Citizenship Interview Questions

Note : INS is said to have repeatedly used only material from these 100 questions to test applcants for naturalization. We make no representations in this regard. PLEASE USE THEM AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Is it possible to take the citizenship test ahead of the interview?
Yes, you may take it from Educational Testing Service up to a year before applying for citizenship. The cost is about $30. The INS will accept the results if you pass. You can take it over if needed.

You can call ETS at 609 720 6990 for information and sample questions. Some people have found the ETS test less stressful than one given as part of the final interview.

What are typical questions asked during the citizenship test, and what are the correct answers?
The following list was reported to be distributed at one INS office:

  1. What are the colors of our flag?
  2. How many stars are there in our flag?
  3. What color are the stars on our flag?
  4. What do the stars on the flag mean?
  5. How many stripes are there in the flag?
  6. What color are the stripes?
  7. What do the stripes on the flag mean?
  8. How many states are there in the Union?
  9. What is the 4th of July?
  10. What is the date of Independence Day?
  11. Independence from whom?
  12. What country did we fight during the Revolutionary War?
  13. Who was the first President of the United States?
  14. Who is the President of the United States today?
  15. Who is the vice-president of the United States today?
  16. Who elects the President of the United States?
  17. Who becomes President of the United States if the President should die?
  18. For how long do we elect the President?
  19. What is the Constitution?
  20. Can the Constitution be changed?
  21. What do we call a change to the Constitution?
  22. How many changes or amendments are there to the Constitution?
  23. How many branches are there in our government?
  24. What are the three branches of our government?
  25. What is the legislative branch of our government?
  26. Who makes the laws in the United States?
  27. What is the Congress?
  28. What are the duties of Congress?
  29. Who elects the Congress?
  30. How many senators are there in Congress?
  31. Can you name the two senators from your state?
  32. For how long do we elect each senator?
  33. How many representatives are there in Congress?
  34. For how long do we elect the representatives?
  35. What is the executive branch of our government?
  36. What is the judiciary branch of our government?
  37. What are the duties of the Supreme Court?
  38. What is the supreme court law of the United States?
  39. What is the Bill of Rights?
  40. What is the capital of your state?
  41. Who is the current governor of your state?
  42. Who becomes President of the United States if the President and the vice-president should die?
  43. Who is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?
  44. Can you name thirteen original states?
  45. Who said, "Give me liberty or give me death."?
  46. Which countries were our enemies during World War II?
  47. What are the 49th and 50th states of the Union?
  48. How many terms can the President serve?
  49. Who was Martin Luther King, Jr.?
  50. Who is the head of your local government?
  51. According to the Constitution, a person must meet certain requirements in order to be eligible to become President. Name one of these requirements.
  52. Why are there 100 Senators in the Senate?
  53. Who selects the Supreme Court justice?
  54. How many Supreme Court justice are there?
  55. Why did the Pilgrims come to America?
  56. What is the head executive of a state government called?
  57. What is the head executive of a city government called?
  58. What holiday was celebrated for the first time by the Americans colonists?
  59. Who was the main writer of the Declaration of Independence?
  60. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
  61. What is the basic belief of the Declaration of Independence?
  62. What is the national anthem of the United States?
  63. Who wrote the Star-Spangled Banner?
  64. Where does freedom of speech come from?
  65. What is a minimum voting age in the United States?
  66. Who signs bills into law?
  67. What is the highest court in the United States?
  68. Who was the President during the Civil War?
  69. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
  70. What special group advises the President?
  71. Which President is called the "Father of our country"?
  72. What Immigration and Naturalization Service form is used to apply to become a naturalized citizen?
  73. Who helped the Pilgrims in America?
  74. What is the name of the ship that brought the Pilgrims to America?
  75. What are the 13 original states of the U.S. called?
  76. Name 3 rights of freedom guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.
  77. Who has the power to declare the war?
  78. What kind of government does the United States have?
  79. Which President freed the slaves?
  80. In what year was the Constitution written?
  81. What are the first 10 amendments to the Constitution called?
  82. Name one purpose of the United Nations?
  83. Where does Congress meet?
  84. Whose rights are guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights?
  85. What is the introduction to the Constitution called?
  86. Name one benefit of being citizen of the United States.
  87. What is the most important right granted to U.S. citizens?
  88. What is the United States Capitol?
  89. What is the White House?
  90. Where is the White House located?
  91. What is the name of the President's official home?
  92. Name the right guaranteed by the first amendment.
  93. Who is the Commander in Chief of the U.S. military?
  94. Which President was the first Commander in Chief of the U.S. military?
  95. In what month do we vote for the President?
  96. In what month is the new President inaugurated?
  97. How many times may a Senator be re-elected?
  98. How many times may a Congressman be re-elected?
  99. What are the 2 major political parties in the U.S. today?
  100. How many states are there in the United States today?

  1. What are the colors of our flag?
    Red, White, and Blue.

  2. How many stars are there in our flag?
    50

  3. What color are the stars on our flag?
    White.

  4. What do the stars on the flag mean?
    One for each state in the Union.

  5. How many stripes are there in the flag?
    13

  6. What color are the stripes?
    Red and White.

  7. What do the stripes on the flag mean?
    They represent the original 13 states.

  8. How many states are there in the Union?
    50

  9. What is the 4th of July?
    Independence Day.

  10. What is the date of Independence Day?
    July 4th

  11. Independence from whom?
    England

  12. What country did we fight during the Revolutionary War?
    England

  13. Who was the first President of the United States?
    George Washington

  14. Who is the President of the United States today?
    Bill Clinton (or whoever is next :-))

  15. Who is the vice-president of the United States today?
    Al Gore (or whoever is next :-))

  16. Who elects the President of the United States?
    The electoral college

  17. Who becomes President of the United States if the President should die?
    Vice - President

  18. For how long do we elect the President?
    Four years

  19. What is the Constitution?
    The supreme law of the land

  20. Can the Constitution be changed?
    Yes

  21. What do we call a change to the Constitution?
    An Amendment

  22. How many changes or amendments are there to the Constitution?
    27

  23. How many branches are there in our government?
    3

  24. What are the three branches of our government?
    Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary

  25. What is the legislative branch of our government?
    Congress

  26. Who makes the laws in the United States?
    Congress

  27. What is the Congress?
    The Senate and the House of Representatives

  28. What are the duties of Congress?
    To make laws

  29. Who elects the Congress?
    The people

  30. How many senators are there in Congress?
    100

  31. Can you name the two senators from your state?
    (insert local information)
  32. For how long do we elect each senator?
    6 years

  33. How many representatives are there in Congress?
    435

  34. For how long do we elect the representatives?
    2 years

  35. What is the executive branch of our government?
    The President, vice president, cabinet, and departments under the cabinet members

  36. What is the judiciary branch of our government?
    The Supreme Court

  37. What are the duties of the Supreme Court?
    To interpret laws

  38. What is the supreme court law of the United States?
    The Constitution

  39. What is the Bill of Rights?
    The first 10 amendments of the Constitution

  40. What is the capital of your state?
    (insert local information)

  41. Who is the current governor of your state?
    (insert local information)

  42. Who becomes President of the United States if the President and the vice-president should die?
    Speaker of the House of Representative

  43. Who is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?
    William Rehnquist (or whoever is next)

  44. Can you name thirteen original states?
    Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Rhode Island, and Maryland.

  45. Who said, "Give me liberty or give me death."?
    Patrick Henry

  46. Which countries were our enemies during World War II?
    Germany, Italy, and Japan

  47. What are the 49th and 50th states of the Union?
    Hawaii and Alaska

  48. How many terms can the President serve?
    2

  49. Who was Martin Luther King, Jr.?
    A civil rights leader

  50. Who is the head of your local government?
    (insert local information)

  51. According to the Constitution, a person must meet certain requirements in order to be eligible to become President. Name one of these requirements.
    Must be a natural born citizen of the United States; must be at least 35 years old by the time he/she will serve; must have lived in the United States for at least 14 years.

  52. Why are there 100 Senators in the Senate?
    Two (2) from each state

  53. Who selects the Supreme Court justice?
    Appointed by the President

  54. How many Supreme Court justice are there?
    Nine (9)

  55. Why did the Pilgrims come to America?
    For religious freedom

  56. What is the head executive of a state government called?
    Governor

  57. What is the head executive of a city government called?
    Mayor

  58. What holiday was celebrated for the first time by the Americans colonists?
    Thanksgiving

  59. Who was the main writer of the Declaration of Independence?
    Thomas Jefferson

  60. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
    July 4, 1776

  61. What is the basic belief of the Declaration of Independence?
    That all men are created equal

  62. What is the national anthem of the United States?
    The Star-Spangled Banner

  63. Who wrote the Star-Spangled Banner?
    Francis Scott Key

  64. Where does freedom of speech come from?
    The Bill of Rights

  65. What is a minimum voting age in the United States?
    Eighteen (18)

  66. Who signs bills into law?
    The President

  67. What is the highest court in the United States?
    The Supreme Court

  68. Who was the President during the Civil War?
    Abraham Lincoln

  69. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
    Freed many slaves

  70. What special group advises the President?
    The Cabinet

  71. Which President is called the "Father of our country"?
    George Washington

  72. What Immigration and Naturalization Service form is used to apply to become a naturalized citizen?
    Form N-400, Application to File Petition for Naturalization

  73. Who helped the Pilgrims in America?
    The American-Indians (Native Americans)

  74. What is the name of the ship that brought the Pilgrims to America?
    The Mayflower

  75. What are the 13 original states of the U.S. called?
    Colonies

  76. Name 3 rights of freedom guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.
    1. The right of freedom of speech, press, religion, peaceable assembly, and requesting change of government.
    2. The right to bear arms (the right to have weapons or own a gun, though subject to certain regulations).
    3. The government may not quarter, or house, soldiers in the people's homes during peacetime without the people's consent.
    4. The government may not search or take a person's property without a warrant.
    5. A person may not be tried twice for the same crime and does not have to testify against him/herself.
    6. A person charged with a crime still has some rights, such as the right to a trial and to have a lawyer.
    7. The right to trial by jury in most cases.
    8. Protects people against excessive or unreasonable fines or cruel and unusual punishment.
    9. The people have rights other than those mentioned in the Constitution.
    10. Any power not given to the federal government by the Constitution is a power of either the state or the people.

  77. Who has the power to declare the war?
    The Congress

  78. What kind of government does the United States have?
    Republican

  79. Which President freed the slaves?
    Abraham Lincoln

  80. In what year was the Constitution written?
    1787

  81. What are the first 10 amendments to the Constitution called?
    The Bill of Rights

  82. Name one purpose of the United Nations?
    For countries to discuss and try to resolve world problems, to provide economic aid to many countries.

  83. Where does Congress meet?
    In the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

  84. Whose rights are guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights?
    Everyone (citizens and non-citizens) living in U.S.

  85. What is the introduction to the Constitution called?
    The Preamble

  86. Name one benefit of being citizen of the United States.
    Vote for the candidate of your choice

  87. What is the most important right granted to U.S. citizens?
    The right to vote

  88. What is the United States Capital?
    The place where Congress meets

  89. What is the White House?
    The President's official home

  90. Where is the White House located?
    Washington, D.C. (1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.)

  91. What is the name of the President's official home?
    The White House

  92. Name the right guaranteed by the first amendment.
    Freedom of: speech, press, religion, peaceable assembly, and requesting change of the government.

  93. Who is the Commander in Chief of the U.S. military?
    The President

  94. Which President was the first Commander in Chief of the U.S. military?
    George Washington

  95. In what month do we vote for the President?
    November

  96. In what month is the new President inaugurated?
    January

  97. How many times may a Senator be re-elected?
    There is no limit

  98. How many times may a Congressman be re-elected?
    There is no limit

  99. What are the 2 major political parties in the U.S. today?
    Democratic and Republican

  100. How many states are there in the United States today?
    Fifty (50)



Back to Home Page