What if you fail the civics test?
Answer
You can retake it
Explanation
Applicants who fail the civics portion of the naturalization test at their first interview are given one additional opportunity to retake the test under 8 CFR section 312.5(a). USCIS schedules a re-examination interview between 60 and 90 days after the original interview, at the same field office. At the re-examination, the applicant retakes only the civics portion (or the portion of the English test that was failed if multiple parts were failed). There is no additional fee for the re-examination; the original Form N-400 filing fee covers both the initial interview and one re-examination.
The applicant should use the 60-to-90-day interval to study more thoroughly: review the USCIS official 100-question civics study guide (or the 128-question 2025 study guide if applicable), use the free practice tests at uscis.gov/citizenship, attend free citizenship classes offered by community organizations and public libraries, and practice answering questions verbally rather than just reading them. Most applicants who fail the civics portion at the first interview pass on the re-examination; USCIS publishes annual statistics showing first-time pass rates near 90 percent and re-examination pass rates well above that.
If the applicant fails the civics portion at the re-examination as well, USCIS denies the application under section 312 of the Immigration and Nationality Act for failure to demonstrate the required civics knowledge. After denial, the applicant has three options. First, the applicant may file Form N-336 (Request for a Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings) within 30 days of the denial, paying a fee of $830 under the April 2024 fee schedule, to request a hearing before a different USCIS officer. Second, the applicant may file a new Form N-400 application after additional preparation, paying a new filing fee. Third, if the N-336 hearing is also denied, the applicant may file a petition for de novo review in U.S. district court under 8 U.S.C. section 1421(c).
Most denied applicants choose to file a new N-400 after additional study, which is typically the simplest pathway. Applicants should review the failure notice carefully to identify which questions were missed and focus future study on those topics.
Why this matters for your test
Failing the civics test is not the end of the road. Knowing about the 60-to-90-day re-examination, and the appeal and re-application options after a second failure, helps applicants understand that one bad day can be recovered from. Most applicants who fail the first time pass on the second attempt with focused study.
Source: USCIS Application Guide (2025)
