 1812


32. The Federalist Papers supported the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. All of these were authors of the papers EXCEPT…
A. (James) Madison
B. (Alexander) Hamilton
C. (Thomas) Jefferson
D. (John) Jay


33. Which of these achievements cannot be claimed by Benjamin Franklin?
A. U.S. diplomat
B. started the first free libraries
C. member of the Constitutional Convention
D. President of the United States