Civics Assessment

All Idaho public school students are required to take the United States Citizenship Test as outlined in Idaho Code §33-1602.7 .

Civics Graduation Requirement

Students are required to demonstrate proficiency in civics and government before graduating from high school.

Students may meet this requirement by successfully passing the Idaho Civics Test or by completing another district-approved pathway that demonstrates they have met the state's civics standards. Civics knowledge and skills are assessed as part of the secondary social studies curriculum.

Once a student has met the requirement, the district records successful completion on the student's official transcript.

Students may begin taking the Idaho Civics Test any time after enrolling in seventh grade. They may take all or part of the test and may retake it as many times as needed until they pass.

What is the format of the exam?

The Idaho Civics Test is based on the 100 civics questions used by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) as part of the naturalization process. These questions assess students' knowledge of U.S. history, government, and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

Coeur d'Alene Public Schools uses these same questions in an online assessment that includes a variety of question formats, including multiple-choice, short answer, and other selected-response questions. Students must answer at least 60% of the questions correctly to pass.

The assessment is offered during four testing windows throughout the school year. During each window, students may take the test during any class period. Students log in using their district-issued ID, and the system records the computer's IP address to help ensure the integrity and security of the assessment.