Are you eligible for US citizenship? Have you filed your naturalization application? If your answer is yes to both these questions, you need to be prepared for the US citizenship exam.
What is the US Citizenship Exam?
The citizenship process includes a citizenship test and interview. All applicants are required to have basic knowledge of English and US government, history and civics.
The English Test
Your knowledge of English will be checked by the immigration officer conducting the interview. The way you answer the interview questions gives the officer an idea of how well you can understand and speak English. The officer will ask you to read and you need to read one out of three sentences correctly. And to demonstrate your ability to write English you need to write one out of three sentences correctly.
The Civics Test
USCIS has a list of 100 civics questions. During the interview, the officer will ask you 10 questions. You need to answer at least 6 questions correctly in order to pass this portion of the test.
Resources to Prepare for the US Citizenship Exam
There are several resources to help you prepare for the US citizenship Exam. The resources are in the form of sample tests, self-tests, flash cards, DVDs, etc. There are various communities that conduct citizenship classes.
The USCIS has recently, in association with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History launched an online learning tool called “Preparing for the Oath: U.S. History and Civics for Citizenship.” This tool is meant to help applicants for naturalization to prepare for the civics portion of the test. It is an interactive tool and includes videos and several multimedia activities. The tool allows users to explore the artifacts from the Smithsonian’s collections.
From the moment you decide to apply for citizenship, you should also make up your mind to prepare for the citizenship exam. If you fail the test you may be allowed to take it again on the date the USCIS specifies. However, that is a hassle you don’t need. Since you know you want to become a citizen, you can be well prepared in time for the exam. This way you need not be tensed at the time of the interview. Your confidence will help you get through the interview. Good luck!