How the Constitution Changes: The Amendment Process Behind Civics Q5 and Q7
Two of the first seven questions on the 2025 civics test are about changing the Constitution. Question 5 asks how changes are made, and Question 7 asks how many changes there have been. The short answers are easy: amendments and twenty-seven (27). Knowing how the process actually works makes both answers stick, and it also helps with several other questions about specific amendments.
The photo shows the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., where the original Constitution, Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights are displayed. The National Archives also runs the paperwork for every new amendment, as you will see below.
The two test answers
| Question | Accepted answers (2025 test) |
|---|---|
| Q5. How are changes made to the U.S. Constitution? | Amendments, or the amendment process |
| Q7. How many amendments does the U.S. Constitution have? | Twenty-seven (27) |
Say either answer for Q5. For Q7, say twenty-seven. Both are in the Principles of American Government section: practice Q1–Q15.
How Article V works, in plain English
The rules for amending the Constitution are in Article V. There are two steps, and each step has two possible paths.
Step 1: Propose the amendment.
- Congress votes for it by a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate. Every one of the 27 amendments started this way.
- Or a national convention is called when two-thirds of the state legislatures (34 of 50) ask for one. This path has never been used.
Step 2: Ratify the amendment.
- Three-fourths of the states (38 of 50) must approve it, either through their state legislatures or through special state conventions. Congress picks which method.
The President does not sign an amendment. According to the National Archives, the joint resolution from Congress goes straight to the Archivist of the United States, who sends it to the states and later certifies the amendment once 38 states have ratified it.
Memory trick: two-thirds to propose, three-fourths to approve. The bar is high on purpose. The framers wanted the Constitution to change only when a large majority of the country agrees.
Why only 27 amendments?
Thousands of amendments have been introduced in Congress since 1789, but very few reach the states, and fewer still collect 38 ratifications. A few facts that make the number 27 easier to remember:
- The first 10 came together. They were ratified in 1791 as the Bill of Rights (Q6 asks what it protects). So only 17 amendments have been added since then.
- The 27th took more than 200 years. It was proposed by Congress in 1789 with the Bill of Rights and was finally ratified in 1992. It says a pay raise that Congress votes for itself cannot take effect until after the next House election.
- The 26th was the fastest. It lowered the voting age to 18 and was ratified in about 100 days in 1971.
- One amendment cancelled another. The 18th (1919) banned alcohol, and the 21st (1933) repealed it. The 21st is also the only amendment ratified by state conventions instead of state legislatures.
Amendments that answer other civics questions
Once you know that amendments are how the Constitution changes, several other questions on the 2025 test become one idea. These are the amendment numbers worth knowing:
| Amendment | What it does | Civics question |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Speech, religion, assembly, press, petition | Q65 (rights of everyone) |
| 10th | Powers not given to the federal government belong to the states or the people | Q60 |
| 13th | Ended slavery | Q95–Q96 connect to it |
| 14th | Citizenship for people born or naturalized in the U.S. | Q97, Q68 |
| 15th | Voting cannot be denied because of race | Q63, Q98 |
| 16th | Lets Congress collect a federal income tax | Q71 connects to it |
| 17th | Senators are elected directly by the people of each state | Q32 connects to it |
| 19th | Women’s right to vote | Q63, Q102 |
| 22nd | Two-term limit for the President | Q37 |
| 24th | No poll tax to vote | Q63 |
| 26th | Voting age of 18 | Q63 |
For the full list with every question in order, see Every Amendment on the 2025 Civics Test, by Number.
Common mix-ups
- “The President approves amendments.” No. The President has no formal role in Article V.
- “The Supreme Court changes the Constitution.” The Court interprets the Constitution in cases (Q51 asks what the judicial branch does), but only the amendment process changes its text.
- Saying “27 articles.” The Constitution has 7 articles and 27 amendments. Q7 asks about amendments.
- Mixing up two-thirds and three-fourths. Proposing takes two-thirds of Congress. Ratifying takes three-fourths of the states.
Quick drill (say it out loud)
- How are changes made to the U.S. Constitution? Amendments.
- How many amendments does the Constitution have? Twenty-seven.
- What are the first ten amendments called? The Bill of Rights.
- Which amendment limits the President to two terms? The 22nd.
- Which amendment gave women the right to vote? The 19th.
Practicing out loud helps because the civics test is oral. Try the free practice test or the hands-free Listen mode, and see Practice Out Loud for the Naturalization Civics Interview for a simple routine.
Read next
- Principles of American Government on the 2025 Civics Test
- What the Bill of Rights Protects
- Voting Amendments on the 2025 Civics Test
- First Amendment Five Freedoms on the 2025 Civics Test
Sources: U.S. Constitution, Article V (Constitution Annotated, Library of Congress); National Archives: Constitutional Amendment Process; USCIS 2025 civics test questions. Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress, via Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
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