Skip to content
Before The Verdict Law and government, explained for teens

Amendment 20: Term dates and presidential transitions

The first page of the United States Constitution
The first page of the United States Constitution. National Archives · Public domain. Illustrative image.

AP Gov / Amendment guides

AMENDMENT 20 · RATIFIED 1933 · LATER AMENDMENTS

Changes the start and end dates of federal terms and addresses specified presidential transition problems.

Knowing the number helps. Next, try explaining what the amendment changes, where its limits are, and what else you need to know.

The amendment in plain English

The main rule: Changes the start and end dates of federal terms and addresses specified presidential transition problems.

A detail worth knowing: Presidential and vice-presidential terms end at noon on January 20; congressional terms end at noon on January 3.

Watch the limit: It does not solve every presidential succession or inability problem. The Twenty-fifth addresses a different set of situations.

How it connects

Think about the interval between an election and the start of the next term.

The Twentieth includes term dates and president-elect situations; the Twenty-fifth addresses succession, a vice-presidential vacancy, and presidential inability.

Compare Amendment 25 →

Check the sources

Practice test: Amendment 20

Try the six questions before opening the explanations. The examples are made up for practice. These are our questions, not official exam questions. Blank answers count as not yet correct. Your choices and score stay in this open page and are not sent or saved.

Not checked yet. Choose your answers, then check the reasoning.

1. What is a central rule of Amendment 20?

Main rule

Check the answer and reasoning

D. Changes the start and end dates of federal terms and addresses specified presidential transition problems.

Changes the start and end dates of federal terms and addresses specified presidential transition problems. Read the actual wording before applying it to a new situation.

2. Which detail belongs with Amendment 20?

Text and details

Check the answer and reasoning

A. Presidential and vice-presidential terms end at noon on January 20; congressional terms end at noon on January 3.

Presidential and vice-presidential terms end at noon on January 20; congressional terms end at noon on January 3.

3. A class asks why the presidential term begins on January 20 rather than in March. Which amendment supplies the current term-date rule?

Apply it

Check the answer and reasoning

B. Amendment 20

Changes the start and end dates of federal terms and addresses specified presidential transition problems. Identifying a relevant provision starts the analysis; it does not guarantee an outcome.

4. Which statement should you challenge as an overstatement?

Spot the mistake

Check the answer and reasoning

C. The Twentieth Amendment is the provision that limits a President to being elected twice.

It does not solve every presidential succession or inability problem. The Twenty-fifth addresses a different set of situations.

5. How should you compare Amendments 20 and 25?

Make a comparison

Check the answer and reasoning

D. The Twentieth includes term dates and president-elect situations; the Twenty-fifth addresses succession, a vice-presidential vacancy, and presidential inability.

The Twentieth includes term dates and president-elect situations; the Twenty-fifth addresses succession, a vice-presidential vacancy, and presidential inability.

6. Before reaching a conclusion in a new scenario, which question is most useful here?

Explain the reasoning

Check the answer and reasoning

A. Has the new term started, and is the issue a president-elect problem or a sitting President’s inability?

It does not solve every presidential succession or inability problem. The Twenty-fifth addresses a different set of situations. The right next question helps you avoid making the rule broader than it is.

Written practice: explain it your way

Try these three parts in your own words. This is a study exercise, not an official AP question or scoring guide.

  1. Explain the amendment’s rule in your own words. Name the part of government, right, or process it addresses.
  2. Apply it to the fictional scenario above. Identify one fact that makes the amendment relevant.
  3. Compare it with the linked amendment and explain a limit that could change the analysis.
Open the three-point self-check
  1. Accurately explain: Changes the start and end dates of federal terms and addresses specified presidential transition problems.
  2. Connect a fact to the rule, rather than just naming the amendment. Ask: Has the new term started, and is the issue a president-elect problem or a sitting President’s inability?
  3. Explain the distinction: The Twentieth includes term dates and president-elect situations; the Twenty-fifth addresses succession, a vice-presidential vacancy, and presidential inability. Include the limit: It does not solve every presidential succession or inability problem. The Twenty-fifth addresses a different set of situations.

One point per explained idea is a revision tool, not an AP score prediction.

Review the flashcards · Report a confusing question · Back to all amendments

Original, AI-assisted student study material. Sources checked October 30, 2026. Educational information, not legal advice. AP is a trademark of College Board, which does not endorse this project. This library covers all 27 amendments; it is not a claim that each amendment has equal AP exam emphasis.