US Citizenship Reading Test — People and Government Vocabulary

The USCIS English Reading Test includes proper nouns from the PEOPLE vocabulary list: ABRAHAM LINCOLN, GEORGE WASHINGTON. These names appear frequently in test sentences. Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) was the 16th President of the United States, serving 1861-1865. He is best known for: leading the country through the Civil War; issuing the Emancipation Proclamation (1863) freeing slaves in Confederate territory; delivering the Gettysburg Address; signing the 13th Amendment (which abolished slavery throughout the U.S.); being assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865, just days after the Civil War ended. Sample test sentences may include: 'Abraham Lincoln was a President.' 'Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves.' 'George Washington was the first President.' On the reading test, the applicant reads aloud ONE OF THREE sentences correctly. Pronunciation and intonation are evaluated for clarity; minor errors that don't impede meaning are typically acceptable. Studying the vocabulary list is more useful than memorizing specific sentences since exact sentences vary.

The WHITE HOUSE is the official residence and workplace of the President of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. The White House is part of the USCIS CIVICS VOCABULARY list for the Reading Test. Construction began in 1792 and the building was first occupied by President John Adams in 1800. After being burned by British forces during the War of 1812, it was rebuilt and has been continuously expanded and renovated. The White House contains 132 rooms, including the OVAL OFFICE (where the President works), the Cabinet Room, the Situation Room, residential quarters for the First Family, and ceremonial spaces. Common reading test sentences using 'White House': 'The President lives in the White House.' 'The White House is in Washington.' 'The President works in the White House.' Other civics vocabulary includes: American flag, Bill of Rights, capital, citizen, city, Congress, country, Father of Our Country, government, President, right, Senators, state/states, United States. Pronouncing 'White House' as two distinct words is standard.

STATES in the USCIS reading vocabulary refers to the political divisions that make up the United States. The U.S. has 50 STATES, each with its own state government, governor, state legislature, and state constitution. The number 50 is on the USCIS reading vocabulary numbers list. Common reading test sentences: 'The United States has 50 states.' 'The United States is in North America.' 'America is the land of the free.' 'Washington is the capital of the United States.' PLACES VOCABULARY includes: America, United States, Washington, Washington, D.C. ADDITIONAL CIVICS-PLACE OVERLAP includes: state names, capital, country. The 50 states joined the Union at different times: original 13 colonies (1776, statehood beginning 1787 with Delaware), with the most recent additions being Alaska and Hawaii (both 1959). Each state has 2 U.S. Senators and a number of U.S. Representatives based on its population. States have powers reserved under the 10th Amendment that are not delegated to the federal government, including education, police, driver's licenses, and zoning.

INDEPENDENCE DAY is on the USCIS HOLIDAYS vocabulary list. It is celebrated on JULY 4 (the 4th of July) each year and commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Other holidays on the USCIS reading vocabulary list: PRESIDENTS' DAY (third Monday in February, honors George Washington and other presidents); MEMORIAL DAY (last Monday in May, honors those who died in military service); FLAG DAY (June 14, commemorates adoption of the American flag in 1777); LABOR DAY (first Monday in September, honors workers); COLUMBUS DAY (second Monday in October, commemorates Columbus' 1492 voyage); THANKSGIVING (fourth Thursday in November, traditional harvest celebration). Common reading test sentences: 'Independence Day is in July.' 'Memorial Day is in May.' 'Labor Day is in September.' 'We celebrate Thanksgiving in November.' 'Columbus Day is in October.' Notice the pattern: many sentences pair a holiday name with the month it's celebrated. Studying the months alongside the holiday names is helpful preparation. Reading test sentences are short (5-12 words typically) and use common sentence structures.

USCIS reading test questions begin with QUESTION WORDS. The vocabulary list includes: HOW, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHO, WHY. Sample reading test sentences in QUESTION form: 'Who was the first President?' 'When do we celebrate Independence Day?' 'Where does the President live?' 'What is the capital of the United States?' 'Why do people come to America?' 'How many states are there?' These questions test the applicant's ability to recognize question words and read them with appropriate intonation (rising intonation on yes/no questions, falling intonation on wh-questions in standard American English, though both patterns are accepted). VERBS on the USCIS reading list include: can, come, do/does, elects, have/has, is/are/was/be, lives/lived, meet, name, pay, vote, want. OTHER FUNCTION WORDS: a, for, here, in, of, on, the, to, we. NUMBERS: one, first, second, third, etc., plus 50. The reading test draws sentences from these vocabulary words to make simple, predictable test items. Practice reading aloud with proper pronunciation; many of these words have simple, regular pronunciations.

GEORGE WASHINGTON (1732-1799) was the first President of the United States and is honored with the title 'Father of Our Country' (also 'Father of His Country'). The phrase 'Father of Our Country' appears in the USCIS reading vocabulary CIVICS list. Washington's accomplishments include: commanding the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War (1775-1783); leading the army to victory against Great Britain; presiding over the Constitutional Convention (1787); serving as the first President under the new Constitution (1789-1797); establishing the precedent of voluntarily leaving office after two terms. Sample reading test sentences: 'George Washington was the first President.' 'Washington is the Father of Our Country.' 'The capital is named for George Washington.' Note that 'Washington' may refer to: the person George Washington; Washington, D.C. (the capital); Washington state (Pacific Northwest). Context usually makes clear which meaning is intended. On test sentences, capital letters and grammatical context help distinguish.

CONGRESS is on the USCIS CIVICS VOCABULARY list. It refers to the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government, consisting of: the SENATE (100 members, 2 per state) and the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES (435 voting members, based on state population). Congress meets in the U.S. CAPITOL building in Washington, D.C. Congress has the constitutional power to: make laws; declare war; coin money; regulate interstate commerce; impeach the President; confirm presidential appointments (Senate only); ratify treaties (Senate only). Sample reading test sentences: 'Congress meets in Washington, D.C.' 'Congress has two parts.' 'Senators are part of Congress.' 'The President can sign bills from Congress.' Other related vocabulary on the USCIS list: Senators, Bill of Rights, country, government, President, right, state/states. The word 'Congress' is capitalized when referring to the U.S. Congress specifically. The CAPITOL is the building where Congress meets; do not confuse with CAPITAL (Washington, D.C., the capital city of the country).

CAPITAL is on the USCIS CIVICS VOCABULARY list. In civic/political context, CAPITAL means the CITY that serves as the seat of government. The capital of the United States is WASHINGTON, D.C. (District of Columbia). Sample reading test sentences: 'Washington is the capital of the United States.' 'The capital is in Washington.' 'The U.S. capital is in Washington.' Note the spelling distinction: CAPITAL (the city, the seat of government) vs CAPITOL (the building where Congress meets). These are HOMOPHONES (sound the same) but have different meanings. The U.S. CAPITOL is a specific building in Washington, D.C. — domed, located on Capitol Hill. The U.S. CAPITAL is the entire city of Washington, D.C. State capitals: each state has its own capital city — Sacramento (California), Albany (New York), Austin (Texas), Tallahassee (Florida), etc. ('capital' is on the USCIS list mainly in the federal context but applies to states too.) On the test, the word CAPITAL appears in sentences about Washington, D.C.

MEMORIAL DAY is a federal holiday on the USCIS HOLIDAYS VOCABULARY list. It is observed on the LAST MONDAY IN MAY. The holiday honors U.S. military personnel who died in service to the country. Sample reading test sentences: 'Memorial Day is in May.' 'We honor soldiers on Memorial Day.' 'Memorial Day is in the spring.' The holiday originated after the Civil War as 'Decoration Day' — when Americans decorated the graves of soldiers who died in that war. Over time, it expanded to honor all Americans who died in any war. In 1971, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act made it a federal holiday on the last Monday in May. Common observances: ceremonies at military cemeteries; placing flags on veterans' graves; the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C.; moments of silence; family barbecues marking the unofficial start of summer. Memorial Day is DIFFERENT from VETERANS DAY (November 11), which honors ALL who have served (living and dead). It's also different from Armed Forces Day (May, honoring those currently serving). MAJOR FEDERAL HOLIDAYS in the U.S. are typically held on Mondays (creating long weekends) — Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day.

QUESTION WORDS are essential vocabulary on the USCIS Reading Test. Recognizing them helps the applicant read questions with proper intonation. Question words on the USCIS list: WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, HOW. Sample questions on the reading test: 'WHERE is the White House?' (Question word + linking verb + noun phrase) — Answer: in Washington, D.C. 'WHO was George Washington?' Answer: The first President. 'WHEN do we celebrate Independence Day?' Answer: July 4. 'WHAT is the capital of the United States?' Answer: Washington. 'WHY do people come to America?' Answer: For freedom, for a better life, etc. 'HOW many states are there?' Answer: 50. In English, WH-questions typically use FALLING intonation (going down at the end), unlike yes/no questions which use RISING intonation (going up at the end). For example, 'Where is Washington?' starts higher on 'Where' and falls toward the end. The reading test evaluates whether the applicant reads with intelligibility, not perfect native-speaker pronunciation. Most applicants who study the vocabulary can pass.