Well despite being as prepared as possible my wife was not allowed to take the test. She was able to state why she was taking the test, ie which visa. Now I would have said ILR but upon re-booking the options were, citizenship, other and settlement. I fail to see the reason why you need to state why you are taking the test. My be to weed out people who have a fetish for enduring this kind of stress. So the visa type is settlement I take it, I thought is was ILR since Life in the UK is nor required for FLR or the initial settlement visa.

I was able to ask the reason for the failure and they went on to say that they don't expect people to know the number of the residence permit number however my wife was asked the number. Is she really expected to memorise her permit number. I doubt I could remember my driving licence number or passport number. Is this required or not. It definitely looks like if they don't get you on one reason they will get you on another.

It rather annoying to spend time going through the trial tests that bang on about the rights of residents, democracy, respecting individuals etc then the applicants are subjected to this kind of treatment. Before anybody mentions fraud, surely the ID is sufficient to weed out fraudsters taking the test on behalf of another.

I may be a little dim but was she refused entry to take the test or was it a problem with booking the test?

There is no requirement to know a permit number but there is a requirement to conform exactly to the required identity rules. It must match exactly the documentation used to book the test.

I assume they provided reasons for the refusal in writing or you made a request for this.

If in doubt worth putting in a complaint. there is a link via the .gov website where you book the test.

Someone was apparently refused entry to the test for not knowing the correct name for the document used and not knowing a postcode. Might be a jobsworth or a means to get a second fee out of candidates.

 

6 hours ago, bobrussell said:

I may be a little dim but was she refused entry to take the test or was it a problem with booking the test?

There is no requirement to know a permit number but there is a requirement to conform exactly to the required identity rules. It must match exactly the documentation used to book the test.

I assume they provided reasons for the refusal in writing or you made a request for this.

If in doubt worth putting in a complaint. there is a link via the .gov website where you book the test.

Someone was apparently refused entry to the test for not knowing the correct name for the document used and not knowing a postcode. Might be a jobsworth or a means to get a second fee out of candidates.

There wasn't a problem with booking the test. It was because she couldn't say which visa she was applying for. I am confused about quoting the id number. The test centre said that they don't expect the applicants to know the number but she was never the less asked for it. She got confused and rattled off her Thai id number. I guess most Thais know that off by heart.

I knew that you had to wait 3 days to re-take the test and they mentioned this. But when you go on line to book you can't book a test less than 7 days ahead. We have had to re-book a test for January as my wife is off to Thailand next week and I will join her over Christmas then returning in January so we booked a test a few days after we return. So back comes confirmation today for test on the 23 December. This time I took a photo of every page at the time of booking so I know for fact that the date requested was not the 23 Dec. Is it too much to ask for test within a few days of the preferred date. The same month would be nice, but not even in the same year? So now I am trying to get them to change the test date to the date requested not one the month before. And the test is now £75, a 50% increase on the previous price.

2 hours ago, Trevor1809 said:

There wasn't a problem with booking the test. It was because she couldn't say which visa she was applying for. I am confused about quoting the id number. The test centre said that they don't expect the applicants to know the number but she was never the less asked for it. She got confused and rattled off her Thai id number. I guess most Thais know that off by heart.

I knew that you had to wait 3 days to re-take the test and they mentioned this. But when you go on line to book you can't book a test less than 7 days ahead. We have had to re-book a test for January as my wife is off to Thailand next week and I will join her over Christmas then returning in January so we booked a test a few days after we return. So back comes confirmation today for test on the 23 December. This time I took a photo of every page at the time of booking so I know for fact that the date requested was not the 23 Dec. Is it too much to ask for test within a few days of the preferred date. The same month would be nice, but not even in the same year? So now I am trying to get them to change the test date to the date requested not one the month before. And the test is now £75, a 50% increase on the previous price.

They do seem intent on pushing your buttons Trevor and your patience is commendable.

 

First they ask the applicant a question about something that they already state isn't mandatory knowledge for provenance of the applicant. I can only offer that the 'jobsworth' who decided to ask this question was equally mortified at the applicant's inability to provide the correct answer and next time will use a different question more aligned with simply verifying the applicant is exactly who they claim to be.

 

Then they arbitrarily assign a re-test appointment date that is hopelessly adrift of what is requested. Maybe another 'jobsworth' seeing that this was a re-application decided to do you a favor and offer a pre- Christmas date hoping a pass would be a nice 'Christmas present'.

 

Either way , good luck on getting the test date changed to something that suits the applicant and not the agency and trusting your wife aces the re-test next year.

 

In the meantime, have a Merry Christmas.

All I can do it is learn from the experience. This time I took a phtoo of every page of the application hence knowing the date offered was their mistake and not mine. I will have to drum into my wife Settlement Visa, Biometric Residense Permit and the post code and get her to memorise her permit number and hope she repeats it digit perfect. They will think of something else to ask I am sure.

 

"use a different question more aligned with simply verifying the applicant is exactly who they claim to be" If a UK Government issued biometric residense permit isn't enough why are they bothering to issue them. And why a few years ago was the Government keen for all of us to have id cards if they don't trust an id card when shown one. If I can get airside into Heathrow daily on the basis of photo id then surely photo id to take a taking a damn test is good enough.