The test immigrants are required to take to become U.S. citizens is getting an update.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services — or USCIS — released a draft version of the plan this week on the Federal Register.
The plan says the new citizenship test will more closely resemble a version that was drafted in 2020, which the agency says was digitally piloted and edited based on feedback.
Under the current system, which has been in place since 2008, immigrants study a list of 100 possible questions that may appear on the 10-question test. Under the new directive, the test will now be 20 questions selected from a list of 128.
The agency says the change impacts anyone who submits applications for citizenship 30 days from now or longer will take the new test. The agency says applicants who are over the age of 65 and have lived in the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident will be administered a 10-question test, though it could contain questions from both the 2008 and 2025 versions.
The update comes as USCIS announces changes to the broader citizenship process — including further restrictions on exemptions to English and civics requirements, along with more intensive assessments of a person’s good moral character.
