To think the UK citizenship test is full of pointless questions which will not help people live in the UK?

[dilemma456]

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I only got 58% and I'm a British subject by birth! (Got the question about GP letter wrong... you need a REFERRAL not a letter and yes, there are direct access hospital services.)

I have to take it soon....

But, when my grandfather emigrated to the US (from Canada) he had to take a test in US history where a judge grilled him on constitutional matters and American history for over an hour!

I'm a 48 year old native briton with a 1st class degree and a PhD. I listen to R4 and watch paxman quite often, and read the Times at the weekend.

I got 15 correct. So obviously the test is bollocks.

The questions I got right tended to be the few useful ones like the speed limit. The statistics ones and dates of divorce legalization were utterly stupid and pointless. It really doesn't matter whether there are 2.7 or 3.4% muslims or whatever the numbers were - now, if they'd had figures like 'approximately 1% 3% 10% 25%' it would perhaps have showed whether you had the right ballpark figure on demographics, which is somewhat relevant.

anyway of course you don't need a GPs letter to attend a hospital except in emergency. You just need to have a small child and consult NHS direct don't you?

Fantastic - I failed spectacularly and am British.

Some of those are not exactly general knowledge are they?

Think I'll stick here in NZ where I used to get letters addressed to "Dear Alien" and be told that spitting up on the pavement was generally regarded as impolite.

I was supposed to know about the Treaty of Waitangi though.

I failed! 8 years of full-time higher education and I can't pass a citizenship test for my own country. Seriously, who needs to know that crap? What exactly does it prove?

Fucking ridiculous.

Excuse my French.

That kind of bullshit makes me really angry, what on earth has it to do with whether or not someone will be a "good citizen".

ARGH!

(oh, I got 12 and I've lived in the UK all my life)

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I was sooooo incredibly lucky, I missed out having to take this test by exactly one day! You better believe I paid all the special delivery charges to make sure my application arrived the day before the test requirement came in....and it couldn't arrive any sooner because I had to be in the country for 3 years, anniversary of my arrival came up two days before the test requirement!

Of course, it then took 8 months to process, because everyone who hadn't bothered to apply before suddenly decided they also wanted to apply so they didn't have to take this stupid test. I'm glad I got here when I did, I have a few friends who've had to take it and waste loads of money/time preparing...when, as evidenced here, it's stuff native born people don't even know.

I did it a while back when FAQ linke to it and failed dismally! They certainly have no such thing in belgium - and brussels is supposed to be 47% foreigner down to the EU etc. Sod tests, my commune will only speak to people in Flemish. NO translations. If you want social housing you have to speak flemish. They have maybe gone too far.....

A colleague had to take it last year. She is Australian, married to a British man and is a teacher with a string of specialist qualifications.

She found it incredibly hard to studyfor and her dh could not understand why some of the questions were relevant.

I mean come on she left Australia to come to Britain bringing with her skills in a shortage area.

Ridiculous.

16/24 Failed. And that score was boosted by some lucky guesswork. How else would I know that there are 15 (and not 13, 14 or 16) million people up to the age of 19 in the UK???

Oh well, I am British but have lived abroad for much of my adult life so probably should not be allowed back in the country.

I did a German version of this type of test recently and passed.

Agree that it is ridiculous. I tried it a couple of weeks ago and failed. Several of the answers given are wrong, or at least oversimplified. And why do they ask about the year when divorce was legalised? Wouldn't it be far more relevant and useful to have a question about sources of support to help with troubled relationships or domestic violence?

In answer to the thread title-maybe thats the point of the test..

I got 11/24 -

You have failed the practice citizenship test.

Questions answered correctly: 10 out of 24 (42%)

I'll get me coat.

OMG I failed! I am sitting the Australian Citizenship test next week (for real), I hope I do better in that!!!!

failed, 42 per cent

better not come home then

I suppose the idea is that people should study, make an effort, make sure they can read the questions in English. It's not meant for us.

So if people do all that, then they can pass, and they will have learnt a bit about the UK in the process.

Not ridiculous really.. the thinking is that people try to find out about the UK if they want to live here.

ps dilemma well done

and rofl at i listen to radio 4 and can't do it so it's bollocks

"live here" wrong it's not a residence test

I only got 14 right! I hardly ever listen to the news and especially tune out when it's politics.....

Why on earth do they give 45 minutes for the test? It took me 4 minutes (to fail) but they were all questions you either know or don't - nothing you could usefully work out. What would be the point of staring at it for ages?

Agree that the test says nothing about whether someone will be a decent citizen. Should be essay questions and ethical dilemmas for that (Lots of native born Brits would fail those too of course.)

Sunny, I just did it and failed , but took the Oz one last year and got 100% .

The Oz one was heaps easier.

it doesn't show a person's moral standpoint which would be rather intrusive

it shows they are prepared to study though

i wonder what the conditions are for taking the test

15 out of 24. I am British. The test is crap.