Practice for the U.S. naturalization civics test

Grade 8 Social Studies Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Principles and promises (cards A to D). Card A, from the Declaration of Independence (National Archives transcription), "The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America", 1776: "a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation." "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed". Question 75 on the 2025 USCIS list, "What group of people was taken and sold as slaves?", has the answers "Africans" and "People from Africa". Card B, the 14th Amendment, Section 1 (ratified July 9, 1868; National Archives): "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." USCIS question 68 asks how people can become citizens; one answer is "Be born in the United States, under the conditions set by the 14th Amendment". Card C, from USCIS. The Oath of Allegiance reads in part: "I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty", "that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic", "that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law". A USCIS history page (summary in our words): applicants have taken an oath to support the Constitution since the first naturalization law in 1790; an official standard text first appeared in the regulations in 1929; the Immigration Act of September 23, 1950 added the bearing-arms and noncombatant-service text; the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 added work of national importance. In Girouard v. U.S. "The Court ruled that the oath of allegiance did not imply a promise to bear arms." Card D, from the Bill of Rights (National Archives) and the USCIS list. First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Tenth Amendment: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." USCIS question 59, "Name one power that is only for the states", has the answers "Provide schooling and education" and "Approve zoning and land use".

2. 1.

   Card A is the Declaration of Independence, adopted by Congress in 1776. What is it best evidence for, Ari asks?

   • How the principle of equality was actually applied in each colony in 1776
   • What a modern textbook says the Declaration means for equality today
   • The principles and reasons Congress gave in 1776 for separating from Britain
   • How the 14th Amendment later reshaped equality and citizenship in the states
3. 2.

   Card A says "a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes". Who is the audience, and why, Bo asks?

   • The world, to justify independence by naming its causes
   • Future courts, to give them rules for deciding cases
   • King George, as a private plea for his pardon
   • The colonies' own voters, to ask them to approve new taxes
4. 3.

   A student claims: "The Declaration shows that all people were treated as equals in 1776." How strong is that claim given card A, Esme asks?

   • Weak: the Declaration is too old to be used as a source for any question today
   • Weak: it states a principle, and Question 75 says Africans were taken and sold
   • Strong: Question 75 shows that equality applied to each person in the colonies
   • Strong: it declares equality as a truth, so equality was the practice in the colonies
5. 4.

   How does the equality language of card A differ from the equal protection language of card B, Jun asks?

   • Card A binds the States; card B merely states a principle for the nation
   • Card A states a principle; card B is a rule that binds the States
   • They are the same text, written in the same year by the same body
   • Both are rules, but just card A can be enforced in court by a citizen
6. 5.

   Card C: an official standard oath text first appeared in 1929, and the last major addition came in 1952. How many years is that, Luz asks?

   • 22 years
   • 23 years, 1952 minus 1929
   • 162 years, the time from 1790 to 1952
   • 2 years, the gap between 1950 and 1952
7. 6.

   How did the Oath of Allegiance change from 1790 to the 1952 additions in card C, Milo asks?

   • It began as a promise to support the Constitution and added duties through 1952
   • It was a longer text in 1790 and was cut down to a single line by 1952
   • It was dropped from naturalization after 1790 and returned in 1952 as a new idea
   • It stayed the same, since the first oath already had the full 1929 text
8. 7.

   A student claims: "The oath requires every new citizen to fight in combat." How strong is that claim given card C, Noah asks?

   • Strong: the oath says new citizens will bear arms on behalf of the United States
   • Weak: the oath was made in 1790 and so does not apply to new citizens today
   • Strong: the Court ruled that the oath implies a promise to bear arms in combat
   • Weak: the oath adds noncombatant and civilian duties, each when required by law
9. 8.

   Using card D, how does the 10th Amendment connect to Question 59's list of state powers, Pia asks?

   • Question 59 was written first, and the 10th Amendment was added to follow it
   • The 10th gives schooling to the federal government, so states cannot act
   • The 10th reserves undelegated powers to the States or people, the rule behind a list like Question 59
   • The First Amendment lists schooling as a right that Congress may regulate for the nation
10. 9.

    As written in 1791, who does the First Amendment's "Congress shall make no law" limit, Ren asks?

    • Just citizens, who may not speak against the law
    • The President, who must carry out the law
    • State legislatures, which are named in the same sentence
    • Congress, the body named in its first words
11. 10.

    Which new evidence would best test whether the "consent of the governed" idea in card A shaped the 14th Amendment in card B, Tala asks?

    • A modern essay that says the Declaration influenced the 14th Amendment
    • The amendment's text, read again for its exact wording
    • A list of the states that ratified the 14th Amendment in 1868
    • Debates and letters from 1866 to 1868 by the amendment's authors