Trump AXES Citizenship Test — “Too Easy!”

Hand holding a card that reads CITIZENSHIP TEST in front of an American flag — CITIZENSHIP TEST BOMBSHELL

The Trump administration is preparing to overhaul America’s citizenship test, declaring the current exam “just too easy” and threatening to introduce rigorous new standards that could dramatically reduce naturalization rates.

See the video further down this post.

Story Highlights

USCIS Director Joseph Edlow announces plans to toughen the citizenship test with essay questions and standardized testing centers.
Administration claims the current test allows too much “coaching” and fails to assess genuine constitutional attachment.
The new exam could include subjective essay components.
Policy reverses Biden-era rollback of Trump’s previous 2020 citizenship test changes.

Administration Targets Current Testing Standards

USCIS Director Joseph Edlow announced at a Center for Immigration Studies conference that the Trump administration considers the current citizenship test inadequate for determining genuine civic knowledge.

Edlow emphasized the need for “extreme vetting” to ensure applicants demonstrate true “attachment to the Constitution” rather than simply memorizing answers.

The administration argues that current standards allow excessive coaching that undermines the test’s integrity and fails to assess English proficiency and constitutional understanding properly.

Proposed Changes Include Essay Requirements

The overhaul proposes introducing essay questions and establishing standardized testing centers to replace the current format.

These changes would significantly increase the difficulty level and potentially introduce subjective evaluation criteria that could create inconsistencies in administration.

The new format aims to better assess written English skills and deeper comprehension of American civic principles, moving beyond the current multiple-choice structure that officials believe inadequately measures true understanding.

Historical Context Reveals Pattern

This marks the second attempt by a Trump administration to toughen citizenship requirements, following a 2020 overhaul that increased question numbers and raised passing thresholds.

The Biden administration reversed those changes in 2021, citing concerns about fairness and accessibility for immigrant communities.

The current proposal represents a continuation of Trump’s broader immigration restriction agenda, which includes enhanced scrutiny of legal pathways to citizenship alongside efforts to combat illegal immigration.

More great news. This SHOULD NOT be easy.

Trump Admin. to Toughen "Too Easy" Naturalization Test https://t.co/xqprnX4nUt

— Coloradogirl LovesMountains (@CLovesmoun37528) September 8, 2025

Constitutional Concerns and Implementation Timeline

Legal experts warn that subjective essay components could introduce bias and undermine equal protection principles, particularly affecting non-native English speakers and older applicants.

The administration has not announced a finalized implementation date, with policy development ongoing within USCIS.

Edlow has also indicated increased referrals for denaturalization investigations when fraud is suspected, signaling broader enforcement beyond just new applications.

These measures align with conservative principles of ensuring citizenship carries genuine meaning and constitutional commitment.