Studying for US citizenship is exciting but nerve-racking. You only have two chances to pass before risking citizenship denial, so learn how to study well here.
Moving to a new country to start a new life is exciting but scary. If you’ve come to love your new country and want to become a citizen, then you can. However, people hoping to become US citizens face interviews and tests before they can call themselves a citizen.
You only get two chances to pass your English and civics test for US citizenship, and failing the test twice is one of the common reasons US citizenship is denied. The following study tips for passing the US citizenship test can help you perform well on this test and work toward calling the US your permanent home.
Study Subjects Separately
The US citizenship test has two main categories: English and civics. Within civics, questions can come from five subject areas: government, history, geography, symbols, and holidays. Memorizing these different subjects is important. Your civics test will feature 10 questions; you must answer six correctly to pass. They are fill-in-the-blank answers, so you must remember the subject material well.
While you can study all the civics subjects together, studying them separately is better. Studying them separately will help you remember each subject better.
Take Multiple Practice Tests
The US government provides practice tests online so you can test your English and civics knowledge. Since there is no limit to how many times you can take this practice test, you should take it as many times as you need. Multiple attempts will help you realize which areas you are knowledgeable in and which you need to study harder.
While this test is helpful, the civics portion is multiple choice. Remember—your real civics test is not multiple choice, so don’t get comfortable with this format. If possible, have someone else ask you questions so you can recite or write down a fill-in-the-blank type of answer.
Practice Reading Out Loud
Reading is part of the English portion of your citizenship test. The officer administering the test will ask you to read several sentences aloud. You will need to read at least one out of three correctly to pass.
Reading out loud causes many people to falter. They feel comfortable silently reading to themselves, but they make mistakes when reading aloud. Therefore, practice reading aloud from books, menus, signs, or any other written words you see to prepare for your test.
Practice Your Writing and Penmanship
Another section of the English portion of the exam is writing. The administrating officer will instruct you to write several sentences in English. Similar to the reading portion, you must write at least one sentence out of three correctly to pass.
If you’re familiar with writing a different alphabet, such as logographic for Mandarin or abjad for Arabic, make sure to practice your writing and penmanship. You don’t want cluttered or disorganized letters to potentially cost you your citizenship. Passing the US citizenship test is difficult but certainly not impossible. The study tips above can help you prepare and pass the test. Remember, if you fail the first test, you can take another one within 90 days. If you pass the second test, you still have a strong chance of gaining US citizenship.