Part 4

The Naturalization Test is critical part of the application process. There are two parts: an English test… and a civics test! These take place during the citizenship interview.

For the civics test, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officer asks the applicant ten questions. It may sound easy, but there are 100 possible questions in the study guide! The applicant must answer six out of the ten questions correctly in order to pass the civics part of the test.

Follow the link and take the 25 question Naturalization Self-Test.

So how many people try to become American citizens each year? And how many succeed? In 2013, 779,929 people became naturalized U.S. citizens… and 83,112 people were denied.

Where do our new citizens come from? Everywhere! Successful applicants in 2013 came from every continent (okay, not Antarctica) and from countries all across the world. The top ten were Mexico, India, the Philippines, the Dominican Republic, China, Cuba, Vietnam, Haiti, Colombia, and El Salvador.

If you’ve always lived in the United States, it might be hard to imagine what it feels like to be a person who just became a citizen. Maybe you’ve never stopped to think about what it means to be an American.

Follow the link and watch the video to find out how some immigrants felt about finally becoming an American. Pay attention to their reasons… you’ll need those for your answer below! (If the video doesn’t appear, scroll down on that page and read the transcript.)