Biden Administration Goes Back to Simpler Version of Citizenship Test
By executive order, President Biden has made a change to the civics test required of citizenship applicants. The Trump administration had previously changed the test to include 128 possible questions, an increase from the 100 possible questions in the 2008 version of the test. President Biden is switching back to the version released in 2008. Changes in the questions’ content will be made, but specifics have not been released. According to the New York Post, there are questions in both versions about “the roles of various federal offices, such as senators and representatives, and about founding documents. Acceptable correct answers are provided in study guides.” One of the questions that was taken out is, “The words ‘Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness’ are in what founding document?” according to the New York Post. There is only one answer, which is the Declaration of Independence. According to Fox News, this was done after concerns of "limited time for study and preparation of training materials and resources."
The website for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has study materials available for both the 2008 and 2020 versions. Both versions of the test require 60 percent to pass. These are both oral examinations where a USCIS officer asks an applicant various questions. In the 2008 version of the test, the applicant is asked 10 questions from a list of 100 possible questions. In the 2020 version of the test, the applicant would be asked 20 questions from a list of 128 possible questions.
Applicants who filed for naturalization before December 1, 2020, and on or after March 1, 2021, will receive the 2008 version of the test. A person who filed between these dates has the option to take the 2008 or the 2020 version of the exam. According to a memo that the USCIS released, "This is because such applicants may have already been studying for the 2020 civics test. USCIS will provide notices to such applicants affected by the policy update." According to Fox News, the USCIS will also “administer the 2008 civics test to all applicants whose initial exam/interview is scheduled on or after April 19.”
The USCIS said in its memo that it got "approximately 2,500 comments from the public regarding the 2020 civics test and the policy." According to the Policy Alert, “Multiple commenters noted that there was little advance notice before implementation of the 2020 civics test, which raised concerns about limited time for study and preparation of training materials and resources. Due to the comments and in keeping with the Executive Order on Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans, USCIS will revert to the 2008 test."
The changes to the citizenship test were part of an update process and test review that takes place every 10 years.
The USCIS released a memo about reverting to the 2008 test. In this memo, it says, "U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual regarding the educational requirements for naturalization to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the history, and of the principles and form of government, of the United States (civics) under section 312 of the Immigration and Nationality Act," the memo read. It also says that "Applicants have two opportunities to pass the related English and civics tests." Along with the civics test, applicants must also pass a test to show that they have a basic understanding of the English language.
