The citizenship English test: reading, writing, speaking and the vocabulary you need

Most people preparing for citizenship spend their time on the civics questions, and they are right to: the 2025 civics test has 128 possible questions. The English test gets less attention because it is smaller. But it is a real test, it happens in the same interview, and a few simple habits make it much easier. The good news is that USCIS publishes every word that can appear in the reading and writing sentences, so you can prepare with no surprises.

The English test did not change when the civics test changed in October 2025. Whether you take the 2025 or the 2008 civics test, the English part is the same.

The three parts of the English test

Part	What you do	What you need to pass
Speaking	Answer the officer’s questions about you and your N-400	Show that you understand and can answer in basic English
Reading	Read a sentence aloud	Read 1 of up to 3 sentences correctly
Writing	Write a sentence the officer says aloud	Write 1 of up to 3 sentences correctly

All three happen during your naturalization interview at a USCIS field office. There is no separate appointment and no separate fee: the English and civics tests are part of the interview that your N-400 fee already pays for.

Speaking: the interview itself

There is no speaking exam with a script. The officer decides whether you can speak and understand English from the conversation you have during the interview. That conversation starts the moment you are called: the officer may ask how you are, ask you to stand and raise your right hand, and ask you to promise to tell the truth. Then the officer goes through your Form N-400 with you.

Expect questions like “Where do you live?”, “Where do you work?”, “When did you last travel outside the United States?”, and “Have you ever been arrested?”. Some questions on the N-400 use harder words, such as “Have you ever been a habitual drunkard?” or “Have you ever claimed to be a U.S. citizen?”. You should know what these words mean, because you answer them under oath.

How to prepare for speaking:

• Read your own N-400 aloud, every page, and practise answering each question in a full sentence.
• Learn the meaning of the “Have you ever…” questions near the end of the form, even if all your answers are “no”.
• If you do not understand a question, say so. “Could you repeat that, please?” and “Could you say that another way?” are good English, and officers expect them.
• Practise with a friend who reads the questions at normal speed, not slowly.

The reading test

The officer shows you a sentence, usually on a tablet, and asks you to read it aloud. If you read it correctly, the reading test is over and you have passed. If not, you get a second sentence, and then a third. You only need one.

Reading sentences are often questions, because they are built from the civics vocabulary. Examples of the style (these are our practice sentences, not official test items):

• Who was the first President?
• What is the capital of the United States?
• When is Labor Day?
• Why do people come to America?

Notice how short they are. The challenge is not length. It is reading every important word without stopping for a long time.

The writing test

For writing, the officer reads a sentence aloud and you write it, usually with a stylus on a tablet. Again you have up to three tries and you only need one correct sentence.

Writing sentences are often the answer to a reading question. If you read “Who was the first President?”, you might be asked to write something like:

• Washington was the first President.
• Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States.
• Labor Day is in September.
• People come to America to be free.

Practise writing on a phone or tablet with your finger or a cheap stylus if you can. Writing on glass feels different from writing on paper, and it helps to be used to it.

The official vocabulary words

USCIS publishes a Reading Test Vocabulary List and a Writing Test Vocabulary List. Every word in a test sentence comes from these lists. Each list has fewer than 80 words, grouped by type. Here they are, organised the same way.

Reading vocabulary

Group	Words
People	Abraham Lincoln, George Washington
Civics	American flag, Bill of Rights, capital, citizen, city, Congress, country, Father of Our Country, government, President, right, Senators, state/states, White House
Places	America, United States, U.S.
Holidays	Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving
Question words	How, What, When, Where, Who, Why
Verbs	can, come, do/does, elects, have/has, is/are/was/be, lives/lived, meet, name, pay, vote, want
Other (function)	a, for, here, in, of, on, the, to, we
Other (content)	colors, dollar bill, first, largest, many, most, north, one, people, second, south

Writing vocabulary

Group	Words
People	Adams, Lincoln, Washington
Civics	American Indians, capital, citizens, Civil War, Congress, Father of Our Country, flag, free, freedom of speech, President, right, Senators, state/states, White House
Places	Alaska, California, Canada, Delaware, Mexico, New York City, United States, Washington, Washington, D.C.
Months	February, May, June, July, September, October, November
Holidays	Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving
Verbs	can, come, elect, have/has, is/was/be, lives/lived, meets, pay, vote, want
Other (function)	and, during, for, here, in, of, on, the, to, we
Other (content)	blue, dollar bill, fifty/50, first, largest, most, north, one, one hundred/100, people, red, second, south, taxes, white

Download the official PDFs from the USCIS study page linked in the sources below and check them before your interview. USCIS can update its materials, and the official list always wins.

Notice that the writing list includes months and numbers that the reading list does not. Writing sentences often contain a month (“Memorial Day is in May”) or a number (“The United States has fifty states”). Learn to spell all seven months on the list, and know that you can write a number either as a word or as digits.

How the officer scores you

Officers follow scoring guidelines, and they are more forgiving than many applicants fear. The key idea is meaning: did you read or write the sentence so that its meaning is clear?

Reading: you pass if you read one sentence without long pauses, read all the important words (the “content words”), and keep the meaning. Small pronunciation mistakes and an accent are fine.

Reading: you do not pass if you skip or replace an important word, or pause so long that the meaning is lost.

Writing: you pass if you write one sentence with the same meaning as the one the officer said. A few spelling, grammar or capitalization mistakes are acceptable if they do not change the meaning. You may leave out a small word like “the”.

Writing: you do not pass if you write a different sentence, write only one or two words, write something that cannot be read, or use abbreviations for important words (for example “Pres.” instead of “President”).

The practical lesson: never abbreviate, and always write the whole sentence, even if you are unsure of a word. A misspelled word inside a complete sentence can still pass. A missing word cannot.

A four-week practice plan

1. Week 1: learn the words. Read both vocabulary lists aloud every day. Make flash cards with the word on one side and a short sentence on the other.
2. Week 2: read and write sentences. Each day, read five practice questions aloud, then write their answers. Use the civics questions to make sentences: “Who lives in the White House?” becomes “The President lives in the White House.”
3. Week 3: practise dictation. Ask a friend to read sentences to you at normal speed while you write. Check every word, especially months, “Washington, D.C.” and “freedom of speech”.
4. Week 4: full mock interview. Have someone play the officer: questions about your N-400, then one reading sentence, one writing sentence, and 20 civics questions. Our free practice test handles the civics part.

Studying civics also helps your English. The reading and writing words come from the same topics, so when you learn that Washington is the Father of Our Country, you are also practising words that can appear on the reading test.

Who does not take the English test

Some applicants are exempt from the English test because of age and years as a permanent resident, measured on the date they file:

• 50/20: 50 or older with 20 years as a green card holder.
• 55/15: 55 or older with 15 years as a green card holder.
• 65/20: 65 or older with 20 years as a green card holder. These applicants also get a shorter civics test. See our 65/20 rule guide.

Exempt applicants still take the civics test, but they can take it in their own language with an interpreter. Applicants with a physical or developmental disability or a mental impairment that prevents them from learning English can ask for a medical exception with Form N-648, completed by a licensed medical professional.

If you do not pass

Failing the English test at your first interview does not end your case. USCIS gives you a second chance, usually 60 to 90 days later, and you retake only the part you failed. If you passed civics, you do not take civics again. If you fail the same part a second time, USCIS denies the application. Read more in our guide to what happens if you fail the citizenship test.

The English test rewards steady practice more than talent. Fifteen minutes a day with the two word lists, a friend to dictate, and your own N-400 read aloud is enough for most people to walk in confident.