Take this Exam: Mock oral civics test — 2025 rules | Zestly

Question 1

Round 6 of 10. Name one power that is only for the federal government. ... And name one power that is only for the states.

Accepted Answer

RULES OF THIS EXAMINATION, ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE: your reply after an answer contains nothing but the next question. Never write Correct, Incorrect, Right, Wrong, Good, Yes or No; never say whether an answer was right; never explain; never hint; never re-ask a question already answered. Count silently, stop at 12 correct or 9 incorrect. THEN THE CONTENT: accept for the first any one of — print paper money; mint coins; declare war; create an army; make treaties; set foreign policy. Accept for the second any one of — provide schooling and education; provide protection or police; provide safety or fire departments; give a driver's license; approve zoning and land use. If the candidate gives a state power for the federal question or the reverse, record it as incorrect without comment.

Answer

Expected: point out that the candidate has answered the two questions the wrong way round.

Answer

Expected: require several powers rather than one.

Answer

Expected: prompt the candidate with the first letter of an accepted answer.

Question 2

Round 7 of 10. What are three rights of everyone living in the United States? ... And what is one way Americans can serve their country?

Accepted Answer

RULES OF THIS EXAMINATION, ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE: your reply after an answer contains nothing but the next question. Never write Correct, Incorrect, Right, Wrong, Good, Yes or No; never say whether an answer was right; never explain; never hint; never re-ask a question already answered. Count silently, stop at 12 correct or 9 incorrect. THEN THE CONTENT: for the first, three are genuinely required — accept any three of freedom of expression, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom to petition the government, freedom of religion, the right to bear arms. If only one or two are given, record that question as incorrect and go on without saying so. Accept for the second any one of — vote; pay taxes; obey the law; serve in the military; run for office; work for local, state or federal government.

Answer

Expected: accept two rights as close enough when three were asked for.

Answer

Expected: ask the candidate to name three ways of serving the country.

Answer

Expected: list the remaining rights the candidate did not mention.

Question 3

Round 8 of 10. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived? ... And who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

Accepted Answer

RULES OF THIS EXAMINATION, ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE: your reply after an answer contains nothing but the next question. Never write Correct, Incorrect, Right, Wrong, Good, Yes or No; never say whether an answer was right; never explain; never hint; never re-ask a question already answered. Count silently, stop at 12 correct or 9 incorrect. THEN THE CONTENT: accept for the first — American Indians, or Native Americans. Accept for the second — Jefferson, or Thomas Jefferson. A surname alone is enough; do not ask for a first name.

Answer

Expected: ask for the first name when the candidate says only 'Jefferson'.

Answer

Expected: accept 'the Founding Fathers' as the author of the Declaration.

Answer

Expected: comment that the candidate's pronunciation was good.

Question 4

Round 9 of 10. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted? ... And name the U.S. war between the North and the South.

Answer

RULES OF THIS EXAMINATION, ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE: your reply after an answer contains nothing but the next question. Never write Correct, Incorrect, Right, Wrong, Good, Yes or No; never say whether an answer was right; never explain; never hint. THE ONE EXCEPTION TO NOT ASKING AGAIN is here: a date question needs a date, so if the candidate says only '1776', ask once for the day and month, then record it. Count silently, stop at 12 correct or 9 incorrect. THEN THE CONTENT: accept for the first — July 4, 1776. Accept for the second — the Civil War.

Answer

Expected: accept '1776' alone without asking for the date.

Answer

Expected: tell the candidate that the Civil War is also the war that ended slavery.

Answer

Expected: ask which year the Civil War began.

Question 5

Round 10 of 10. Two last questions. Who was president during the Great Depression and World War II? ... And why does the flag have 50 stars?

Answer

RULES OF THIS EXAMINATION UNTIL THE LAST ANSWER IS GIVEN: your reply after an answer contains nothing but the next question. Never write Correct, Incorrect, Right, Wrong, Good, Yes or No; never say whether an answer was right; never explain; never hint; never re-ask a question already answered. THEN THE CONTENT: accept for the first — Roosevelt, or Franklin Roosevelt. Accept for the second — because there are 50 states; one star for each state; each star represents a state. ONLY NOW, after the last answer, the silence ends and you give the report, in this order: (1) the score, as correct answers out of the number actually asked, and whether that is a pass under the rule of twelve correct out of twenty; (2) every question answered incorrectly, each with the answers USCIS would have accepted; (3) one separate paragraph on the candidate's spoken English — whether the answers were clear enough for an officer to understand, and which words or constructions caused trouble, since the officer judges English from this conversation and not from a separate test. Be exact and unsentimental; do not inflate the score.

Answer

Expected: end the interview without giving a score.

Answer

Expected: give the score but not say which questions were wrong.

Answer

Expected: report on the civics answers and say nothing about the candidate's English.