Guides · Symbols and holidays
The 12 easiest points on the civics test: symbols, holidays and geography
The last section of the 2025 test is short and friendly. All twelve questions, with the answers, in an hour.
Every test has a section you can own completely. On the 2025 civics test it is the last one, Additional civics: twelve questions about the flag, the anthem, the capital, the holidays and a few facts about the country. Learn it first, and you walk into the interview already sure of something.
The flag and the anthem
- Why does the flag have 13 stripes? Because there were 13 original colonies.
- Why does the flag have 50 stars? One star for each state.
- What is the name of the national anthem? The Star-Spangled Banner.
- The Nation's first motto was "E Pluribus Unum." What does it mean? Out of many, one.
Places
- What is the capital of the United States? Washington, D.C.
- Where is the Statue of Liberty? New York Harbor. Liberty Island is also accepted.
Holidays
- What is Independence Day? A holiday to celebrate U.S. independence from Britain. "The country's birthday" is also accepted.
- What is Memorial Day? A holiday to honor soldiers who died in military service.
- What is Veterans Day? A holiday to honor people who have served in the U.S. military.
- Name three national U.S. holidays. Any three of eleven: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day.
Memorial Day and Veterans Day are the pair people mix up. Memorial Day honors those who died. Veterans Day honors everyone who served.
The country
- Name one American Indian tribe in the United States. Cherokee, Navajo, Sioux, Apache and many others are accepted. Pick the one you can pronounce most easily.
- Name one example of an American innovation. The light bulb. Also accepted: the automobile, skyscrapers, the airplane, the assembly line, and more.
Why start here
These twelve are about nine percent of the test, and on interview day the officer may pull one or two of them into your ten or twenty questions. More important, they are the section you can finish. Learn them in an hour, say them out loud once a day, and spend the rest of your time on the big sections.
Frequently asked questions
What is the name of the U.S. national anthem?
The Star-Spangled Banner.
What does E Pluribus Unum mean?
Out of many, one.
What is the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day on the civics test?
Memorial Day honors soldiers who died in military service. Veterans Day honors people who have served in the U.S. military.
Study the official questions, free
Both versions of the civics test, the answers for your state, and practice tests in the real format with the real pass line.
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