US citizenship test changes are coming, raising concerns for those with low English skills

By TRISHA AHMED
Associated Press/Report for America

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The U.S. citizenship test is changing, with rollout expected late next year. Under the proposed changes, the test would have a new English-speaking section and a new written multiple-choice format in the civics section. Some immigrants and advocates worry the changes will hurt test-takers with lower levels of English proficiency. Many are still shaken after former Republican President Donald Trump’s administration in 2020 made the test longer and more difficult to pass. In 2021, Democratic President Joe Biden ordered the U.S. to eliminate barriers to citizenship and changed the citizenship test back to its previous version, which was last updated in 2008.