Study Tips For US Citizenship Test

Many people dream of becoming a US citizen. Some people are lucky enough to acquire US citizenship at birth. Some people acquire their citizenship by pledging their allegiance to the United States. Are you among the many people who are preparing for the US citizenship test? You might be feeling mixed emotions of excitement and being nervous. What are the things that you should do to make sure that you will pass the test? Here are some study tips for the US citizenship test:

4 Categories

There are 4 categories that the test will cover that you have to be aware of. Being aware about these 4 areas will help you prepare in advance.

  • Civics

This will measure your knowledge about American history and its constitution. You will be asked 10 questions in which you must get at least 6 correct answers.

  • Reading

You will demonstrate your ability to read and understand English. You will be asked to read 3 sentences and you must correctly read 1.

  • Writing

This will determine your ability to write an English sentence. You will be asked to write 3 sentences in which you must write at least 1 correct sentence.

  • Speaking

Your speaking skills will be assessed during the interview process with a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services officer.

Be Aware Of The Requirements

You must be aware and possess the requirements that are needed for your eligibility to apply for US citizenship.

  • You should have physical presence in the United States.
  • You should have continuous residence in the U.S.
  • You should be at least 18 years old and a lawful permanent resident.
  • You should possess knowledge in U.S. Civics and English.
  • You should have residency within the authority of a USCIS office based on the address you have given.
  • You should have an attachment to the U.S. Constitution.
  • You should possess good moral character.

Claim To U.S. Citizenship

You have the right to file a claim for U.S. Citizenship when you have parents who are U.S. citizens by birth or by naturalization. You should fill out and submit an NS-600 form.

Application To Naturalization

As a first step to your application, you will be required to fill up the N-400 form which is the Application for Naturalization. It is highly recommended that you keep a copy of this form. You will be able to use this to study your answers on the form. Once you submit the N-400 form, you will get a receipt notice and a follow up appointment notice.

Study For The U.S. Civics Lesson

You have to be prepared and study the U.S. civics lesson. It will help you study if you could acquire the booklet titled “Learn about the United States Quick Civics Lesson” which you can download for free or get at any USCIS support center.

Appointment Interview

You will be receiving your appointment interview with the details of when, where and what time your interview will take place. You will also be notified of the general documents that you will need at the interview. It is best that you arrive 15 minutes earlier with a copy of your interview notice. Along with the copy of your interview notice, you should bring your permanent resident card, ID that`s issued by the state and your expired and valid passports. You should also bring an additional document about you marital status like:

  • Certificates of your marriage, divorce, annulment or death certificate of your late spouse
  • Change name court decree certificate
  • Marital history of your spouse
  • If you are a man aged 18 to 31, you should bring a copy of your registration on selective service
  • If you have a prior arrest, you should bring a certified or original copy of the criminal case court decree

At The Interview

Once you enter the security check, you will be asked for your appointment notice and the security will direct you to customer service. The customer service rep will then ask you to wait until your name is called to start the interview. At the interview, you will be asked for the documents they required you to bring. If you were not able to understand the question, feel free to ask the interviewer to repeat or explain further. After your interview, you will be notified if you passed the USCIS interview and your interviewer will recommend you for approval. After your N-400 form got the approval, you will then be notified when your oath taking will take place. There are cases that you will be asked to join the oath taking after the interview.

Once you have undertaken your oath of allegiance, a USCIS officer will take your lawful permanent resident card and you will be given your naturalization certificate. You are now officially a U.S. citizen and now have all the responsibilities and the rights that comes along with this wonderful privilege.