Exams are the bane of every student’s life. Sadly for Iowa high schoolers, it looks like there’s another one coming their way. This time, it’s not your usual math or science test. Lawmakers in the state seem pretty unhappy with the current level of education. They believe high school students should know more about how the U.S. government works before they’re allowed to vote. So, their latest move is to introduce a bill that would make passing the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services civics test a requirement for graduation.
As of now, the new bill has passed the Iowa House and is waiting for Governor Kim Reynolds’ approval. If she signs it into law, the rule will kick in for the 2026–27 school year. The civics exam will have 100 multiple-choice questions, and students will need to score at least 60 percent to pass.
Senator Jesse Green is one of the main supporters of the bill. He pointed out that a lot of people can’t even name the three branches of government, and said it’s time for Iowa to start raising its standards. While plenty of high school students will probably groan at the thought of yet another exam, the senator believes this is the bare minimum needed to make sure more citizens are politically aware.
Not everyone is happy with the new law, however, as opponents argue that the multiple-choice format of the test will turn it into just another memorization task. On the other hand, implementing an essay-based test could place an additional financial burden on schools.
Many people hearing about the new Iowa bill are skeptical. While the idea of getting high school students to understand politics better is appealing, some question the true motivation behind it. “A real test or an ideological purity test?” one Reddit user asked.
Another pointed out that the exam could be beneficial if schools also offered a strong civics course. However, they argued that just adding a multiple-choice test would force students to memorize facts without really understanding them. “I took three relevant AP courses in high school, AP U.S. History, AP U.S. Government, and AP Comparative Government. They required writing-based questions in addition to memorization-based multiple-choice. It was really helpful for understanding how government and politics work,” the user explained.
A handful of Reddit users are concerned that this bill could be a tactic for something more sinister. “The intentions are simple: don’t teach the necessary information, give the test, and use the results as an excuse to target white kids for ‘reeducation’ and nonwhite kids for worse treatment. Alternatively, create a test where ideological loyalty to the ruling power takes precedence in the answers,” one commenter said.
