U.S. Citizenship Interview & N-400 Guide
Last verified against uscis.gov on August 26, 2026.
A plain-language overview of what happens between filing your naturalization application and passing the civics test — updated for 2026 filings.
What is Form N-400?
Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, is the form eligible permanent residents (green card holders) file with USCIS to apply for U.S. citizenship. Your N-400 filing date is what decides which civics test bank you’ll be tested on: file on or after October 20, 2025 and you get the 2025 test; file before that date and you get the 2008 test.
What happens at the naturalization interview?
A USCIS officer reviews your N-400 answers under oath, tests your English reading, writing, and speaking ability (unless you qualify for an exemption), and then asks civics questions until you either reach the required number of correct answers or run out of chances. The civics portion is the part most applicants study for in advance, since the question bank is published in full by USCIS.
Who is exempt from the English test?
Applicants who are 50+ years old and have lived in the U.S. as a permanent resident for 20+ years (the “50/20” exception), or 55+ with 15+ years (“55/15”), can take the civics test in their native language. A separate “65/20” provision (65+ years old, 20+ years as a permanent resident) reduces the civics test to a shorter list of easier questions, marked on this site. See the full exemptions breakdown for details and the complete 65/20 question list.
How to prepare
- Confirm which test version applies to you based on your N-400 filing date.
- Work through the full question bank at least once before timing yourself with a practice quiz.
- Re-review the questions you keep missing using the spaced-repetition review queue.
This guide is for general information only and is not legal advice. For official guidance, see USCIS’s N-400 page.