Can you pass a U.S. citizenship test? Take our civics quiz.

(Illustration by Alina Spatz/The Washington Post; iStock; National Archives)

July 3, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.

While the Fourth of July conjures up images of fireworks and parades, barbecues and bonfires, the United States has another Independence Day tradition: naturalizing new citizens.

An estimated 11,000 people will celebrate the holiday this year by officially becoming American citizens, double the number from 2023. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services organized 195 naturalization ceremonies around the globe between June 28 and July 5 in honor of Independence Day. A handful of the ceremonies will take place at historical landmarks, meaning some will swear their oath of allegiance at George Washington’s Mount Vernon or Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello on July 4.

Before partaking in the ceremonies, all aspiring U.S. citizens must pass a two-part test. The first part requires test takers to demonstrate an understanding of English. The second part is an oral exam of 10 civics questions chosen from a list of 100.

The Washington Post set up 10 multiple choice questions based on the list of 100 questions USCIS provides as study material to help readers gauge how they would perform. Test takers must answer six questions correctly to pass. Can you?

(U.S. National Archives)

Question 1 of 10

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

The Republican side of the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

Question 2 of 10

How many voting members does the U.S. House of Representatives have?

Cyclists with a U.S. flag ride by the White House. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

Question 3 of 10

What is one responsibility that is only for U.S. citizens?

Susan B. Anthony. (Photographer: MPI/Getty Images)

Question 4 of 10

What did Susan B. Anthony do?

Demonstrators head toward the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington in 1963. (The Washington Star)

Question 5 of 10

What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?

Parade participants hold up an oversized American flag. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

Question 6 of 10

Why does the American flag have 13 stripes?

The original Emancipation Proclamation on display in the Rotunda of the National Archives in Washington. (Evan Vucci/AP)

Question 7 of 10

What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

The Constitution. (National Archives)

Question 8 of 10

When was the Constitution written?

The Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4, 1776. (AP)

Question 9 of 10

What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?

One of the longest rivers in the United States. (Rory Doyle for The Washington Post)

Question 10 of 10

Which two U.S. rivers are the longest?

Jamie Stockwell contributed to this report.

About this story

Editing by Tara McCarty. Design and development by Christian Font. Illustration by Alina Spatz. Photo editing by Mark Miller.

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