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Citizenship Applicants to Face New Civics Test and Tighter Oversight Under USCIS 2025 Reforms

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has formally reinstated a revised version of the naturalization civics test, marking the first step in a multi-phase reform effort aimed at strengthening civic knowledge and reinforcing statutory requirements for American citizenship. On September 18, 2025, USCIS published a final notice confirming the implementation of the updated test. Beginning October 20, 2025, applicants who file Form N-400 will be required to take the new version of the civics test. Those who file before the deadline will continue to take the 2008 version. Key Features of the 2025 Civics Test The revised exam restores the 2020 format, which includes: A bank of 128 civics questions. A 20-question oral test, with applicants needing at least 12 correct answers to pass. A streamlined interview procedure that allows officers to stop once an applicant has passed or failed. The English-language portion of the naturalization test remains unch...