Question 57 of 100 · 2008 civics test
When must all men register for the Selective Service?
From the 100-question list, the version for applications filed before October 20, 2025.
Accepted answers
- at age eighteen (18)
- between eighteen (18) and twenty-six (26)
Any one of these is accepted, unless the question asks for more than one.
Why this is the answer
All men must register with the Selective Service System between the ages of 18 and 26, and either accepted answer, at 18 or between 18 and 26, is correct. Registering is not the same as being drafted. There is no draft today; registering simply tells the government that you are available to serve in the Armed Forces if one is ever needed. Registration can be done at a United States post office or online. The system has a long history behind it: Congress passed the Selective Service Act in 1917 to expand the military for World War I, the first peacetime draft came in 1940, and drafts followed for the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Memory hook: register at 18, but registering is not serving.