US Civics: 65/20 Special Consideration

16 questions with the correct answer and an explanation for each. Topic: 65/20 Special Consideration. Free, no account needed.

This bank covers 120 of the 128 official questions. The other eight have no fixed answer, so a practice test cannot mark them. Four ask who currently holds an office — President, Vice President, Speaker of the House, Chief Justice — which USCIS answers with whoever is serving on the day of your interview. Four depend on where you live: your senators, your representative, your governor, your state capital. Look those up before your interview; the officeholders are at uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates.

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1. What is the supreme law of the land?

  1. Constitution
  2. Declaration of Independence
  3. Articles of Confederation
  4. Bill of Rights

Answer: A — Constitution

The key identifies the "(U.S.) Constitution" as the supreme law of the land. The Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and Bill of Rights are other founding-era documents, but none holds that supreme status per the key.

2. How many amendments does the U.S. Constitution have?

  1. Ten
  2. Twenty-six
  3. Twenty-seven
  4. Thirty-three

Answer: C — Twenty-seven

The key states the Constitution has "Twenty-seven (27)" amendments. Ten, twenty-six, and thirty-three are not the number the key gives.

3. What is the economic system of the United States?

  1. Socialism
  2. Communism
  3. Command economy
  4. Capitalism

Answer: D — Capitalism

The key names "Capitalism," also described as a free market economy, as the U.S. economic system. Socialism, communism, and a command economy are not named in the key.

4. Name one power of the U.S. Congress.

  1. Vetoes bills passed by Congress
  2. Interprets the meaning of laws
  3. Commands the armed forces
  4. Writes laws

Answer: D — Writes laws

The key lists "Writes laws" as one power of Congress, along with declaring war and making the federal budget. Vetoing bills, interpreting laws, and commanding the armed forces are not among the powers the key gives to Congress.

5. The President of the United States is elected for how many years?

  1. Six years
  2. Two years
  3. Eight years
  4. Four years

Answer: D — Four years

The key answers "Four (4) years." Six years is the key's Senate term (question 22) and two years its House term (question 25); eight years appears nowhere in the key.

6. Who vetoes bills?

  1. The Vice President
  2. Congress
  3. The President
  4. The Supreme Court

Answer: C — The President

The key answers "The President (of the United States)," and lists vetoing bills among the president's powers (question 41). The key gives the veto to no one else.

7. What is the highest court in the United States?

  1. U.S. Court of Appeals
  2. U.S. District Court
  3. Supreme Court
  4. U.S. Court of International Trade

Answer: C — Supreme Court

The document's only accepted answer is the Supreme Court. The Courts of Appeals, District Courts and the Court of International Trade are not named as the highest court anywhere in the document.

8. What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?

  1. The President of the United States
  2. The U.S. Constitution
  3. The state government
  4. The United States

Answer: D — The United States

The document's accepted answers are the United States and the flag. The President, the Constitution and state governments are not on that list — the document attaches defending the Constitution to the Oath of Allegiance (#67), not to the Pledge.

9. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?

  1. The Pilgrims
  2. American Indians
  3. Traders from China
  4. The Spanish conquistadors

Answer: B — American Indians

The key's answer is American Indians, also stated as Native Americans. No other group appears in the key.

10. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

  1. John Adams
  2. Alexander Hamilton
  3. Thomas Jefferson
  4. James Madison

Answer: C — Thomas Jefferson

The key's only answer is (Thomas) Jefferson. The key ties Hamilton to the Federalist Papers and Madison to the Constitution, and never names Adams.

11. George Washington is famous for many things. Name one.

  1. “Father of the Constitution”
  2. “Father of Our Country”
  3. First Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
  4. Third president of the United States

Answer: B — “Father of Our Country”

The key credits Washington with the title “Father of Our Country,” the first presidency, command of the Continental Army, and presiding over the Constitutional Convention. The key gives “Father of the Constitution” to Madison and the third presidency to Jefferson, and never names a first Chief Justice.

12. Abraham Lincoln is famous for many things. Name one.

  1. Wrote the Declaration of Independence
  2. First president of the United States
  3. Freed the slaves
  4. Purchased the Louisiana Territory

Answer: C — Freed the slaves

Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed the slaves — one of the achievements the key credits to him. Writing the Declaration of Independence, serving as first president, and purchasing the Louisiana Territory are achievements of Jefferson or Washington, not Lincoln.

13. Martin Luther King, Jr. is famous for many things. Name one.

  1. Issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing enslaved people
  2. Fought for civil rights
  3. Refused to give up a seat on a Montgomery bus
  4. Became the first African American President of the United States

Answer: B — Fought for civil rights

Martin Luther King, Jr. is remembered for fighting for civil rights. The other options describe real contributions of other historical figures - Lincoln, Rosa Parks, and Barack Obama - not King.

14. What major event happened on September 11, 2001 in the United States?

  1. Terrorists attacked the United States
  2. The bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese navy
  3. The assassination of President John F. Kennedy
  4. The start of the Persian Gulf War after Iraq invaded Kuwait

Answer: A — Terrorists attacked the United States

On September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked the United States. Pearl Harbor, the Kennedy assassination, and the start of the Persian Gulf War were separate, earlier events.

15. Why does the flag have 13 stripes?

  1. The 50 U.S. states
  2. 13 original colonies
  3. The three branches of the U.S. government
  4. The signers of the Declaration of Independence

Answer: B — 13 original colonies

The flag has 13 stripes to represent the 13 original colonies. The 50 states, the three branches of government, and the Declaration's signers are other real parts of U.S. history, but none explains the stripes.

16. Name three national U.S. holidays.

  1. Flag Day, Easter, and Valentine's Day
  2. Labor Day, Halloween, and Election Day
  3. New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, and Thanksgiving Day
  4. Presidents Day, St. Patrick's Day, and Mother's Day

Answer: C — New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, and Thanksgiving Day

New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, and Thanksgiving Day are all on the list of national U.S. holidays in the key. Every other option mixes in observances that are not on that list - Flag Day, Easter, Valentine's Day, Halloween, Election Day, St. Patrick's Day, and Mother's Day.

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