October 27, 2025
Immigration advocates pushed back on the change, voicing concern on the updates creating barriers, labeling the move as the Trump administration making citizenship for immigrants and visa holders more difficult to obtain.
In a new shakeup from the Trump administration, passing the U.S. citizenship test will be twice as hard due to added questions and an uptick in the number of correct answers to pass, KVUE reports.
New changes include added questions to the Naturalization Civics Test, an oral test facilitated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Previously required to answer 6 of 10 questions correctly, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that test takers must now answer 12 of 20 questions correctly. Going into effect for those who filed for naturalization on or after Oct. 20, the agency said the change will “ensure proper assimilation of lawful immigrants into the United States and promote a unified American identity and attachment to the Constitution, laws and founding principles of the United States.”
The citizenship test will end as soon as takers get 12 questions correct or nine questions incorrect. Selected at random, questions come from a new selection of 128, once 100. Topics range from identifying the original 13 colonies and who makes federal laws to Constitution questions and naming federal holidays. Trump administration officials once expressed the view that the test was “too easy” and sought to change it.
And that’s not the only change test takers can prepare for. According to Fast Company, test takers are now required to demonstrate “good moral character,” rather than simply having a clean record being sufficient. Applicants will be asked to provide evidence of “positive contributions to American society,” potentially by having coworkers, neighbors, or family members interviewed by officials.
Immigration advocates pushed back on the change, voicing concern about the updates creating barriers, labeling the move as the Trump administration making citizenship for immigrants and visa holders more challenging to obtain. Partner at Reeves Immigration Law Group, Eric Welsh, labeled the move as an “extremely dangerous and slippery slope” while highlighting that it could heighten the opportunity for “more biased decision-making based on arbitrary factors like race.”
Julie Mitchell, legal director at Los Angeles’ Central American Resource Center, expressed concern about applicants with literacy barriers and limited access to preparation courses. “It’s hard to imagine these changes don’t reduce the number of people who can complete the naturalization process,” Mitchell said.
More than 120 national, state, and local organizations collaborated on a letter with The Citizenship Test Working Group, encouraging a pause on the changes due to the changes posing “significant challenges” for people who want to take the test. “The administration has not presented substantial evidence that the changes are necessary to protect the integrity of the naturalization process, which it cites as a basis for justifying this shift,” the letter reads.
However, immigration law firm Vega & Associates has advice for those facing challenges after finding close to 75% of the 2025 test holds past material and additional questions covering U.S. history and government. The firm advises test takers to focus on understanding concepts rather than memorizing answers verbatim, since some questions may be phrased differently during the exam.
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