The US citizenship test is due for an update after 15 years, and the new version is expected late next year. US Citizenship and Immigration Services proposed changes that include a speaking section to assess English skills and a multiple-choice civics section on US history and government, instead of the current oral short-answer format. While some immigrants and advocates worry the changes will hurt test-takers with lower levels of English proficiency, USCIS says the changes “reflect current best practices in test design” and will help standardize the citizenship test.

The agency will conduct a nationwide trial of the proposed changes in 2023 with opportunities for public feedback. According to a USCIS report, more than 1 million people became US citizens in fiscal year 2022, and USCIS reduced the huge backlog of naturalization applications by over 60% compared to the year before.