About to be deported?

[purplecthulhu]

I just took the practice citizenship test available hereI only got 63% and have thus failed to qualify as a UK citizen

Comments

[robert_jones]

It's not supposed to be test of general knowledge. It's a test on the booklet. The idea is that if you read and learn the contents of the booklet you will: (a) have a working knowledge of UK citizenship and (b) be able to pass the test. The specific questions asked are not necessarily important in themselves.

[swisstone]

But presumably it is expected that functioning British citizens should know this stuff, or 75% of it, without having to study the booklet. Otherwise the test is pointless, isn't it?

[robert_jones]

I suspect there are functioning drivers who would fail the written element of the driving test if they took it tomorrow, and functioning lawyers who would fail a law exam if they took it tomorrow. It's not at all unusual for people to learn things for an exam which they (a) forget shortly afterwards and (b) never need to know in practice.

Perhaps that is a problem with our assessment methods, but it's not a problem specific to this test.

[purplecthulhu]

Indeed, but there is usually some correlation between what one does on a day-to-day basis in something one is examined for and the contents of the test.

Given that many (most?) of the UK citizens who've taken this test have failed it, there would not seem to be much of this kind of correlation for this test.

[annafdd]

I got 50%, which is not bad considering that I am not born here and didn't study.

What really worries me is that the answers I failed are the one who require remembering a number by heart. I will never be good at those.

[dwagon]

63% correct here too :)

[annafdd]

And the answer to your question: xenophobia. The whole thing is designed to make it difficult and a ritual of submission for people to become British.

[purplecthulhu]

'ritual of submission' is a good way of putting it, especially given the suggestion that there are 'moves to restrict probationary citizens' right to protest' or that 'that would-be citizens should be expected to show more obedience to the state than those who are already citizens'.

The thought police must be revving up their brain scanners at the home office, and if they start with immigrants, they'll be after the rest of us before long.

[owlfish]

Hurray! I got 75% and passed! But some of those really were some silly questions. I mean, I would understand if the percentage of a religious group needed to be estimated on the 0-5-10-15-20% kind of ranges, but to demand accuracy to a tenth of a percent in order to be correct?

[purplecthulhu]

Yes - this is not a test of knowledge of the UK or acceptability as a citizen, it's a test of ability to do tests, and thus pointless.

[owlfish]

Fortunately for me, doing tests is one of my well-honed abilities. Unfortunately for me, this is a skill that rarely comes in handy these days.

[brixtonbrood]

Although ability to do tests is not quite pointless - if the government has decided that it wants a country full of more or less literate and almost numerate people who can function in the society we currently have (which is full of forms and ticky boxes) without leaning too heavily on the CABs then this is a non-stupid, if disingenous, way of achieving it.