The 65/20 exemption, the 50/20 and 55/15 rules, and medical exceptions to the citizenship test
Vishwen Labs
USCIS excuses some applicants from the English test and gives some a shorter civics test, by age and years as a permanent resident at the time of filing. 50/20: age 50 or older with 20 years as a permanent resident, no English test, civics in your native language through an interpreter. 55/15: age 55 with 15 years, the same. 65/20: age 65 with 20 years, no English test and a civics test of 10 questions from the 20 marked with an asterisk, 6 correct to pass, in the language of your choice. A physical, developmental or mental condition can excuse both tests with Form N-648 from a doctor or clinical psychologist.
50/20 and 55/15: English waived, civics stays
USCIS's exceptions page names the two groups: “Age 50 or older at the time of filing for naturalization and have lived as a permanent resident (Green Card holder) in the United States for 20 years,” and “Age 55 or older at the time of filing for naturalization and have lived as a permanent resident in the United States for 15 years.” Both are excused from the English test entirely. Both, in USCIS's words, “must still take the civics test,” and “will be permitted to take the civics test in your native language.” You bring the interpreter, and “Your interpreter must be fluent in both English and your native language.” The civics test itself is the full one for your filing date: 20 of 128 or 10 of 100.
65/20: the shorter civics test
At 65 or older with 20 years as a permanent resident at filing, USCIS gives “special consideration regarding the civics requirement.” Instead of the 128, you study “just the 20 questions that have been marked with an asterisk,” you are asked 10 of them, 6 correct passes, and you may answer in the language of your choice. On the September 2025 list the asterisked questions are numbers 2, 7, 12, 20, 30, 36, 38, 39, 44, 52, 61, 66, 74, 78, 86, 94, 113, 115, 121 and 126. Four of the 20 name current officials, the Speaker (30), the President (38), the Vice President (39) and your governor (61), so the names still have to be current.
Counting the age and the years
Both conditions are measured “at the time of filing for naturalization,” so an applicant who turns 50 a month after filing does not qualify, and one who filed the day after the twentieth anniversary of the date on the green card does. The years are years as a lawful permanent resident, the Resident Since date on the card, not years in the country. USCIS's page says “have lived as a permanent resident in the United States” for the period; how it treats long absences within that period is a question for the officer or a lawyer, and this page does not answer it.
Medical exceptions: Form N-648
An applicant who cannot meet the English or civics requirement because of a physical, developmental or mental condition can ask to be excused from one or both. USCIS: you must “submit Form N-648, Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions,” which “must be completed by a licensed medical or osteopathic doctor, or licensed clinical psychologist.” The doctor describes the condition and explains how it prevents you from learning or demonstrating English or civics; the officer at the interview decides whether the form supports the exception. It is normally filed with the N-400, and a weak or vague form is the usual reason one is refused.
Accommodations are different from exceptions
An accommodation changes how the interview is done, not what is tested: a sign-language interpreter, extra time, a wheelchair-accessible room, an interview away from the office for someone who cannot travel. USCIS asks that you “Go to uscis.gov/accommodations to make your request online” or call the Contact Center. The test content and the pass marks stay the same. If you need both, an accommodation and an exception, request the one and file the other.
USCIS Interview Practice (US Citizenship Test 2026 App, called Citizen Pro inside) is an independent study aid from Vishwen Labs and is not affiliated with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or any U.S. government agency. The civics questions, the reading and writing vocabulary and the test rules are USCIS's published study materials, free at uscis.gov/citizenship; the interview practice, hints, cultural context and translations are the app's own. Nothing on these pages is legal advice.
Questions people also ask
Do I still take the civics test if I qualify for 50/20?
Yes. The 50/20 and 55/15 rules excuse the English test only. You take the full civics test for your filing date in your native language, through an interpreter you bring who is fluent in both languages.
Which questions are on the 65/20 citizenship test?
The 20 questions marked with an asterisk on USCIS's list: on the September 2025 list, numbers 2, 7, 12, 20, 30, 36, 38, 39, 44, 52, 61, 66, 74, 78, 86, 94, 113, 115, 121 and 126. The officer asks 10 of them, 6 correct passes, in the language of your choice. Four of them ask for current officials.
