The Hardest Questions on the US Citizenship Test

About two-thirds of Americans either incorrectly identified or were unsure of which states were among the original 13, according to a 2018 national survey conducted by Lincoln Park Strategies, an analytic research firm. There are several tips to memorize at least three. Perhaps the easiest one is to remember the three states whose names start with “New.” These are New York, New Jersey, and New Hampshire.

Here are all 13: Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island.

Perhaps an easier question would be “What wasn’t he known for?” You might answer “a scientist and an inventor.” While technically this is not wrong, the answer is not acceptable. Your options are: U.S. diplomat, oldest member of the Constitutional Convention, first Postmaster General of the United States, writer of “Poor Richard’s Almanac,” and started the first free libraries.

A quarter of Americans answered with one of these four options. About 37% said he invented the lightbulb, according to the 2018 survey.

Some may consider this a tricky question. Maybe most people will go for an answer that focuses on independence, and this is not wrong. It’s just not a direct cause for the war. About 24% of Americans knew the correct answer, according to the 2018 poll.

The three possible correct answers are: because of high taxes (taxation without representation); because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering); and because the colonists didn’t have self-government.

The correct answer is World War II — and you’ll just have to memorize it if history is not your strong suit. What may help is if you remember he was a general. He led the western Allies’ invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe that began on D-Day.

In the 2018 national survey, 12% of Americans incorrectly thought Eisenhower led troops in the Civil War, and 6% said he was a Vietnam War general.

Do the terms separation of powers and the three branches of the government ring a bell? The judicial branch consists of courts — the Supreme Court, federal, state and local. The four possible answers are: reviews laws; explains laws; resolves disputes (disagreements); and decides if a law goes against the Constitution.

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These are the three rights the Declaration of Independence states are inalienable and can’t be taken away or given up. You only need to remember two. Maybe a good reminder would be popular movie “The Pursuit of Happyness,” starring Will Smith.

There is only one correct answer — Woodrow Wilson. There are no tricks to help you remember. You either know it or you don’t.

The Federalist Papers are also known as The Federalist. They were a series of 85 articles and essays published in newspapers arguing for the signing of the new Constitution. There were three authors, who wrote them under the pseudonym “Publius.” So the four possible answers are: James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, or Publius.

With so much of the news focusing on President Donald Trump, it’s easy to forget who the Speaker of the House is. Currently, it’s Nancy Pelosi. At least you don’t have to know what political party she belongs to (Democratic Party).

If the question was just about World War II, the answer might have been tricky. The addition of the Great Depression period is a hint. The correct answer is Franklin Roosevelt.

There are 435 possible answers, but only one correct answer per person living in a certain area. You just have to look up who represents your district in the House of Representatives. For example, if you live in Maryland’s seventh district, your representative is Elijah Cummings.

Maybe this is among the most difficult questions because people automatically think 1776, which was the year the Declaration of Independence was signed. The correct answer is 1787.

How often do you hear about the Supreme Court in the news? And even when you do, the justices are rarely singled out (with the exception of Trump’s two nominees.) The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is John Roberts. (The only other name that may have been easier to remember is John Smith.)

There are 100 possible answers as there are 100 senators in Congress. Each state has two, and you just have to know one of them. For example, if you live in New York, you can answer either Kirsten Gillibrand or Chuck Schumer.

It’s just a number you have to remember and there is no trick to it. The correct answer is 27.

Maybe there is just something about people and numbers that just makes them hard to memorize. It’s a big House, and it has 435 voting members.

Another question the answer to which is a single number that you just have to remember — nine. (At least you don’t have to know all justices currently serving on the court.)

There are four ways you can answer that are considered correct: Everyone must follow the law; leaders must obey the law; government must obey the law; no one is above the law.

One of them is perhaps the most famous river in the country — the Mississippi River. The other one is the Missouri River. (Two rivers named after states and both start with the letter M. It should be easy enough to remember.)

Again, a question with a simple, singular answer — six years. It’s not difficult to see why some people may find it confusing. After all, presidents are elected for four years, members of the House of Representatives for two, governors for four (except those of Vermont and New Hampshire), and senators for six. Too many numbers to remember…

There are four possible answers: to print money; to declare war; to create an army; and to make treaties.