Statutory Requirements

In the spring of 2015, the Arizona legislature passed the American Civics Act (House Bill 2064). This bill will require students, beginning with the graduating class of 2017 (currently Juniors), to pass a civics test based on the United States Immigration and Naturalization civics questions. Students will be required to score 60% or higher to graduate from high school or obtain a high school equivalency certificate.

Please find the complete text of the statute at the Arizona State Legislature.

School district boards and charter school governing bodies may decide how the test is administered.

Students must correctly answer at least 60 of the 100 questions on the civics test  Student may retake the test as many times as necessary to pass. New Legislation signed in 2022 requires student graduating in 2026 and after to have a passing score of 70/100.  If a student graduates in 2026, and has already taken the civics test and scored 60-69, they will need to retest and score 70/100 sometime prior to graduation in 2026.

Schools must document a student’s passing grade on their transcript.

Students receiving special education services are required to test but exempt from obtaining a passing score unless required by an IEP.

Graduation Requirement

While the Civics test is a high school graduation requirement, students at VESD receive instruction in Civics during the second semester of their 8th grade year. Students who successful pass the Civics test during their 8th grade year will have met the graduation requirement. The successful test results will be shared with the high school you choose following 8th grade.

** Please ensure you review your high school transcript and visit with a counselor to ensure the test is reflected on the transcript indicating successful completion of this requirement.