English Reading and Writing Test Tips

The English portion of the U.S. citizenship test requires you to read 1–3 sentences aloud and write 1–3 sentences dictated by the USCIS officer. According to the official USCIS study materials, the test uses a specific vocabulary list of civics-related words—you do not need perfect grammar or spelling, just basic English reading and writing ability.

What to Expect

The English test has two parts:

• Reading Test: You'll read 1-3 sentences out loud from a list of civics-related content
• Writing Test: You'll write 1-3 sentences that the officer dictates to you

Reading Vocabulary Words

According to USCIS, there is an official list of vocabulary words used in the reading test. These include:

• People: Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, President
• Civics: American flag, Bill of Rights, capital, Congress
• Places: America, United States, Washington D.C.
• Holidays: Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day
• Verbs: can, come, do, have, is, lives, meet, vote, want

Writing Vocabulary Words

The writing vocabulary list includes similar words, plus common words like:

• Numbers: one, two, fifty, hundred
• Months: February, May, July, September, October, November
• Days: Monday, Tuesday (all days of the week)

Tips for the Reading Test

1. Practice reading out loud every day - pronunciation matters
2. Take your time - there's no time limit
3. If you make a small mistake, keep going
4. Focus on civics-related words as they appear most often

Tips for the Writing Test

1. Practice writing by hand - not typing
2. Write clearly and legibly
3. Capitalize the first word and proper nouns
4. End sentences with a period
5. Don't worry about perfect spelling - small errors are okay if the word is understandable

Sample Sentences

Here are examples of sentences you might see:

• "George Washington was the first President."
• "Citizens can vote for President."
• "The American flag has red, white, and blue colors."
• "Congress meets in Washington, D.C."