I failed my life in Britain mock test

[Britishfailure]

So I am a European citizen who has lived in London for 3 decades married to a Brit and raised 2 children. I have been toying with the idea of citizenship I light
of the Reform “we want to deport you all” rhetoric.

I took the mock citizenship test tonight and scored 71% which was not enough to pass. However, I made my British DH and children take it too and I actually scored way higher than they did.

The test is honestly crazy. Questions about roast beef. Honestly so weird. I think I won’t bother becoming a British citizen as I really don’t like roast beef 😂

DP and I both did it. It was easier for me because in the past, the history section was omitted. DP studied quite hard for it, made a spreadsheet for the 4 countries (flag, symbol, education, courts, etc) and did mock tests for weeks. ExDP did my country's with the same rigour. It's a test that takes serious prep but the pass never expires. You can do this!

Your wife would already skip English language test. It does differentiate. There are two test LiTUK and English language.

I don't think it's racist to want to check that people who are about to get a citizenship actually speak the official language of the country they are applying in....

My DP got citizenship last year. While he was studying we did the mock tests, also did them with my family and friends (we are all British born and bred except DP, who has been here 25 years). The questions are ridiculous, and many have nothing to do with relevant British culture. My DP now knows more about British history than I do!

Completely illogical and exceptionalist. That's like saying children who grow up on farms and spend their teens driving tractors around the fields don't need to take a driving test because it's evident they can do it already.

British history is British culture.

I agree, but the UK does not have an official language.

Apologies. De facto official language.

Yes, but the context is more important than the dates. So the Glorious Revolution is important because it cemented Britain as a constitutional monarchy. You don't need to know the exact year it happened, and the "correct" answer to the question "why was it called the glorious Revolution" is "because it was peaceful". That's debatable (there was no bloodshed in London but there was in Scotland). Someone who had learned the book (dates and "facts") by rote would find it easier to answer than someone who really knew the history and culture in detail

When I was at Catholic school, everyone in the world was divided into "Catholic" and "non-Catholic", with Protestants in the latter. I'm no longer (never was by choice) a Catholic, and I see both as being Christian, but my mum wouldn't

I realise that, but some of the questions were so irrelevant and obscure they were completely pointless. 99% of British people wouldn’t have know them.

I've just tried one, and got 54%. I've lived here my whole life, have an A Level in British History and consider myself generally quite well educated.

These questions are absolutely ridiculous.

What is ridiculous about them. They’re mostly just general knowledge. It’s nothing to do with being educated, being able to answer them is just a matter of paying attention and being that but curious

which ones were so irrelevant?

I found the book interesting for the most part and did learn from it at the time, although I have now forgotten most of it now. At least it was quick to revise. I read the book twice, highlighting the important stuffs, and did loads of mocks, writing down the wrong answers and going over them again.

There isn't a nicer way to say this but if that is true rather than tongue in cheek it shows your ignorance rather than your DPs depth of knowledge on the UK.

Most of the questions would have been covered at school or by living in the UK. Not many wouldn't know Wellington defeated Napoleon or what lent is. Even without an interest in general knowledge those are covered in history and RE at school.

No, it really isn’t.

I did it and failed miserably. Just over 70%. Some really obscure questions.

Yes, that is exactly what has pissed of the Spanish population to the point where many of them do not even want tourists. People moving there who absolutely refuse to learn the language.

It is a shame that the Brits who moved there have ruined Spain for other foreigners.

I got 75% on this one.

I found some of the questions to be badly written. There was one about whether people in a house share needed a separate TV licence.

But it did not say how many TVs were in the property.

Another one about who invaded after the Romans, but it didn't specify the time period so technically jutes, Vikings and Normans would all be correct.

It also seemed mostly about England and English History. Immigrants go to Scotland, Wales and NI too.

.

You can get an extension from having to speak English, know English or communicate in English if you get a form filled in by a GP. It seems you dont even need to know English to get a UK driving licence.

I don't understand how people with learning difficulties or memory issues can pass.

People with diagnosed learning difficulties or memory issues can get an exemption or additional assistance, they just need a doctor's note.

What makes you think the government wants them to?

See my reply above. They can actually get an exemption or additional assistance.