Citizenry test 'a bad pub quiz'

[MaprangHolmes]

Here is a link about the life in the uk test, http://news.uk.msn.com/citizenry-test-a-bad-pub-quiz

A test taken by around 150,000 would-be British citizens each year is just a "bad pub quiz" with too much focus on culture and history at the expense of practical knowledge, an academic has said.

The Life in the UK test, which must be passed to qualify for indefinite leave to remain in Britain, does not require practical necessities in everyday life, Durham University's Dr Thom Brooks said. But it is required that new citizens know "trivial" facts such as the year Emperor Claudius invaded Britain, the year that Sake Dean Mahomet launched the first curry house in the country and the age of Big Ben.

Dr Brooks, a US immigrant who sat and passed the test in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 2009, becoming a British citizen in 2011, said the test is a key part of immigration policy but is "unfit for purpose" in its current form.

"The Life in the UK test has become a bad pub quiz. It has gone from testing practical trivia to the purely trivial and is a major opportunity lost," he said. "The biggest surprise is the lack of attention successive governments have paid to ensuring the test is fair and not out of date, a surprise even bigger than the sometimes shocking questions that can be found on the test," said Dr Brooks, a reader in law at Durham Law School.

"Many citizens that were born and bred in the UK would struggle to know the answers to many of these questions. Britain will not be more cohesive because more have heard about the Battle of Trafalgar, but rather if future citizens understand better how to participate in daily British life and make a contribution."

The latest edition of the test took effect from March 25 and was based on the third edition of the handbook Life In The United Kingdom.

Dr Brooks argues that the test is inconsistent in what it requires new citizens to know. They are not required to know the number of MPs in Westminster but are required to know the number of representatives in the Welsh Assembly, Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly.

Lord Roberts of Llandudno, vice-chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Migration, welcomed Dr Brooks's report, launched at a lecture at Durham University. "I am delighted to echo his call that the test, which is both impractical and irrelevant as it stands, be reformed," he said. "Surely future Britons should better understand how to participate in daily life, instead of knowing by rote which emperor invaded Britain in AD 43?"

Dr Brooks stops short of recommending that the test is ditched, but instead reformed so that it is no longer "impractical, inconsistent, trivial, gender imbalanced, outdated and ineffective".

A Home Office spokesman said: "We've stripped out mundane information about water meters, train timetables, and using the internet. The new test rightly focuses on values and principles at the heart of being British. Instead of telling people how to claim benefits it encourages participation in British life. This is just part of our work to help ensure migrants are ready and able to integrate into British society and forms part of our changes which have broken the automatic link between temporary and permanent migration."

[7by7]

Before criticising the UK's citizenship test, this American immigrant should have a look at that of his home country.

Not much in there about the "practical necessities of everyday life;" nothing, actually!

I have said before, and still firmly believe, that the scandal isn't that immigrants to the UK have to learn this stuff, but that British schoolchildren don't!

[bobrussell]

Before criticising the UK's citizenship test, this American immigrant should have a look at that of his home country.

Not much in there about the "practical necessities of everyday life;" nothing, actually!

I have said before, and still firmly believe, that the scandal isn't that immigrants to the UK have to learn this stuff, but that British schoolchildren don't!

Actually thank goodness much of this is taught at school now!

I tend to agree that some of the subjects covered are not that useful (eg: Morecambe & Wise type questions). It is a bit of a silly test and I am sure the test for US residence is a lot tougher!

The test should either be scrapped or much better be more intensive and more relevant for day to day life. The skills for life course my wife did at college was really good for her and included a fair chunk about the history and culture of the UK. She would not have a clue about long dead comedic partnerships but nor would a fair chunk of British under 25's!

It needs to be a check on English skills but also may be the only opportunity to make sure people are 'made' to learn about British heritage.

Edited June 14, 2013 by bobrussell

[7by7]

Whilst the 'test' published on their website by two young Indian men may contain questions about long dead comedians; does the real one?

I haven't seen an actual test nor read the handbook, but the 'What you need to know' section of the LitUK website makes no reference to them.

Can anyone who or whose partner has recently taken the test or is currently studying for it confirm or deny if such questions actually exist?

BTW, the US test may be tougher, it is certainly older. I remember when reading a biography of Humphrey Bogart a chapter about the making of Casablanca. It said that in between takes Bogart helped Bergman with her studies for the US citizenship test; and that was in 1942!

Edited June 14, 2013 by 7by7

[simple1]

Whilst the 'test' published on their website by two young Indian men may contain questions about long dead comedians; does the real one?

I haven't seen an actual test nor read the handbook, but the 'What you need to know' section of the LitUK website makes no reference to them.

Can anyone who or whose partner has recently taken the test or is currently studying for it confirm or deny if such questions actually exist?

BTW, the US test may be tougher, it is certainly older. I remember when reading a biography of Humphrey Bogart a chapter about the making of Casablanca. It said that in between takes Bogart helped Bergman with her studies for the US citizenship test; and that was in 1942!

Haven't lived in the UK for 30+ years, but out of curiosity just took the online practice test; acheived 83%, pass is 75%. Their was a question of whether Gilbert & Sullivan were comedians or wrote comedy operas. Test has a disclaimer that they are not questions from the official test.

[MaprangHolmes]

In the 3rd edition life in the uk it does indeed say about morecambe and wise and list some old English films like the 39 steps I really can not see the point of learning this and there is really not much need for school children to learn this sort of thing.

[7by7]

In Outside the Box there is a topic which, among other things, is highly critical of immigrants for not integrating.

Surely having them learn about British cultural icons is one way of addressing this?

[Jay Sata]

Not integrating is not true of all nationalities. Thai's integrate well.

The Thai community in the UK is surprisingly widespread, as marriage migrants are likely to be scattered across the country with their partners, instead of following the trend of migrant groups settling together in large cities.

source; Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thais_in_the_UK

[bobrussell]

I have to admit that as a 'Brit' I found the new 'test questions' amazingly simple. I got one wrong on a technicality! Not the same story with the old test.

Almost every Thai I know is well integrated into British life. The British Thai community are a perfect example of good immigration IMO. Being married to a Thai provokes little animosity, quite a lot of interest and talking with my wife and sister-in-law outside Lidl an elderly gentleman smiled and said 'You are a lucky boy aren't you'. I have to say I agreed!

[Waterloo]

I have to admit that as a 'Brit' I found the new 'test questions' amazingly simple. I got one wrong on a technicality! Not the same story with the old test.

Almost every Thai I know is well integrated into British life. The British Thai community are a perfect example of good immigration IMO. Being married to a Thai provokes little animosity, quite a lot of interest and talking with my wife and sister-in-law outside Lidl an elderly gentleman smiled and said 'You are a lucky boy aren't you'. I have to say I agreed!

Not really the subject in hand but I would agree with both Jay & Bob

[marstons]

I guess culture and history would be a tough thing for an Ex US citizen to comprehend but the UK has a long background of culture and history and its important to many UK citizens. Some of it good some of it bad but still important its learnt and understood by people "choosing" to become UK citezens.

Should he not like the emphasis on culture and history can always return home and read up about his own countries in an hour or so.

Not American bashing just our newly arrived guest who does not seem to think the Battle of Trafalgar is an important part of English life, it did after all prevent the UK being invaded, along with sending down 22 French/Spanish ships for the loss of none greatly outnumbered.

I certainly took an interest in Thailand's culture and history and see it as an important part of living here, even if the locals do not.