TL;DR

The citizenship test asks about several U.S. presidents by name. The ones to know are George Washington, the first president and "Father of Our Country"; Thomas Jefferson, who wrote the Declaration of Independence; Abraham Lincoln, who freed the slaves and preserved the Union during the Civil War; Woodrow Wilson, president during World War I; and Franklin D. Roosevelt, president during the Great Depression and World War II. You also need the name of the current president — an answer that changes, so always confirm it. Study the official USCIS question list for the test version that matches your Form N-400 filing date.

Why presidents are on the citizenship test

The naturalization civics test covers U.S. history and government, and several specific presidents come up by name. The test is not asking you to memorize every presidency. It focuses on a small group of presidents tied to defining moments — the founding, the Civil War, the World Wars — plus the president serving right now. Learn that focused list and you can answer the president questions reliably.

One question stands apart because its answer changes: "Who is the President of the United States now?" You must answer with the person serving at the time of your naturalization interview. Because that can change with each election, this article does not name a current president — always confirm the current officeholder from official sources before your interview. The structure of the office itself is covered in our guide to the three branches of government.

George Washington: the first president

George Washington was the first President of the United States. The civics test asks this directly, and it also asks who is called the "Father of Our Country" — again, George Washington. Before becoming president, Washington led the American army during the Revolutionary War. For the test, the key associations are simple: first president, Father of Our Country.

Thomas Jefferson: author of the Declaration

Thomas Jefferson is best known on the civics test as the main writer of the Declaration of Independence. The test asks who wrote the Declaration of Independence, and the answer is Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson later became president, and during his presidency the United States made the Louisiana Purchase, buying a large territory from France in 1803. If the test asks what territory the United States bought from France in 1803, the answer is Louisiana. Understanding the founding documents connects to our guide to the U.S. Constitution for the citizenship test.

Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War

Abraham Lincoln is one of the most frequently tested presidents. He led the United States during the Civil War. The civics test asks, "What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?" Accepted answers include that he freed the slaves through the Emancipation Proclamation, that he saved or preserved the Union, and that he led the United States during the Civil War. Any one of those is correct.

A related question asks what the Emancipation Proclamation did: it freed the slaves — specifically the enslaved people in the Confederate states. Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation connect closely to the constitutional amendments that followed the Civil War, covered in our guide to the amendments 13 through 27.

Wilson and Roosevelt: the World Wars

Two twentieth-century presidents are tied to the World Wars. Woodrow Wilson was the president during World War I. Franklin D. Roosevelt, often called FDR, was the president during the Great Depression and World War II — the test pairs those two events in a single question, and Roosevelt is the answer to both.

One more president appears in a history question. Before he became president, Dwight D. Eisenhower was a general, and the test may ask which war he served in: World War II. Eisenhower is not tested as a president there, but as a general, so the answer is the war, not the presidency.

The current president and presidential succession

Two questions deal with the presidency as an office rather than with history. "Who is the President of the United States now?" must be answered with the person currently serving — confirm this from an official source close to your interview date, since it changes with elections. And "If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?" has a fixed answer: the Vice President. The civics test also asks who is the Vice President now, another answer that changes and must be confirmed. For how the presidency connects to the duties of citizens within the system, see our guide to the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizens.

Which test you will take

There are two versions of the naturalization civics test in use, and your filing date determines which one you take. If you filed Form N-400 before October 20, 2025, you take the 2008 civics test, drawn from a pool of 100 questions. If you filed on or after October 20, 2025, you take the 2025 civics test, drawn from a pool of 128 questions. The presidents covered here appear on both versions, but the exact question wording and numbering differ.

Always study from the official USCIS question list for the version that matches your filing date, and pay special attention to the questions whose answers change — the current president and vice president. For a side-by-side look at the two versions, see our guide to the 2008 versus 2025 citizenship exam.

Common misconceptions

  1. "You must memorize every U.S. president for the test." Wrong. The test focuses on a small group — Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Wilson, and Roosevelt — plus the current president.
  2. "Abraham Lincoln was the first president." Wrong. George Washington was the first president. Lincoln was president during the Civil War.
  3. "George Washington wrote the Declaration of Independence." Wrong. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. Washington was the first president and Father of Our Country.
  4. "The answer to 'Who is the President now?' is always the same." Wrong. That answer changes with elections. You must give the person serving at the time of your interview.

Frequently asked questions

Who was the first President of the United States?
George Washington. He is also known as the "Father of Our Country."
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson. He later served as president, during which the United States made the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.
What was one important thing Abraham Lincoln did?
He freed the slaves through the Emancipation Proclamation, saved or preserved the Union, and led the United States during the Civil War. Any one of these is an accepted answer.
Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?
Franklin D. Roosevelt. Woodrow Wilson was the president during World War I.
If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
The Vice President becomes President.
How do I answer "Who is the President now?"
Give the name of the person serving at the time of your interview. This answer changes with elections, so confirm it from an official source before your interview date.

Bottom Line

The citizenship test asks about a focused set of presidents: Washington the first president and Father of Our Country, Jefferson the author of the Declaration, Lincoln who freed the slaves and preserved the Union, Wilson during World War I, and Roosevelt during the Great Depression and World War II. Know that the Vice President succeeds the President, and always confirm the current president and vice president, since those answers change. Then study the official USCIS question list for whichever test version matches your filing date. Keep building your knowledge with our complete citizenship exam study guide.

Source: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, 100 Civics Questions and Answers (2008 version), uscis.gov/civics-questions-and-answers-2008-version; USCIS, Study for the Test, uscis.gov/citizenship/find-study-materials-and-resources/study-for-the-test; USCIS, George Washington civics lesson plan, uscis.gov (George Washington lesson plan).