The New US Citizenship Test

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has just introduced its redesigned naturalization test. Although there is some mixed reaction to the exam format, USCIS will begin administering the new test today. The redesigned test will pose 10 questions from a list of 100 potential questions. Applicants must correctly answer 6 of these 10 questions in order to pass the exam. For information on other portions of the naturalization process, check out "Pathway to US Citizenship" from the USCIS.

The Office of Citizenship offers a variety of free study guides and materials to assist applicants in preparing for the exam. These materials are available electronically in PDF formats and in print at McHenry library in the Government Publications section under SuDoc number HS 8.2:C 49/2/TOOLKIT.

For some brief background information on immigration and naturalization in the United States, check out the report "Immigration and Naturalization Fundamentals" from the Congressional Research Service (2003).

For the most recent naturalization statistics, check out "Naturalizations in the United States: 2007" and these tables from the Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2007, both from the USCIS. For a more historic perspective on United States naturalization, take a look at "Mapping Trends in Naturalizations: 1980 to 2003" from the Office of Immigration Statistics.

And congress has recently been investigating the delays in the naturalization process. You can take a look at their January 2008 hearing "Naturalization delays: causes, consequences, and solutions."