The biggest part of the civics test is about how the government works. Congress writes the laws and has two parts: the Senate, with 100 senators serving six-year terms, and the House of Representatives, with 435 voting members serving two-year terms. The president leads the executive branch, is elected for four years, can serve only two terms because of the 22nd Amendment, signs or vetoes bills and is Commander in Chief of the military. The judicial branch explains laws and decides if they go against the Constitution; the Supreme Court has nine justices who serve for life. Some powers belong only to the federal government, and others only to the states.
What you'll learn
- The two parts of Congress, their size and their terms
- What the president can do, for how long, and who becomes president if they cannot serve
- What the Supreme Court is, how many justices there are and why they serve for life
- Powers of the federal government compared with the states
A sample question from the bank
Question: How long is a term for a U.S. senator? Answer: Six (6) years.
Question: Why does each state have two senators? Answer: Equal representation for small states (the Great Compromise).
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know my own senators and governor?
Yes. The officer can ask who your state’s senators and governor are, and the capital of your state. Those answers depend on where you live, so they are not in our practice bank: look them up before the interview.
What is the Electoral College?
It is the system that decides who is elected president. On the test, the expected answer is that it decides who is elected president, or that it is a compromise between a popular vote and Congress choosing the president.