U.S. Citizenship - 6 Months Review

Posted Dec 9, 2025 Updated May 27, 2026

By Jay Song

12 min read

The USCIS logo.

Full Timeline

December 9, 2025: Filed my N-400 application online

March 9, 2026: Received an interview notice scheduling my interview for April 14

April 14, 2026: Attended my USCIS interview and successfully passed both the interview and civics exam

May 27, 2026: Attended the oath ceremony at a USCIS office and received my Certificate of U.S. Citizenship

Secret Clearance Aspect Note

As a naturalized citizen who was born in South Korea, I have never held dual citizenship, as my South Korean citizenship was terminated upon naturalization.

10 Civic Test Problems

They assess English speaking, reading, and writing skills alongside civics knowledge during the interview. As of recent updates, the civics question pool has expanded from 100 to 128 possible questions. During the test, an officer asks up to 20 questions drawn from this pool, and the test is passed once 12 correct answers are given, at which point the examination is immediately concluded.

What does “We the People” mean?
Why are there three branches of government?
Why does each state have two senators?
What is the purpose of the 10th Amendment?
Why is the Electoral College important?
Why did the United States enter the Korean War?
What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
What was the Great Depression?
What does “E Pluribus Unum” mean?
Name one reason why the Americans declared independence from Britain?

Answers

Self-government
Popular sovereignty
Consent of the governed
People should govern themselves
(Example of) social contract

So one part does not become too powerful
Checks and balances
Separation of powers

Equal representation (for small states)
The Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)

Powers not given to the federal government belong to the states or to the people

It decides who is elected president
It provides a compromise between the popular election of the president and congressional selection

To stop the spread of communism

Freed the slaves
Freed slaves in the Confederacy
Freed slaves in the Confederate states
Freed slaves in most Southern states

Longest economic recession in modern history

Out of many, one
We all become one

10.

High taxes
Taxation without representation
British soldiers stayed in Americans’ houses (boarding, quartering)
They did not have self-government
Boston Massacre
Boston Tea Party (Tea Act)
Stamp Act
Sugar Act
Townshend Acts
Intolerable (Coercive) Acts

Background Check I had to go through (Reference for potential naturalization candidates)

Click to expand full USCIS background check questionnaire (50 items)

1. Have you EVER claimed to be a U.S. citizen (in writing or any other way)?
2. Have you EVER registered to vote in any Federal, state, or local election in the United States?
3. Have you EVER voted in any Federal, state, or local election in the United States?
4. A. Do you now have, or did you EVER have, a hereditary title or an order of nobility in any foreign country?
4. B. If you answered "Yes," are you willing to give up any inherited titles or orders of nobility that you have in a foreign country at your naturalization ceremony?
5. Have you EVER been declared legally incompetent or been confined to a mental institution?
6. Do you owe any overdue Federal, state, or local taxes?
7. A. Have you EVER not filed a Federal, state, or local tax return since you became a lawful permanent resident?
7. B. If you answered "Yes," did you consider yourself to be a "non-U.S. resident"?
8. Have you called yourself a "non-U.S. resident" on a Federal, state, or local tax return since you became a lawful permanent resident?
10. A. Have you EVER been a member of, or in any way associated (either directly or indirectly) with: The Communist Party?
10. B. Have you EVER been a member of, or in any way associated (either directly or indirectly) with: Any other totalitarian party?
10. C. Have you EVER been a member of, or in any way associated (either directly or indirectly) with: A terrorist organization?
11. Have you EVER advocated (either directly or indirectly) the overthrow of any government by force or violence?
12. Have you EVER persecuted (either directly or indirectly) any person because of race, religion, national origin, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion?
13. A. Between March 23, 1933 and May 8, 1945, did you work for or associate in any way (either directly or indirectly) with: The Nazi government of Germany?
13. B. Between March 23, 1933 and May 8, 1945, did you work for or associate in any way (either directly or indirectly) with: Any government in any area occupied by, allied with, or established with the help of the Nazi government of Germany?
13. C. Between March 23, 1933 and May 8, 1945, did you work for or associate in any way (either directly or indirectly) with: Any German, Nazi, or S.S. military unit, paramilitary unit, self-defense unit, vigilante unit, citizen unit, police unit, government agency or office, extermination camp, concentration camp, prisoner of war camp, prison, labor camp, or transit camp?
14. A. Were you EVER involved in any way with any of the following: Genocide?
14. B. Were you EVER involved in any way with any of the following: Torture?
14. C. Were you EVER involved in any way with any of the following: Killing, or trying to kill, someone?
14. D. Were you EVER involved in any way with any of the following: Badly hurting, or trying to hurt, a person on purpose?
14. E. Were you EVER involved in any way with any of the following: Forcing, or trying to force, someone to have any kind of sexual contact or relations?
14. F. Were you EVER involved in any way with any of the following: Not letting someone practice his or her religion?
15. A. Were you EVER a member of, or did you EVER serve in, help, or otherwise participate in, any of the following groups: Military unit?
15. B. Were you EVER a member of, or did you EVER serve in, help, or otherwise participate in, any of the following groups: Paramilitary unit (a group of people who act like a military group but are not part of the official military)?
15. C. Were you EVER a member of, or did you EVER serve in, help, or otherwise participate in, any of the following groups: Police unit?
15. D. Were you EVER a member of, or did you EVER serve in, help, or otherwise participate in, any of the following groups: Self-defense unit?
15. E. Were you EVER a member of, or did you EVER serve in, help, or otherwise participate in, any of the following groups: Vigilante unit (a group of people who act like the police, but are not part of the official police)?
15. F. Were you EVER a member of, or did you EVER serve in, help, or otherwise participate in, any of the following groups: Rebel group?
15. G. Were you EVER a member of, or did you EVER serve in, help, or otherwise participate in, any of the following groups: Guerrilla group (a group of people who use weapons against or otherwise physically attack the military, police, government, or other people)?
15. H. Were you EVER a member of, or did you EVER serve in, help, or otherwise participate in, any of the following groups: Militia (an army of people, not part of the official military)?
15. I. Were you EVER a member of, or did you EVER serve in, help, or otherwise participate in, any of the following groups: Insurgent organization (a group that uses weapons and fights against a government)?
16. A. Were you EVER a worker, volunteer, or soldier, or did you otherwise EVER serve in any of the following: Prison or jail?
16. B. Were you EVER a worker, volunteer, or soldier, or did you otherwise EVER serve in any of the following: Prison camp?
16. C. Were you EVER a worker, volunteer, or soldier, or did you otherwise EVER serve in any of the following: Detention facility (a place where people are forced to stay)?
16. D. Were you EVER a worker, volunteer, or soldier, or did you otherwise EVER serve in any of the following: Labor camp (a place where people are forced to work)?
16. E. Were you EVER a worker, volunteer, or soldier, or did you otherwise EVER serve in any of the following: Any other place where people were forced to stay?
17. Were you EVER a part of any group, or did you EVER help any group, unit, or organization that used a weapon against any person, or threatened to do so?
17. A. If you answered "Yes," when you were part of this group, or when you helped this group, did you ever use a weapon against another person?
17. B. If you answered "Yes," when you were part of this group, or when you helped this group, did you ever tell another person that you would use a weapon against that person?
18. Did you EVER sell, give, or provide weapons to any person, or help another person sell, give, or provide weapons to any person?
18. A. If you answered "Yes," did you know that this person was going to use the weapons against another person?
18. B. If you answered "Yes," did you know that this person was going to sell or give the weapons to someone who was going to use them against another person?
19. Did you EVER receive any type of military, paramilitary (a group of people who act like a military group but are not part of the official military), or weapons training?
20. Did you EVER recruit (ask), enlist (sign up), conscript (require), or use any person under 15 years of age to serve in or help an armed force or group?
21. Did you EVER use any person under 15 years of age to do anything that helped or supported people in combat?
22. Have you EVER committed, assisted in committing, or attempted to commit, a crime or offense for which you were NOT arrested?
23. Have you EVER been arrested, cited, or detained by any law enforcement officer (including any immigration official or any official of the U.S. armed forces) for any reason?
24. Have you EVER been charged with committing, attempting to commit, or assisting in committing a crime or offense?
25. Have you EVER been convicted of a crime or offense?
26. Have you EVER been placed in an alternative sentencing or a rehabilitative program (for example, diversion, deferred prosecution, withheld adjudication, deferred adjudication)?
27. A. Have you EVER received a suspended sentence, been placed on probation, or been paroled?
27. B. If you answered "Yes," have you completed the probation or parole?
28. Have you EVER been in jail or prison?
30. A. Have you EVER: Been a habitual drunkard?
30. B. Have you EVER: Been a prostitute, or procured anyone for prostitution?
30. C. Have you EVER: Sold or smuggled controlled substances, illegal drugs, or narcotics?
30. D. Have you EVER: Been married to more than one person at the same time?
30. E. Have you EVER: Married someone in order to obtain an immigration benefit?
30. F. Have you EVER: Helped anyone to enter, or try to enter, the United States illegally?
30. G. Have you EVER: Gambled illegally or received income from illegal gambling?
30. H. Have you EVER: Failed to support your dependents or to pay alimony?
30. I. Have you EVER: Made any misrepresentation to obtain any public benefit in the United States?
31. Have you EVER given any U.S. Government officials any information or documentation that was false, fraudulent, or misleading?
32. Have you EVER lied to any U.S. Government officials to gain entry or admission into the United States or to gain immigration benefits while in the United States?
33. Have you EVER been removed, excluded, or deported from the United States?
34. Have you EVER been ordered removed, excluded, or deported from the United States?
35. Have you EVER been placed in removal, exclusion, rescission, or deportation proceedings?
36. Are removal, exclusion, rescission, or deportation proceedings (including administratively closed proceedings) currently pending against you?
37. Have you EVER served in the U.S. armed forces?
38. A. Are you currently a member of the U.S. armed forces?
38. B. If you answered "Yes," are you scheduled to deploy overseas, including to a vessel, within the next three months?
38. C. If you answered "Yes," are you currently stationed overseas?
39. Have you EVER been court-martialed, administratively separated, or disciplined, or have you received any other than honorable discharge, while in the U.S. armed forces?
40. Have you EVER been discharged from training or service in the U.S. armed forces because you were an alien?
41. Have you EVER left the United States to avoid being drafted in the U.S. armed forces?
42. Have you EVER applied for any kind of exemption from military service in the U.S. armed forces?
43. Have you EVER deserted from the U.S. armed forces?
44. A. Are you a male who lived in the United States at any time between your 18th and 26th birthdays?
45. Do you support the Constitution and form of Government of the United States?
46. Do you understand the full Oath of Allegiance to the United States?
47. Are you willing to take the full Oath of Allegiance to the United States?
48. If the law requires it, are you willing to bear arms on behalf of the United States?
49. If the law requires it, are you willing to perform noncombatant services in the U.S. armed forces?
50. If the law requires it, are you willing to perform work of national importance under civilian direction?

Conclusion

I am proud to officially become a U.S. citizen. I am grateful for the perseverance that carried me through the challenges of the past eight years.

Certificate

uscitizen

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