Civil Service Practice Exam 2026 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

To become the President of the United States, one of the fundamental requirements outlined in the Constitution is that the individual must be a natural-born citizen. This criterion ensures that the President has a strong connection to the country and its ideals from birth. A natural-born citizen can be defined as someone who was a U.S. citizen at the time of birth, either by being born on U.S. soil or being born abroad to U.S. citizen parents.

While there are other important qualifications—such as being at least 35 years of age and having been a resident of the U.S. for at least 14 years—being born in the United States is specifically mandated and serves as a defining characteristic of eligibility. The other options present common misconceptions or additional qualifications that are not required by the Constitution: being a lawyer, holding a college degree, or having a minimum age beyond 35 does not limit one's eligibility to run for the presidency.