UK Citizenship Test

[Alec Rivers]

We do seem to be nation that likes to keep that last one a secret - just the sign, white circle/black slash through - we're not gonna tell you how fast you can go, you'll have to read the highway code!

Grrr, it must be hundreds of times I've been stuck behind some ignorant cretin who carries on doing 40 as we enter a de-restricted, straight bit of road on a dry, clear day. Then, when I finally have the opportunity to overtake, they flash at me for having had the audacity to do so! Makes my fucking blood boil. And, while I'm at it, these are often the same people who then still do 40 going into a 30 zone! I just can't believe what I'm seeing, sometimes.

*takes a deep breath*

[Karen Pearson]

Grrr, it must be hundreds of times I've been stuck behind some ignorant cretin who carries on doing 40 as we enter a de-restricted, ........... these are often the same people who then still do 40 going into a 30 zone!
*takes a deep breath*

I have to agree Alec. I'm a fairly laid back driver so I'm not usually too bothered if someone wants to keep doing 40 in a de-restricted are but I do get very cross when they don't even notice that they've entered a 30 zone. It just smacks of having no idea of what's going on around them - they shouldn't be on the road if they think they can park their brain while they are driving!!!

[Richard Adams]

This test is an embarrassment, and that something important could turn upon its results a disgrace.

Thank you for highlighting it.

Since it would seem that it is not possible to consult my MP over a dispute regarding employment, I think I'll ask him what he thinks about this nonsense having any part in our immigration policy.

[Julie T]

I've come across a few people who don't realise that there are two national speed limits, depending on the type of road. Is it still the case in France that it's two speed limits depending on the weather?

IIRC from driving on the continent, I think that you take 10kph off the speed limit on a motorway if it's raining. Very sensible, I reckon. You might think 'well, that's common sense', and I always drive a little slower when it's chucking it down, but many drivers do seem to carry on regardless.

[Peter Mabey]

We do seem to be nation that likes to keep that last one a secret - just the sign, white circle/black slash through

The reason for this is that the sign was designed before there was any national speed limit, so it simply needed to show the end of the restriction. As far as I recall, the national limit was brought in as a temporary measure in a fuel crisis, so it wasn't worth changing all the hundreds of thousands of de-restriction signs.

[Ian Volante]

We do seem to be nation that likes to keep that last one a secret - just the sign, white circle/black slash through

I figure the reason for this is that they might change the national speed limit in the future, and this would save them from changing all the signs. I mean, if you can't remember what it is then you probably shouldn't be driving anyway.

The A55 through Colwyn Bay is a dual carriageway with a 50mph limit. Between that and where it becomes de-restricted there is a signed 70mph limit. Maybe the Welsh Assembly is planning ahead.

One of the motorways to the west of Edinburgh has a 70 sign too. I see a mixture around the place these days.

[Martin Smith]

I got 11, although I suspect that a few hours' study beforehand could have helped. I'd agree that a few of the questions are either irrevelent or too fussy. Surely choosing the century in which women could divorce their husbands is more worthwhile than the exact year? Is that religion question really the most useful thing for an incoming person to know about religion and its place in UK culture either?

Agreed that questions about specific customs like queueing, dialect words (rather than names of dialects) and public transport would be better than relatively obscure political and historical stuff. I believe in the principal that anyone seeking to claim residence or citizenship in this country should have to prove their knowledge and understanding of it, but this test is far wide of the mark. It seems to reward time studying rather than time living.

[Tom]

This was fun to do! scored 14 in total which I was quite pleased with, though with the ones I got wrong I probably should have got around 16-17!

Two of the questions I got right which I was quite pleased with were on the percentage of Muslims living in the UK and the number of days a year most schools are open for, required mental aritimetic and general knowledge to work them out logically.

In general the questions I thought were quite tough. The kind of questions in my opinion you'd expect to see around the £32,000 or £64,000 question on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

[Jeff Clayton]

The speed limit is indeed variable on French motorways depending on the weather - 130km/h normally, reduced to 110km/h in conditions represented by a white cloud with a black outline above an array of black forward slashes.

The national speed limit sign in Britain differentiates between vehicle type aswell as road type. If you're driving behind a bus on a single carriageway out of town, you can expect to go no faster than 50mph.

__

One of the motorways to the west of Edinburgh has a 70 sign too. I see a mixture around the place these days.

There are a fair few of these around Scotland - certainly on the on-slips at both ends of the M8, and the M9 north of Stirling also springs to mind. I do believe these were also used in the early days of motorways in England, but were latterly phased out in favour of the white circle/black slash.

When I was studying for my Certificate of Professional Competence in Passenger Transport (http://www.ciltuk.org.uk/pages/profcompetence), the subject of speed limits came up. Given that certain vehicle types are restricted to 60mph or less on a motorway under "national speed limit" rules, I asked the tutor whether you would be entitled to drive at 70mph if you drove past one of these 70 signs. For the record, far from being told to foxtrot oscar, the answer I got was a polite no.


Jeff

[Kevin Thurlow]

The National Speed Limit also varies depending on the type of vehicle you are driving, or if you are towing a trailer or caravan...

I don't see why anyone should have to know the percentage of Muslims etc. Either you say "someone's religion is a matter only for that individual" and don't care, or you classify it as "foreign" and therefore of no interest. (I suppose there is a third category - Daily Mail readers.)

When women could first ask for divorces is a strange thing to mention. If you want history, why not Kings and Queens, or Waterloo, Trafalgar etc? They might as well ask, "Who or what are Bill and Ben?"
(a) Clock Towers
(b) Tower of London ravens
(c) Puppets
(d) Pet names Milliband and Mandelson have for each other

[Charlie Reams]

I don't see why anyone should have to know the percentage of Muslims etc. Either you say "someone's religion is a matter only for that individual" and don't care, or you classify it as "foreign" and therefore of no interest. (I suppose there is a third category - Daily Mail readers.)

I can see why it would be useful to have a ballpark idea (i.e. is it 0.2%, 2% or 20%) but knowing the exact percentage seems fairly pointless, especially since it has probably changed since they published the book.

[Julie T]

The speed limit is indeed variable on French motorways depending on the weather - 130km/h normally, reduced to 110km/h in conditions represented by a white cloud with a black outline above an array of black forward slashes.

Jeff

Ah, I was probably confused with (very roughly) translating a 20kph drop to a 10mph drop.

[Phil Collinge]

Supee (Juachan) will be taking the Citizenship Test for real on 5th February.

There isn't a huge amount of pressure on her just yet as she has until December to pass it, and we've got this one booked early to give her time to have at least half a dozen attempts. I don't think anyone could guarantee themselves passing this (as results here show) so we didn't want to leave it too late.

She's spent a lot of time revising and practising, it will be interesting to see how she fares when the pressure's on.

I'll post an update as we have it, but in the meantime I'm sure you'll join me in wishing her the best of luck.

[Ralph Gillions]

Supee (Juachan) will be taking the Citizenship Test for real on 5th February...
... I'm sure you'll join me in wishing her the best of luck.

Indeed Phil

[Julie T]

Good luck, Supee!

[Richard Adams]

I've just received an odd letter from the Home Secretary, via my MP.

Alan Johnson says that genuine test questions are not in the public domain, and that he suspects that 'www.ukcitizenship.co.uk' is an unofficial website.

This makes sense, but his statement 'my officials have tried to access this website but have been unable to do so' doesn't - I could a moment ago when I tried the link again.

Maybe I should try logging in to the site again from a different machine to avoid looking at cached material, or whatever it's called.

Anyhow, the Government denies the site is official, which is reassuring, given the nonsense it contains.

[Phil Collinge]

Supee took the test last Friday and, although she didn't pass, she did achieve a rather creditable score of 16/24, just two correct answers short of the pass mark. Re-test booked for next week.

Although we aren't able to list any of the questions used in the actual test, her feeling is that it was somewhat harder than the numerous test sites she had been using and passing on a regular basis.

As you would expect, it is not a fixed set of questions per se, and she was told that each fellow attendee would be getting a different set of questions during that session.

I've just received an odd letter from the Home Secretary, via my MP.

Alan Johnson says that genuine test questions are not in the public domain, and that he suspects that 'www.ukcitizenship.co.uk' is an unofficial website.

This makes sense, but his statement 'my officials have tried to access this website but have been unable to do so' doesn't - I could a moment ago when I tried the link again.

Maybe I should try logging in to the site again from a different machine to avoid looking at cached material, or whatever it's called.

Anyhow, the Government denies the site is official, which is reassuring, given the nonsense it contains.

If that is correct then Alan Johnson is talking absolute bollocks.

The genuine questions are all in the public domain, indeed the official study book 'Life in the United Kingdom: A Journey to Citizenship Handbook - 2nd Edition' is produced by the Home Office itself.

It may be nonsense but that is hardly reassuring given that the test linked in the OP features typical questions used in the real test, as derived from said Home Office study guide.

[Julie T]

I hope Supee has better luck next time. Only 2 off the pass mark isn't bad, and hopefully a pass should be achievable with more study and/or less obscure questions.

[Sue Sanders]

A big 'well done' to Supee for clinching it today!

[Ian Dent]

Yeah, well done Supee.

[Julie T]

A big 'well done' to Supee for clinching it today!

Congratulations, Supee!

[Supee Juachan]

Many thanks to everyone.

It was a tough test I'm glad to finally get through it.

[Gavin Chipper]

Many thanks to everyone.

It was a tough test I'm glad to finally get through it.

Your first post - did Charlie not let you join until you'd passed?

(Oh and well done.)

[Lesley Hines]

Many congratulations Supee, and welcome to the forum