What Happens If You Fail the USCIS Civics Test

Failing the USCIS civics test at your naturalization interview does not result in an immediate denial. USCIS generally gives an applicant two opportunities to meet the English and civics requirements: the initial examination and a reexamination of the failed portion.

The Pass Threshold

The Form N-400 filing date selects the test. For an N-400 filed before October 20, 2025, the 2008 test uses a 100-question bank: the officer asks up to 10 questions, and 6 correct answers are required to pass. The test ends unsuccessfully at 5 incorrect answers. For an N-400 filed on or after October 20, 2025, the 2025 test uses a 128-question bank: the officer asks up to 20 questions, 12 correct answers are required to pass, and the test ends unsuccessfully at 9 incorrect answers.

An applicant who is at least 65 years old and has been a lawful permanent resident for at least 20 years at the time of filing receives 65/20 special consideration. The officer asks up to 10 questions from a version-specific list of 20, and 6 correct answers are required. The designated 20 questions are not the same in the 2008 and 2025 test materials, so use the version selected by the N-400 filing date.

What Happens Right After You Fail

The officer will note the failure in your file and end the civics portion of the interview. If you also passed the English reading and writing portions, those results stand. You do not have to retake anything you already passed.

You will receive a written notice in the mail scheduling your retest date. USCIS typically schedules retests 60 to 90 days after the initial interview, though the exact timing depends on your field office's schedule.

The Retest

Your retest covers only the component you failed. If you passed the English test but failed civics, the retest is civics only. The retest uses the same applicable test format: up to 10 questions with 6 correct required under the 2008 test, or up to 20 questions with 12 correct required under the 2025 test.

The questions at the retest are not necessarily the same ones from your first interview. The officer draws from the full applicable question bank, so study all 100 questions for the 2008 test or all 128 questions for the 2025 test, unless the 65/20 special consideration applies. Do not study only the questions missed the first time.

If You Fail the Retest

If you fail the civics test a second time, USCIS will mail you a written denial of your naturalization application. At that point, you have two options.

Your first option is to request an administrative hearing by filing Form N-336 (Request for a Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings). USCIS generally must receive Form N-336 within 30 calendar days after service of the denial; USCIS instructions add 3 calendar days when the decision was mailed. At the hearing, an officer other than the officer who made the original decision reviews the case.

Your second option is to refile Form N-400. Refiling starts the process from the beginning, including a new filing fee and a new adjudication process. USCIS may reuse biometrics rather than schedule a new appointment. Refiling gives the applicant more time to study and prepare.

Civics vs. English Test Failures

The same retest policy applies if you fail the English reading or writing portion instead of, or in addition to, civics. Each component is tracked separately. You only retest what you failed.

How to Prepare Before Your Retest

The time between your first interview and your retest is the most important study window you have. Do not wait until the week before. Start reviewing the full question bank for the test version selected by the N-400 filing date immediately after the first interview. Use spaced repetition: review questions daily rather than in one long session the night before.

Common reasons people fail the civics test include confusing numbers (the number of senators, representatives, or amendments), not knowing the answers to "current official" questions like the President or Speaker of the House, and mixing up similar concepts. Focus your study time on the categories where you know you struggled.

Practice answering questions out loud, not just in your head. At the interview, you must give a verbal answer. Reading silently and saying the answer aloud engage different memory pathways, and practicing verbally better simulates the real interview environment.