As the updated exam rolls out, local and national organizations are stepping up to help applicants prepare \u2014 offering mock interviews, English practice and guidance sessions to make the naturalization process less daunting.<\/p>\n
Liz Soto, an Arizona resident who arrived in the United States from Mexico 25 years ago, said she and her eldest son plan to take their naturalization test this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a dream that\u2019s going to come true, something that never crossed my mind,\u201d Soto said, her voice breaking. \u201cIt\u2019s a huge accomplishment. This country has given me so much.\u201d<\/p>\n
Soto could have submitted her application as early as September, but because she was still saving money for both her and her son\u2019s applications, she missed the cutoff for the simpler version of the test, which was available for applications submitted until Oct. 20.<\/p>\n
She said facing the new version initially felt intimidating.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a little scary,\u201d Soto said. \u201cWhat are they going to ask me, how should I answer, what will I say? \u2026 I\u2019m 50 years old, and at my age, I don\u2019t retain information as easily.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 2025 naturalization civics test introduces new and reworded questions, a longer test and a broader study bank, according to a Sept. 17 statement<\/a> from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).<\/p>\n Applicants must now memorize 128 questions and correctly answer 12 out of 20 questions to pass the test. Previously, they needed to answer six out of 10 questions correctly from a bank of 100.<\/p>\n \u201cThe goal was to make the test harder,\u201d said Ron Falter, a volunteer at the Phoenix West Learning Center<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019ve already started preparing some people for the new version.\u201d<\/p>\n Soto is one of them. She\u2019s been attending citizenship workshops at the center since April and said it has helped her feel more prepared.<\/p>\n \u201cIt gives you more confidence,\u201d she said. \u201cOnce you start attending classes, and the teacher asks the questions and explains each one \u2026 you understand more.\u201d<\/p>\n Organizations empower aspiring citizens<\/p>\n The Phoenix West Learning Center, sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is one of the organizations helping the community prepare for naturalization.<\/p>\n Falter, who leads the workshops, is a retired government officer who worked for USCIS for more than 20 years. He spent most of his time there conducting naturalization interviews at the Phoenix field office.<\/p>\n Now, he uses his experience to support members of the immigrant community seeking citizenship.<\/p>\n \u201cI suggested the idea that we do preparation classes for people preparing to apply and take the interview,\u201d Falter said. \u201cI thought my experience could be useful.\u201d<\/p>\n The group began offering English classes last June and started the citizenship workshops earlier this year, around the time President Donald Trump took office for his second term.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen Donald Trump won the election, it was clear they were going to change the questions because they did the same thing during his first term,\u201d Falter said. \u201cIt was only a matter of when \u2014 and now it\u2019s here.\u201d<\/p>\n Other organizations offering similar workshops say they\u2019ve also seen an increase in people interested in applying for citizenship since the beginning of this year.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the start of this year, many people showed a lot of interest in all these events,\u201d said Leilani Garc\u00eda, a community organizer with Poder Latinx<\/a>. \u201cThey were always calling, asking when the next event would be, or looking for help with the whole process. In previous years, we didn\u2019t see that kind of demand.\u201d<\/p>\n Poder Latinx hosts informational sessions on citizenship and workshops to help applicants complete the N-400 form, which is the application for citizenship. They also hold classes reviewing test questions and provide guidance from an immigration attorney.<\/p>\n Poder Latinx will offer citizenship classes in Phoenix on Oct. 30 and Nov. 20, as well as a workshop on Form N-400 on Nov. 8, Garc\u00eda said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Promise Arizona<\/a> also offers preparation workshops in partnership with Crosier Village Ministries, which include free English and citizenship classes where participants practice exam questions.<\/p>\n Petra Falcon<\/a>, executive director of Promise Arizona, said the organization began offering citizenship classes in February and has been hosting English classes more frequently since then to meet the growing demand.<\/p>\n \u201cMany people have come forward this year. When this president made the changes, people quickly started learning what they needed to do to become citizens,\u201d Falcon said. \u201cWe support them through the entire process.\u201d<\/p>\n These workshops focus on providing practical tools. Organizers help participants learn specific test questions while also developing English comprehension and speaking skills, so they can communicate confidently during the interview.<\/p>\n Falter said these tools have helped reduce people\u2019s fear of taking the test.<\/p>\n \u201cWe practice and rehearse so they won\u2019t be as scared at the moment,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n Overcoming fear<\/p>\n \n For Soto, being so close to becoming a U.S. citizen is something that at one point seemed far from attainable.\u00a0<\/p>\n She came to the U.S. seeking better opportunities for her son, who was 1 year old at the time, after she went through a difficult situation in Mexico. Once in Arizona, she had her second son and said her main focus became raising them.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I came here, my life was dedicated to my kids,\u201d she said. \u201cNever in my mind was the thought, \u2018I have to fix my papers.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Later, she got married, and her husband obtained citizenship after they wed. \u201cI never thought of saying, \u2018Hey, are you going to fix my papers?\u2019\u201d she said.<\/p>\n But he surprised her when, after becoming a citizen, he filed a family petition.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I got my green card, I didn\u2019t know whether to cry or laugh from the excitement. For the first time, I was able to return home to Mexico, to Chihuahua, to see my brother, whom I hadn\u2019t seen in 15 years,\u201d Soto said.<\/p>\n She said having her immigration status regularized \u2014and the opportunity to soon become a citizen\u2014 gives her peace of mind amid the immigration uncertainty that has intensified in recent months.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s scary, everything that\u2019s happening, because even citizens sometimes get stopped by the police,\u201d Soto said. \u201cBut it feels safe to be able to go out, to work \u2026 it\u2019s a sense of security, peace and joy that words can\u2019t describe.\u201d<\/p>\n She encouraged others to apply for residency and citizenship if they have the opportunity. And organizations like Phoenix West Learning Center, Poder Latinx and Promise Arizona continue to support those hesitant to begin the process, especially with this year\u2019s changes.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople are very afraid to go to the government building on 16th and Buckeye,\u201d said Falcon with Promise Arizona. \u201cThere\u2019s fear behind the whole process \u2026 even more now. And we\u2019re here to help.\u201d<\/p>\n She urged the community to not panic about the new naturalization process, but instead reach out to organizations that provide support and guidance.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople in the community shouldn\u2019t worry,\u201d she said. \u201cHave confidence in the process. All you need to do is practice the questions.\u201d<\/p>\n Garc\u00eda from Poder Latinx said she\u2019s noticed a positive response from the community to the citizenship workshops. She added that many participants express gratitude for the organization\u2019s efforts, saying the workshops make the process clearer and less intimidating, and help applicants feel more confident.<\/p>\n \u201cThe people I\u2019ve spoken with are always very thankful,\u201d Garc\u00eda said. \u201cWe try to make it easier for them.\u201d<\/p>\n What are the changes to the naturalization process in 2025?<\/p>\n The new citizenship test<\/a> includes both revised and newly added questions, many emphasizing a stronger understanding of the U.S. Constitution and foundational principles \u2014part of a federal directive to \u201cpromote a unified national identity,\u201d according to USCIS<\/a>.<\/p>\n Falter said the new questions also cover U.S. history and government more broadly.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can tell the person who wrote the new questions is really interested in history,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n For example, one new question<\/a> asks applicants to name one major event from the Civil War. The test provides eight options, six of which are specific battles.<\/p>\n \u201cNo one, except a historian, is going to know the battle names,\u201d Falter said. \u201cBut they also include the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation, so you can look at the options and pick what\u2019s easier to remember.\u201d<\/p>\n The changes are part of broader USCIS efforts to \u201crestore integrity to the naturalization process and meet congressional intent,\u201d the September statement said<\/a>.<\/p>\n Other new measures include stricter standards for assessing applicants\u2019 good moral character<\/a> and updated disability exceptions<\/a> that allow certain individuals to take a simplified version of the test or complete it in their native language.<\/p>\n \u201cAmerican citizenship is the most sacred citizenship in the world and should only be reserved for aliens who will fully embrace our values and principles as a nation,\u201d said USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser in a statement. \u201cBy ensuring only those aliens who meet all eligibility requirements \u2026 are able to naturalize, the American people can be assured that those joining us as fellow citizens are fully assimilated and will contribute to America\u2019s greatness.\u201d<\/p>\n Some ways officers now evaluate good moral character are by looking for positive contributions to society and conducting neighborhood investigations.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the past, it was generally enough to show you didn\u2019t have a criminal record and that you paid your taxes,\u201d Falter said. \u201cNow, it seems you\u2019ll need to get and bring letters of recommendation.\u201d<\/p>\n Falter recommends bringing notarized letters, especially if they\u2019re from close friends or relatives. When possible, applicants should include letters from an employer, pastor, church leader or professional reference, he added.<\/p>\n He also encouraged those pursuing citizenship to attend workshops like those offered at the learning center to not only prepare for the exam but also obtain valuable information about the entire naturalization process.<\/p>\n This article<\/a> first appeared on Cronkite News<\/a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Laura Daniella Sepulveda | Cronkite News PHOENIX \u2014 A longer and tougher version of the U.S. citizenship…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":334371,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5131],"tags":[5229,5643,1587,1589,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-334622","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-phoenix","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-arizona","10":"tag-az","11":"tag-phoenix","12":"tag-united-states","13":"tag-united-states-of-america","14":"tag-unitedstates","15":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","16":"tag-us","17":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115442465126950475","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334622","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=334622"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334622\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/334371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=334622"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=334622"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=334622"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}