Survey: Just One In Three Americans Would Pass Citizenship Test

Just one in three Americans would be able to pass a multiple choice U.S. citizenship test, according to a new poll from the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation.

The exam, which requires a score of 60 or better to pass, tests knowledge of American government, civics and history. Sample questions include: Who was president during the Great Depression and World War II? And what is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for? You might also be asked to name two national holidays.

Try it for yourself here. Maybe you’ll do better than the 72 percent of respondents who could not identify which states were part of the 13 original states or the 60 percent who didn’t know which countries the United States fought in World War II.

Remarkably, as of June 2018, 91 percent of immigrants who took the citizenship test got passing scores.

However the average American was “woefully uninformed regarding America’s history,” said Woodrow Wilson Foundation President Arthur Levine. 

Concerns about our collective ignorance when it comes to civics are not new. And in turn, as NPR's education team reported, 27 states have considered bills or other proposals to expand civics education. It’s a good thing, too. Civics education can promote active participation in democracy from an early age.