"What medal did Mary Peters win in the 1972 Olympics? How many Scottish ski resorts are there? Where was Florence Nightingale born? Until I got these questions as exasperated screenshots from my husband, I had no idea, like any normal Briton (it's gold, five and Italy, apparently). They came from an app he downloaded to revise for his Life in the UK test, a prerequisite for applying for citizenship."
"Other recent questions have featured the divine right of kings, Hadrian's Wall fort names and trying minor crimes in Scotland. Can the test itself possibly be this hard? We'll soon find out: he's taking it next week, if he doesn't give up and go back to France instead. Much has been written about the absurdity of the Life in the UK test it's inaccurate, partial and sloppily worded, unfit for purpose, a bad pub quiz and now it's ruining my life (in the UK)."
"Home is tense: my husband is tetchy because he has spent years here (he works, volunteers, pays taxes, can identify both Mitchell brothers and responds appropriately when asked You all right?), but now needs to prove he is assimilated by answering multiple-choice questions on the repeal of the Corn Laws. I'm mortified, partly because we're making people pay 50 to take an absurdly hard exam you need 75% to pass and partly because it keeps humbling me."
My husband prepared for the Life in the UK test using an app that presented obscure questions about Mary Peters' Olympic medal, number of Scottish ski resorts, and Florence Nightingale's birthplace. The test includes questions about the divine right of kings, Hadrian's Wall forts, and minor Scottish crimes. The test is criticized as inaccurate, partial, sloppily worded, and unfit for purpose. It costs £50, requires a 75% pass rate, and creates household tension as long-term residents must prove assimilation through obscure historical facts. Qualified professionals and educated natives find many items unexpectedly difficult, undermining confidence and fairness in the citizenship process.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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