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Park City High School

Civics Exam

To graduate from high school, Utah Law requires that students pass a basic Civics exam. The exam is 50 multiple choice questions derived from the civics test used by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. The minimum passing score is 35 correct out of 50 questions. The test score will not have any impact on GPA or any course grades, and it appears on the PCHS transcript only as "Passed." Seniors can take the test as many times as needed to pass before graduation. There is not an option to opt-out of the state’s requirement to pass the Civics exam.

The Civics exam is given to students in their senior-year U.S. Government class at Park City High School.  

Seniors who do NOT have a PCHS Government class (take the course online or at a different school) will be required to attend a scheduled sitting of the Civics exam at PCHS. There will be a minimum of three testing opportunities, one in March and two in May. Other testing dates may be scheduled at the school’s discretion. For testing dates, see the section below.

If a student transfers to PCHS from another high school, and they passed a state-mandated basic civics test, the "pass" must appear on the student’s official transcript from the previous school. If the "pass" does not appear on the transcript, the student must take and pass the exam at PCHS.  NOTE: Not all schools administer a civics exam in their Government classes, so even if the student took Government at a previous school, that doesn’t mean that they’ve passed the civics requirement. This is why the transcript must specifically note the civics exam.

Exam Dates for the Class of 2024:

Seniors who have a PCHS Government class with Ms. Andres, Mr. Chinn, or Ms. Morgan will take the exam in their Government class. The test dates below would ONLY apply for students who need to retake the test in May in order to pass for graduation.

Seniors who DON'T have a PCHS Government class in their schedule will need to take the exam in person on one of the following test dates. Students and their parents will be notified by email and/or letter if they need to take the exam. If you aren’t sure, contact the Registrar or your counselor. There’s no need to sign up for a date, just show up ON TIME to the test location.

  • December invitation-only dates (Seniors who have already completed .5 Government):
    • December 5 - 2:30pm, Room 235
    • December 12 - 2:30pm, Room 235
  • March TBD (Jr. ACT Day) (Seniors don’t have classes on this day, so it’s a great day to take the exam!) in the location TBD, testing times are assigned by the student’s last name: 
    • 8:00am - Last names A-E
    • 9:00am - Last names F-Lo
    • 10:00am - Last names Lu-Ri
    • 11:00am - Last names Ro-Z
  • April 2 - 2:30pm, Room 235
  • April 9 - 2:30pm, Room 235
  • May 14 - 2:30pm, Room 235
  • May 23 - 2:30pm, Room 235 -This is your absolute LAST opportunity!

Students need their laptops to take the exam. Laptops should be charged ahead of time, or bring your charger with you. Chargers will NOT be available at the testing location. The exam takes about 25 minutes and will be proctored by a PCHS social studies teacher.

Study materials, practice questions, and sample tests:
USCIS.gov Study for the Test - Check for Updates to the 2008 version
USCIS.gov Study for the Test (2008 version)
UEN American Civics Education Initiative
Quick Civics Lessons for the Naturalization Test 
Citizenship and Immigration Services Study Guide 
Civics Exam Flash Cards 

 
Reference:  USBE Rule R277-700-8, Utah Code 53E-4-205, UEN American Civics Education Initiative