U.S. restores stricter citizenship test and expands vetting in immigration overhaul

The U.S. government is reinstating the 2020 citizenship civics test, reversing the Biden administration’s rollback of stricter requirements.

Applicants for U.S. citizenship will be required to study 128 questions about American history and politics and correctly answer 12 out of 20 during the oral test.

The big picture: The previous test, dating back to 2008, required studying 100 questions with a passing score of 6 out of 10 questions answered correctly. • The civics test is oral, with no multiple-choice format, and most questions have multiple acceptable answers. • Those who fail the test get a second chance; failure on the second attempt results in denial of citizenship. • Applicants aged 65 or older who have been permanent residents for at least 20 years need only study 20 ques