to ask you, if you are British born, to answer these six questions without Googling?

[IceLollyMolly]

Just a small experiment. Not a marketing gimmick, but I will explain shortly, once a few people have answered. Or not answered!
If you are British born, can you answer these five questions without Googling or using any other materials for the answers?
(1) Who was the first person to circumnavigate the world without stopping?
(2) What date was the Battle of Boyne?
(3) How many local authorities are there in London?
(4) Which composer composed music for George the I?
(5) What significant event took place in 1284?
(6) Who is the paralympian who won six gold medals over two Paralympic Games?

Perhaps that is the intention. But that isn't how it goes in practise. Ergo, not fit for purpose. IMO it should be more relevant to day to day living and recent history, international relations etc, then it would be a better reflections of one's intention and ability to assimilate.

I don't think learning a lot of random facts to answer short questions like this tells you much about our history and culture. As I understand it, you can pass the test by knowing the official handbook well. Pretty obviously, the whole of British culture and history cannot be contained in one fairly short handbook.

And, by weird co-incidence, 1284 is the number of adverts in each ad break during Corrie transmissions.

@PlainJaneSuperbrainthe2nd To be fair, I thought Phileas Fogg was the first to circumnavigate the Globe. At least yours was a typo.😂

Erm Handel? Maybe? after than no clue.

Can’t answer a single one, British born and raised as our all of my ancestors

looked up the answers. Sheesh I’m Welsh. Though to be fair most education on the subject was about the evils of England/English. Rather than you know facts.

Well, I wonder why.
Amerigo Vespucci - unless it was Eric Bloodaxe (the Viking got everywhere!)
1693 afaik. William III against the remains of James II and VI's supporters.
How many boroughs in London? No idea. I was brought up there but why would I know unless I was a local government officer?
Handel certainly composed works during the reign of George I - not sure he was kapelmeister, though, er, Master of the King's Music here.
1284 - mopping up operation in Wales, since Edward I had comprehensively routed Prince Llewellyn ap Grufydd about eighteen months before. But it could be the mess in Berwick - Edward I (like the Vikings) got everywhere, at least in England, Scotland and Wales.
I don't follow athletics, so no idea who the paralympian might be - but good on them.
Don't tell me these appear on a citizenship test - I thought that was all about benefits. This lot (London boroughs excepted) would be a lot more use!

Given that the book is not a hefty tome, it can't realistically give the full context for every random fact it chooses to test on.

(1) Who was the first person to circumnavigate the world without stopping?
Cook
(2) What date was the Battle of Boyne?
17th century
(3) How many local authorities are there in London?
32
(4) Which composer composed music for George the I?
Handel
(5) What significant event took place in 1284?
Not sure
(6) Who is the paralympian who won six gold medals over two Paralympic Games?
The swimmer, Ellie thingbob

So am I right about 1284 - since Edward fought Llewellyn to a standstill in 1282?
Nearly right, apparently since it is the Statute of Rhuddlan.
A good example of why one should a) not trust the English b) don't squabble among yourselves when you have a predatory neighbour just over the border.

The main thing I learned from studying for the test 14 years ago that I hadn't known previously is how old you need to be to work behind the counter of a chip shop 😂

I totally get your point on this, and without googling I couldn’t answer any.
But isn’t the purpose of this test to equip new British Nationals with some history about the country? To help them feel connected to the past? I could (but I’m not going to) real off stacks of boring bits of information about local history, which you’d only know if you had an interest in my local area and learnt it or were born here. I also know random British history facts about other topics. We don’t all need to know the same facts, just a little bit about the history. Anyway, that’s my 2pence worth. :)

No idea. A level educated, British born and bred, work in the local community

Forgot Cook did not stop - well he must have stopped somewhere? What about fresh water etc?

Many things don't always work out the way they are intended, yet there is no reason to change normative thinking/normative laws because of that. Many people drive too fast - but we don't accept that is 'just the way it is' and change the speed limits. I also do not intend to change my lectures since many students can't be bothered listening and prefer to be spoon fed what they 'need to know' to pass the exam.

I found most of the material relevant to understanding the UK today, its past and a lot of cultural things. Most of it I knew beforehand, having lived here for a long time, but not all of it. I would say the majority of the information is based on 'good to know now' - like many other people have pointed out in this thread. Examples are information about democracy, voting, local democracy, responsibilities of the state and of citizens, what to do if someone commits a crime etc etc.

But you don't need to know this if you've been living in Britain all your life because you'll know more than 20 relevant facts. These are just the ones they chose for the test.

I've absolutely no idea, a couple at best. To me these things are of zero use to man nor beast. I reckon that 95% of the UK population get by quite well without it.

I know 4/6.
but the ability of British people to answer questions is irrelevant. It’s their country. It is reasonable to put requirements on people who want to naturalise. Those questions probably wouldn’t be on my list, but I don’t object to them. What I would like is questions like ‘on public transport is it socially acceptable to play music out loud, shout a conversation on a telephone for longer than is essential, or eat hot smelly food?’ Answer: no. ‘Would you be happy for your child to become or marry an atheist and bring up your grandchildren as atheists?’. Etiquette and vetting questions.

Should probably have put this in Chat or Other Subjects!

Anyway, I haven't seen all the responses, but someone asked if there was a question about the constitution. Yes, there is. Learnt it was unwritten! Good question. There was also a question about common law, which is also useful.
There are questions about Diwali, Eid and Baisakhi.

I would have liked more questions about some quintessential British things like
queuing
not discussing religion and politics in the workplace
not asking how much someone earns
maybe some trivia about the Tube? It is a fantastic thing.
standing up on the Tube or buses or public transport for the elderly and children
more about freedom of speech

I can answer 1!

I like your question suggestions.

Bear in mind that the actual tests are multi-choice, which makes it a lot easier - you're not just having to pluck facts from the depths of your brain.

I can answer only one and that is No.3 ...

As for the others I do not have a Scooby!

1. No idea
2. erm, 1600s so I’ll guess 1650
3. 32 (or 33 if City of London is included)
4. Handel
5. Wales had a treaty with England, but I don’t know it’s name
6. Don’t know, Tanni Grey-Thompson or Ellie Simmonds.