In early September 2025, Joseph Edlow—Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) under the Trump administration—announced his intention to reform the U.S. Citizenship Test, arguing that the current version is “too easy.”
Under the current format, applicants must correctly answer at least 6 out of 10 questions drawn from a pool of 100. According to Edlow, this standard does not adequately assess true civic knowledge or English proficiency. Examples of current questions include: “Who is in charge of the executive branch?”, “How many voting members are in the House of Representatives?”, and “Name three of the 13 original states.”
At a recent event hosted by the conservative think tank Center for Immigration Studies, Edlow warned that coaches might help applicants pass the U.S. Citizenship Test even if they potentially lack genuine eligibility. He emphasized the need for a test that is “challenging” and reflects a candidate’s “commitment to the Constitution,” civic responsibility, and demonstrated English reading, speaking, and writing skills.
To address these alleged shortcomings, USCIS is exploring significant revisions. Proposed changes include introducing a writing component, where applicants explain in their own words what becoming a U.S. citizen means to them, along with more standardized assessment formats.
Critics argue that these proposals are less about improving civic knowledge and more about creating new obstacles for aspiring citizens. The inclusion of a written essay, for example, introduces the potential for subjective grading, which could be influenced by political or cultural biases rather than objectively assessing knowledge. Rather than making the process more “challenging,” these changes could create unnecessary barriers for applicants whose English is functional but not academic.
Whether these changes to the U.S. Citizenship Test will succeed or face legal and political challenges remains to be seen.
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