Gothamist: Smarter than a new American? Immigrant New Yorkers face a tougher citizenship exam.

Gothamist: Smarter than a new American? Immigrant New Yorkers face a tougher citizenship exam. | December 2025: Nearly 120,000 residents of the New York metropolitan area became U.S. citizens in 2024. Those who want to follow in their footsteps will face a higher hurdle next year: a revised citizenship test instructors say will be more challenging.

Citizenship test instructors across the five boroughs are bracing for the changes by overhauling their courses and familiarizing students with what to expect.

“There is a lot of new material to learn,” said Caton McFadden, a teacher and curriculum developer at Brooklyn Public Library who helps immigrants become new Americans.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced the revisions in September, which come as the Trump administration has clamped down on illegal immigration and curtailed some legal paths to citizenship.

In public remarks, USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said the current test was “just too easy.”

Instead of preparing to be asked any of 100 questions from a course package, future citizenship applicants will have to prepare for 128 questions, including some that instructors said required a more in-depth appreciation of U.S. history and government.

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Nearly 120,000 residents of the New York metropolitan area became U.S. citizens in 2024. Those who want to follow in their footsteps will face a higher hurdle next year: a revised citizenship test instructors say will be more challenging.

Citizenship test instructors across the five boroughs are bracing for the changes by overhauling their courses and familiarizing students with what to expect.

“There is a lot of new material to learn,” said Caton McFadden, a teacher and curriculum developer at Brooklyn Public Library who helps immigrants become new Americans.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced the revisions in September, which come as the Trump administration has clamped down on illegal immigration and curtailed some legal paths to citizenship.

In public remarks, USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said the current test was “just too easy.”

Instead of preparing to be asked any of 100 questions from a course package, future citizenship applicants will have to prepare for 128 questions, including some that instructors said required a more in-depth appreciation of U.S. history and government.

“Some of our students, they have a limited understanding of English so it will be difficult for them to explain an answer,” Gutierrez said.

Despite the hurdles, McFadden said she felt “really good” about students’ ability to tackle the changes.

“I have been working with naturalization applicants for a very long time,” she said. “They are always very diligent.”

The new test will be administered to those who applied for citizenship after Oct. 20 this year.

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