SAN DIEGO — Big changes are now in effect for anyone hoping to become a U.S. citizen. A new version of the naturalization civics test rolled out on Monday, and many immigration experts say it is significantly more challenging.

Applicants who file for naturalization starting Monday will face a longer, more complex civics test. The number of questions asked during the interview has doubled from 10 to 20, and to pass, applicants must now answer at least 12 correctly.

In addition to the longer test, the question bank has expanded. There are now 128 possible questions covering U.S. history, government and civics, up from the previous 100. But this isn’t just about memorization.

“It is very open-ended. The officer asks the question, and you have to be able to recall and give the answer that k

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