Week 1: Foundations: Government, the Constitution & You
Wednesday classes warm up with N-400 interview practice. Tap each item to learn why it matters, and check off what you already have ready.
Bring on interview day
0 / 4 readyHow your interview will flow
- Appear at the USCIS office at the date and time on your notice.
- The officer reviews your N-400 answers with you, under oath.
- You take the English test: reading (1 of 3), writing (1 of 3), speaking (during the interview).
- You take the civics test: up to 20 questions from the 128-question test, and you must answer 12 correctly to pass.
- USCIS informs you of the results. If requested, you submit additional information.
N-400 Focus
- Bring your Permanent Resident Card (Green Card)
- Bring your appointment notice (Form I-797C)
Civics & History
N-400 Interview Prep
Welcome to the N-400 journey. The naturalization interview is a conversation with a USCIS officer who will: (1) verify your identity, (2) review your N-400 application section by section, (3) test your English (speaking, reading, writing), and (4) test your civics knowledge. This week we'll get an overview of what to expect on interview day — what to bring, how it flows, and how to feel prepared.
N-400 checklist for this week
- Bring your Permanent Resident Card (Green Card)
- Bring your appointment notice (Form I-797C)
- Bring all current and expired passports
- Review your full N-400 application once before the interview
English Lesson
Vocabulary
- Constitution
- The set of basic laws of the United States
- Amendment
- A change or addition to the Constitution
- Government
- The people and groups who lead a country
- Citizen
- A person who is a full legal member of a country
- Right
- Something the law allows you to do or have
- Freedom
- Being able to act, speak, or think as you want
- Branch
- One of the three parts of the U.S. government
- Congress
- The group that makes federal laws
- President
- The leader of the executive branch
- Vote
- To choose someone in an election
Example sentences
- The Constitution is the supreme law of the land.
- Citizens have the right to vote.
- The President leads the executive branch.
- Congress makes the laws.
Read-aloud passage
The United States has a government of three branches. Congress makes the laws. The President carries out the laws. The courts decide what the laws mean. This is called separation of powers. It keeps any one branch from having too much power.
Reading & Writing Practice
Awaiting official USCIS reading & writing word lists — instructor will paste in.
Read aloud
- The President lives in the White House.
- Citizens have the right to vote.
- We the People wrote the Constitution.
Write the sentence
6 questions. Answer them and submit — you only need 4 correct once to move on, but you can retake as many times as you want. Every attempt is saved so you can track your growth.