US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced plans to implement a revised version of the naturalization civics test that will be effective for those who apply for naturalization on and after December 1, 2020. The civics test is one of the statutory requirements for naturalization. The revised test includes “more questions that test the applicant’s understanding of U.S. history and civics, in line with the statutory requirements, and covers a variety of topics that provide the applicant with more opportunities to learn about the United States as part of the test preparation process.” As before, applicants must receive a passing score of at least sixty percent to pass. With the new test, they must answer twelve questions out of twenty to pass (as compared to the current test, which requires six correct answers out of ten questions).

“USCIS has diligently worked on revising the naturalization test since 2018, relying on input from experts in the field of adult education to ensure that this process is fair and transparent,” USCIS Deputy Director for Policy Joseph Edlow said in a statement. Applicants who apply for naturalization before December 1, 2020, will take the current version of the test. USCIS notes that they will also maintain the current guidelines for “statutorily established special considerations” for applicants who are sixty years or older and have at least twenty years of lawful permanent resident status--these applicants will be asked ten questions and must correctly answer a minimum of six questions to pass.

Immigration advocates have criticized the revised test. Doug Rand of Boundless Immigration tweeted that the new test is “unnecessary, unjustified, overly complex, & shamelessly ideological” and encouraged President-elect Joe Biden to restore the 2008 test. He added: “This is an obvious attempt to throw one more obstacle in front of immigrants legally eligible for U.S. citizenship.”