A new Idaho high school graduation requirement tests students’ knowledge of American government, history and the Constitution — but the 50-question exam is more than a stroll through the basics.
It begins with 12 short-answer, written-response questions, followed by 38 multiple-choice questions. Students must score at least 60% to pass but can retake the test as many times as needed.
How well do you know your civics?
Take our quiz with questions from the new test.
Idaho already required students to pass a civics test for graduation, but the new exam replaces the previous 100-question citizenship test.
The new test was introduced after some lawmakers raised concerns about civics instruction in Idaho schools. It will assess students’ knowledge of American government, the nation’s founding principles and constitutional amendments.
The Idaho Department of Education says the new test is “more rigorous than the previous version” and that educators “may need to adjust instruction and assessment in high school U.S. History and U.S. Government courses” to ensure students are prepared.
Here are some of the questions:
- Define the concept of democracy.
- Define the concept of liberty.
- Explain the benefits of a bicameral legislature.
Despite having half as many questions as the prior exam the new test is meant to be tougher. The previous test was “trivial,” said Rep. Tony Wisniewski, who proposed a new civics test in 2025.
Discussion shifted during last legislative session from frustration with the status quo to concerns about anti-American views in schools.
“We need to do something to help get our young people back (to) loving our country,” said sponsoring Rep. Barbara Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls. “It is impossible to teach somebody to love our country by teaching them propaganda that is antithetical to how this country came about.”
The test requires students to articulate the United States’ multiparty lawmaking process. The legislation creating the requirement, Senate Bill 1366, passed with only Republican support.
Critics have complained the legislation bypassed the usual method of changing academic content standards: a multiple-year endeavor starting with a standards writing committee and followed by public, State Board and legislative review.
“By putting standards into code, we essentially make them political artifacts and not educational ones,” said Sen. Carrie Semmelroth, D-Boise, when the bill hit the Senate floor in April.
The new test will be effective for the 2026-27 school year.
