Why is the Declaration of Independence important? Who elects U.S. senators? What is the capital of your state?
These are some of the questions on the latest version of the U.S. citizenship test. That is an oral exam given to immigrants who are applying to become U.S. citizens.
The test has been around since the early 1900s, but this past fall, the U.S. government rolled out an updated version that is meant to be more challenging. Almost all the geography questions were removed, and the test is now more focused on history and government. Many questions were reworded to require more detailed answers.
In addition, people must correctly answer at least 12 out of 20 questions chosen at random from a list of 128 possible questions. Before, applicants had to answer 6 out of 10 questions correctly from a list of 100.
How well would you do on the test? Answer these questions based on the actual exam to find out. And don’t worry if you’re feeling rusty. The real test has open-ended questions, but we’ve made ours multiple-choice to help you out. Ready, set, go!
—Brooke Ross