Do applicants over 65 have to take the English test?

If you are 65 or older and have had a green card for at least 20 years on the date you file Form N-400, you are exempt from the English test. If you have had it for less than 20 years, you may qualify for 55/15 (age 55, 15 years) or 50/20. If you don't qualify for any of them, under the general rule you still take the English test, unless you get a medical exception with Form N-648.

How many questions do 65/20 applicants need to study?

The 20 questions marked with a star (★) in the 128-question set (2025 test). The officer asks 10, and you need 6 correct, according to USCIS document M-1778.

Can 65/20 applicants take the test in Vietnamese?

Yes. According to USCIS, applicants who qualify for 65/20, 55/15 or 50/20 can take the civics test in the language of their choice with an interpreter.

On what date are age and years with a green card counted?

On the date you file Form N-400, according to the USCIS Policy Manual. Turning 65 after you file does not make that application eligible for 65/20.

I filed before October 20, 2025. Which 20 questions do I study?

You study the 2008 test's 65/20 set, available on uscis.gov. It is different from the 20 starred questions on the 2025 test.

When is Form N-648 used?

Form N-648 is used when you cannot meet the English requirement, the civics requirement, or both because of a medical disability. A licensed medical professional completes Form N-648, and you file it with your Form N-400. USCIS reviews it and decides.

You get two chances. You retake the part you failed 60–90 days after your first interview. If you fail a second time, your application is denied.

The U.S. Citizenship Test for Applicants 65 and Older: English Exemption and the 20 Questions

If you are 65 or older and have had a green card for at least 20 years (counted on the date you file Form N-400), you qualify for 65/20: you are exempt from the English test, you can take the civics test in the language of your choice (Vietnamese, for example) with an interpreter, and you only need to study 20 special questions. On the 2025 test, the officer asks 10 of those 20 questions and you need 6 correct. If you are over 65 but have had your green card for less than 20 years, you don't qualify for 65/20, but you may qualify for 50/20 or 55/15.

This article explains each exemption according to USCIS guidance, lists the 20 questions for 65/20 on the 2025 test, and suggests how older applicants can study.

Which English exemptions are there?

According to the USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 12, Part E, Chapter 2 (checked October 15, 2026), there are three exemptions based on age and years as a permanent resident. Both are counted on the date you file Form N-400, not the date of your interview.

Exemption	Age at filing	Years with a green card	English test	Civics test
50/20	50 or older	At least 20	Exempt	Full test, in the language of your choice
55/15	55 or older	At least 15	Exempt	Full test, in the language of your choice
65/20	65 or older	At least 20	Exempt	Special 20-question set, in the language of your choice

The "full test" is the 128-question test if you filed on or after October 20, 2025, or the 100-question 2008 test if you filed before that date. See the whole process in U.S. Citizenship Test 2026: Every Step from Form N-400 to the Oath Ceremony.

An example to illustrate the rule (not an assessment of your case): a 67-year-old who has had a green card for 12 years does not fit any of the exemptions above, so under the general rule they take the English test and the civics test in English, unless they qualify for a medical exception (Form N-648, see below).

What does the 65/20 test involve?

According to the USCIS 128 Civics Questions, M-1778 (09/25) and the Policy Manual:

No English reading, writing or speaking test.
The civics test in the language of your choice, with an interpreter.
2025 test (filed on or after October 20, 2025): the officer asks 10 of the 20 questions marked with a star (★), and you need 6 correct (60%).
2008 test (filed before October 20, 2025): still 10 questions from the 2008 test's own 20-question set, with 6 correct needed. That set is different from the 2025 set; see the 2008 65/20 list on uscis.gov.
The Policy Manual says an answer counts as correct if you give the right answer or the same meaning in other words.

You still have to answer questions about your Form N-400 at the interview, through the interpreter. That includes the Yes/No questions in Part 9 of the form; see N-400 Yes/No Questions: What Each One Asks.

The 20 questions for 65/20 on the 2025 test

This list comes from the USCIS M-1778 (09/25) document. The answers shown are the official answers.

1. What is the supreme law of the land? (question 2)
Answer: (U.S.) Constitution

2. How many amendments does the U.S. Constitution have? (question 7)
Answer: Twenty-seven (27)

3. What is the economic system of the United States? (question 12)
Answer: Capitalism · Free market economy

4. Name one power of the U.S. Congress. (question 20)
Answer: Writes laws · Declares war · Makes the federal budget

5. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now? (question 30)
Answer: the person in office on the day of your interview. uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates (updated September 18, 2025) lists Mike Johnson.

6. The President of the United States is elected for how many years? (question 36)
Answer: Four (4) years

7. What is the name of the President of the United States now? (question 38)
Answer: the person in office on the day of your interview. The test updates page (updated September 18, 2025) lists Donald J. Trump.

8. What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now? (question 39)
Answer: the person in office on the day of your interview. The test updates page (updated September 18, 2025) lists JD Vance.

9. Who vetoes bills? (question 44)
Answer: The President

10. What is the highest court in the United States? (question 52)
Answer: Supreme Court

11. Who is the governor of your state now? (question 61)
Answer: depends on the state you live in. Residents of D.C. answer that D.C. does not have a governor.

12. What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance? (question 66)
Answer: The United States · The flag

13. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived? (question 74)
Answer: American Indians · Native Americans

14. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? (question 78)
Answer: (Thomas) Jefferson

15. George Washington is famous for many things. Name one. (question 86)
Answer: "Father of Our Country" · First president of the United States · General of the Continental Army · President of the Constitutional Convention

16. Abraham Lincoln is famous for many things. Name one. (question 94)
Answer: Freed the slaves · Saved (or preserved) the Union · Led the United States during the Civil War · 16th president of the United States · Delivered the Gettysburg Address

17. Martin Luther King, Jr. is famous for many things. Name one. (question 113)
Answer: Fought for civil rights · Worked for equality for all Americans

18. What major event happened on September 11, 2001 in the United States? (question 115)
Answer: Terrorists attacked the United States

19. Why does the flag have 13 stripes? (question 121)
Answer: (Because there were) 13 original colonies · (Because the stripes) represent the original colonies

20. Name three national U.S. holidays. (question 126)
Answer (any three): New Year's Day · Martin Luther King, Jr. Day · Presidents Day · Memorial Day · Juneteenth · Independence Day · Labor Day · Columbus Day · Veterans Day · Thanksgiving Day · Christmas Day

The number in parentheses is the question's number in the 128-question set. The full list is in The 128 Civics Questions (2025 Test) and How to Study Them.

Medical exception: Form N-648

According to the USCIS Policy Manual, applicants who cannot meet the English requirement, the civics requirement, or both because of a medical disability can be exempted. A licensed medical professional completes Form N-648 (Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions), and the applicant answers "Yes" in Part 2, item 11 of Form N-400 (per the N-400 instructions, edition 01/20/25). Whether you qualify is decided by the medical professional and USCIS, not by age.

How should older applicants study?

Confirm your exemption using your N-400 filing date: your age and years with a green card on that date.
Learn 2–3 questions a day, reviewing old ones before new ones. For 65/20, the 20 questions can be learned in a few weeks.
Listen to the questions many times. Even if you test in your own language through an interpreter, knowing the questions helps you stay calm.
Write down the names of your governor, the President, the Vice President and the Speaker of the House, and check them again on uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates close to your interview date.
Go over your own Form N-400 with a family member, because the officer will ask about it.
Do a mock interview with a family member playing the officer.

N400 Ready is Manna One Solution's free app, in English and Vietnamese, that works on your phone and helps you review the civics questions and take practice tests. The official answers are still the list on uscis.gov.

Many older applicants worry about how hard the test is. See the USCIS figures in Is the U.S. Citizenship Test Hard?: in fiscal year 2022, 65/20 applicants passed civics on the first try at a rate of 91.2%.

Fees for applicants with low income

Many older applicants live on a fixed income. According to the USCIS N-400 page (checked October 15, 2026), the fee is $710 online or $760 on paper; you can request a reduced fee of $380 if household income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty guidelines, or a fee waiver with Form I-912. Details are in What Is Form N-400? Eligibility, Fees and the Parts of the Form.

Need someone to prepare your application?

If you would like someone to prepare Form N-400 for you, Manna One Solution's immigration document preparation service works online with clients across the U.S., in English or Vietnamese. Manna One Solution is not a law firm and does not give legal advice; some states require non-attorney immigration document preparers to register with the state, so we confirm the state you live in before taking your case. Questions about whether you qualify for an exemption should go to a licensed immigration attorney.

Sources

USCIS Policy Manual — Vol. 12, Part E, Ch. 2: English and Civics Testing (checked October 15, 2026)
USCIS — 128 Civics Questions and Answers (2025 version), M-1778 (09/25) (checked October 15, 2026)
USCIS — Civics Questions for the 65/20 Exemption (2008 test) (checked October 15, 2026)
USCIS — Civics Test Updates (page updated September 18, 2025; checked October 15, 2026)
USCIS — N-400 Instructions (edition 01/20/25) (checked October 15, 2026)
USCIS — N-400, Application for Naturalization (checked October 15, 2026)
USCIS — Naturalization Test Performance (checked October 15, 2026)

We prepare USCIS forms online for clients across the U.S. Manna One Solution is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. Some states require non-attorney immigration document preparers to register with the state, so we confirm your state before taking your case.