Who Does Not Have to Take the English Test

Most applicants take the naturalization test in English. Some do not. The exemptions turn on two numbers — your age, and how long you have been a lawful permanent resident — plus a separate medical exception.

This page does not tell you whether you qualify. It sets out the rules as USCIS publishes them. Whether they apply to you depends on your own immigration history, and working that out is a job for a licensed immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative. US Citizenship Test Practice is not a law firm and is not connected to USCIS.

The age and residence rules

Each rule is written as age / years as a permanent resident. You need to meet both halves, and both are measured on the day you file Form N-400 — not on the day of your interview.

What "exempt from English" actually removes

It removes the reading test, the writing test, and the requirement to speak and understand English at the interview. It does not remove the civics test. An exempt applicant still answers civics questions; they simply answer them in a language of their choice, with an interpreter they bring themselves.

This is the point where the three rules diverge. 50/20 and 55/15 change the language of the civics test. 65/20 changes the language and the number of questions, down to 20 from 128.

Where the thresholds bite

Because both numbers are read on the filing date, an applicant who is a few weeks short of a birthday, or a few months short of a residence anniversary, is not covered — even if they would clearly qualify by the time the interview comes around several months later. Applicants close to a threshold are exactly the ones who should be getting advice before filing rather than after.

The medical disability exception (Form N-648)

Separate from the age rules, an applicant with a physical or developmental disability or a mental impairment may be excepted from the English requirement, the civics requirement, or both. The impairment must have lasted, or be expected to last, at least 12 months.

The request is made on Form N-648, which the applicant does not fill in themselves: it has to be completed by a licensed medical professional who has examined them. There is no age or residence threshold attached to it.

This one especially is not a form to approach from a website. N-648 is assessed case by case, it is the part of the process most often filed incorrectly, and getting it wrong costs time on an application that may already have taken years. Speak to an immigration attorney and to the treating clinician.

If none of these apply

Then the English test applies, and it is the more predictable half of what you are preparing for: fixed word lists published in advance, one sentence to read, one sentence to write, and a conversation about a form you filled in yourself.

Frequently asked questions

Is the US citizenship test in English?

For most applicants, yes: the reading, writing and speaking portions test English, and the civics questions are asked in English. Applicants who meet the 50/20, 55/15 or 65/20 age-and-residence rules are exempt from the English requirement and take the civics test in the language of their choice.

What are the 50/20 and 55/15 rules?

They exempt an applicant from the English requirement. 50/20 covers applicants who are 50 or older and have been lawful permanent residents for 20 years or more. 55/15 covers applicants who are 55 or older with 15 years or more. Both still take the civics test, but in a language of their choice.

Are age and years counted at the interview or when I file?

Both are measured at the time the Form N-400 is filed, not at the interview. USCIS publishes the rule this way, and it is the detail applicants most often get wrong when they are close to a threshold.

If I am exempt from English, do I still take the civics test?

Yes. The exemptions cover the English requirement, not the civics requirement. You take the civics test in the language you choose, and you may bring an interpreter.

Can a medical condition exempt me from the test?

There is a medical disability exception for applicants with a physical or developmental disability or mental impairment that has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months. It is requested on Form N-648, which must be completed by a licensed medical professional. It can exempt an applicant from the English requirement, the civics requirement, or both.

Can I bring an interpreter?

Applicants who are exempt from the English requirement and are taking the civics test in another language bring their own interpreter. USCIS does not supply one.

Where this comes from. The rules above are as USCIS publishes them. Nothing here is legal advice or an assessment of any individual case. The official page on the naturalization interview and test governs, and USCIS explains the special considerations in its own words.