In October 2008 a new version of the U.S. citizenship test will be taken by all applicants. Could you pass it? The questions are usually selected from a list of 100 samples that prospective citizens can look at ahead of the interview. Some are easy, some are not. We have picked some of the more difficult ones.
NOTES: Candidates are not given multiple choices in the naturalization interview. The following questions have been adapted from the immigration service’s sample questions. |
|
| 1. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? | |
|
|
|
| | George Washington | |
|
| | Thomas Jefferson | |
|
| | James Madison | |
|
| | John Hancock | |
|
| 2. When was the Constitution written? | |
|
|
|
| | 1774 | |
|
| | 1776 | |
|
| | 1787 | |
|
| | 1865 | |
|
| 3. What are the first words of the Constitution? | |
|
|
|
| | When, in the course of human events | |
|
| | In order to form a more perfect Union | |
|
| | To whom it may concern | |
|
| | We the People | |
|
| 4. What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution? | |
|
|
|
| | The Preamble | |
|
| | The Bill of Rights | |
|
| | The Statute of Liberty | |
|
| | Declaration of Independence | |
|
| 5. Which of the following is NOT a right outlined in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence? | |
|
|
|
| | Life | |
|
| | Liberty | |
|
| | Right to bear arms | |
|
| | Pursuit of Happiness | |
|
| 6. Which one of these is a right guaranteed by the First Amendment? | |
|
|
|
| | Freedom of the press | |
|
| | Right to trial by jury | |
|
| | Right to bear arms | |
|
| | Right to happiness | |
|
| 7. How many amendments does the Constitution have? | |
|
|
|
| | 10 | |
|
| | 17 | |
|
| | 23 | |
|
| | 27 | |
|
| 8. Why does the United States flag have 13 stripes? | |
|
|
|
| | One for each state in the Union | |
|
| | The number of seats in the Cabinet | |
|
| | They represent the 13 original colonies | |
|
| | One for each article of the Constitution | |
|
| 9. Which of these was NOT among the original states? | |
|
|
|
| | New Hampshire | |
|
| | New York | |
|
| | Delaware | |
|
| | Maine | |
|
| 10. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803? | |
|
|
|
| | Louisiana | |
|
| | Vermont | |
|
| | Alaska | |
|
| | Maine | |
|
| 11. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. Which of the following is NOT a federal power? | |
|
|
|
| | To declare war | |
|
| | To print money | |
|
| | To declare treaties | |
|
| | To provide education | |
|
| 12. Which of the following is NOT one of the three branches of the government? | |
|
|
|
| | Federal | |
|
| | Judicial | |
|
| | Executive | |
|
| | Legislative | |
|
| 13. The House of Representatives has how many voting members? | |
|
|
|
| | 100 | |
|
| | 365 | |
|
| | 435 | |
|
| | 646 | |
|
| 14. We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years? | |
|
|
|
| | 2 | |
|
| | 4 | |
|
| | 6 | |
|
| | 8 | |
|
| 15. In what month do we vote for President? | |
|
|
|
| | January | |
|
| | February | |
|
| | September | |
|
| | November | |
|
| 16. If both the President and Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President? | |
|
|
|
| | Secretary of State | |
|
| | Secretary of Defense | |
|
| | The Speaker of the House | |
|
| | President Pro Tempore of the Senate | |
|
| 17. Who was president during World War I? | |
|
|
|
| | Theodore Roosevelt | |
|
| | Warrant G. Harding | |
|
| | Franklin Roosevelt | |
|
| | Woodrow Wilson | |
|
| 18. How many justices are there on the U.S. Supreme Court? | |
|
|
|
| | 3 | |
|
| | 5 | |
|
| | 7 | |
|
| | 9 | |
|
| 19. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States?
| |
|
|
|
| | John Paul Stevens | |
|
| | John G. Roberts, Jr | |
|
| | Antonin Scalia | |
|
| | Samuel Alito | |
|
| 20. What did Susan B. Anthony do?
| |
|
|
|
| | Hid John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of Abraham Lincoln | |
|
| | Designed and made the original U.S. flag | |
|
| | Designed the original U.S. currency | |
|
| | Fought for women’s rights | |
|
|