All 128 questions · Symbols and Holidays / A: Symbols
2025 Civics Test · Question 121 of 128
Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
En español: ¿Por qué la bandera tiene 13 franjas? — ver en español
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Accepted answers (USCIS M-1778)
- (Because there were) 13 original colonies
- (Because the stripes) represent the original colonies
Why this is the answerThe stripes count the colonies the country started with — thirteen, fixed forever. The stars count the states there are now. Stars = states is the pair to keep straight.
See it explained▶ The flag and the national symbolsFree short lesson on our YouTube channel — no signup, nothing to install.
This answer is free — here and everywhere else on the internet. Still having it in the interview room, out loud, in English, under pressure: that’s what Naturalizer trains.
In the Naturalizer app, this question is taught inside “Symbols & identity” — the flag, the anthem, the holidays, and what they stand for. On the real test, an officer asks up to 20 of the 128 questions out loud; 12 correct answers pass.
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