US citizenship exam could look very different under Trump's new plan

The US citizenship exam could undergo significant changes under a proposal being considered by the Trump administration, according to a Newsweek report citing the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) regulatory agenda.

The proposal would introduce new educational standards for naturalization applicants and could allow third parties to administer the citizenship test. If adopted, the changes could affect hundreds of thousands of applicants each year.

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What could change?

According to Newsweek, DHS is considering a rule that would establish "a framework and a standard" for applicants to meet citizenship education requirements as part of efforts to "further enhance the integrity of the naturalization test."

The report said US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is also exploring whether third parties could administer the naturalization test, giving immigration officials greater flexibility in how the exams are conducted. The regulatory agenda does not provide details on how such a system would operate.

Current US law requires citizenship applicants to demonstrate an ability to read, write and speak basic English, along with knowledge of US history and government. According to Newsweek, DHS said existing regulations "do not provide specifics on how aliens should meet the educational requirements."

The department said the proposed changes would help ensure the "proper assimilation of lawful immigrants into the United States" and promote "a unified American identity and attachment to the Constitution, laws, and founding principles of the United States."

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Who could be affected?

USCIS naturalized 818,500 people in fiscal year 2024, while nearly 8 million people became US citizens over the past decade. Agency data showed an initial naturalization test pass rate of 89.7%, increasing to 94.4% after reexaminations.

The proposal comes as the Trump administration expands denaturalization efforts. The Justice Department recently announced what it described as its largest coordinated denaturalization effort, seeking to revoke the citizenship of 25 naturalized Americans accused of obtaining citizenship through fraud, concealment or other unlawful conduct.

The report cited the Brennan Center for Justice, which found that the federal government initiated an average of about 11 denaturalization cases annually between 1990 and 2017. During Trump's first term, that figure increased to roughly 25 cases a year. It also cited TRAC data showing an increase in denaturalization lawsuits following a 2025 Justice Department policy change.

According to Newsweek, DHS is expected to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking in December. The department has not released details on how the educational standards or testing procedures could change and said it is still evaluating the proposal's costs and benefits. Any proposed rule would be open for public comment before a final version is adopted.