2008 civics test — the 20 questions for applicants 65 and older

If you were 65 or older when you filed Form N-400, and by then you had lived in the United States as a permanent resident for at least 20 years, you can use the 65/20 special consideration for the civics test. If you filed before October 20, 2025, you take the 2008 version of the test, and you only need to study 20 of its 100 questions: the ones marked with an asterisk on the 2008 list. The officer asks 10 of those 20, and you pass with 6 correct answers.

This material covers all 20 of them: Q6, Q11, Q13, Q17, Q20, Q27, Q28, Q44, Q45, Q49, Q54, Q56, Q70, Q75, Q78, Q85, Q94, Q95, Q97 and Q99. The quiz has one question for each, in simple language, followed by two short questions on how the 65/20 test works and who can use it. Wrong options are clearly wrong, and the explanation after each question lists every answer the 2008 list accepts, so you can choose the one that is easiest for you to remember.

Three of the 20 do not have one fixed answer. Q20 asks for one of your state's U.S. Senators, Q44 for the capital of your state, and Q28 for the name of the President now. For Q20 and Q44 you need your own state's answer: check senate.gov for your senators, and learn your state's capital, which is often not its largest city. If you live in Washington, D.C. or a U.S. territory, the 2008 list gives special answers, and the cards show them. For Q28 the material gives the name uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates listed in September 2026. The officer accepts only the person in office on the day of your interview, so check that page again shortly before you go.

The flashcards show each of the 20 questions in the wording of the 2008 list on the front and all of its accepted answers on the back, plus two cards on the 65/20 rules. Try to say the answer out loud before you turn a card: on test day the officer asks the questions aloud and you answer aloud, which a quiz on a screen cannot fully rehearse.

If you filed on or after October 20, 2025, you take the 2025 test, which has its own list of questions for 65/20 applicants, covered elsewhere in this track.

• Answer all 20 asterisked questions of the 2008 civics test
• Know the 65/20 rules for the 2008 test: 10 of the 20 questions asked, 6 correct to pass, age and residence counted at filing
• Prepare your own answers for Q20 (your senator) and Q44 (your state capital), and check Q28 before the interview
• Choose one easy accepted answer for each question with several answers

Practice material written by Zestly, based on the USCIS 2008 civics question list (rev. 01/19), the USCIS Policy Manual (Volume 12, Part E, Chapter 2) and uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates as checked in September 2026.