As someone living in Pennsylvania as a lawful permanent resident, you may at some point wish to establish formal U.S. citizenship that enables you to stay in the United States on a permanent basis. There are 10 steps involved in the path to citizenship through naturalization, and one of those steps involves taking English and Civics tests.
Per U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, passing both the English and Civics portions of the naturalization test is a requirement if you wish to become a U.S. citizen through naturalization.
How the tests work
The English section of the naturalization test seeks to assess your ability to communicate in English and expects you to be able to read, write and speak basic English. An officer from USCIS listens to you speak and read aloud, and then you also have to write one of three sentences the officer gives you correctly to pass. The Civics test assesses your knowledge of U.S. customs, government and history. There are two versions of the Civics test currently in use, and the one you must take is going to vary based on when you filed your initial application for naturalization.
What happens if you fail
If you do happen to fail one or both parts of the naturalization test, try not to lose hope. You have the option of retaking the section you failed again between 60 and 90 days from the date you had your initial naturalization interview.
In rare cases, such as if you meet certain age requirements, you may be exempt from having to take the English part of the naturalization test.