Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Could you pass the UK citizenship test?

This is topic Could you pass the UK citizenship test? in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 06-16-2005, 08:50 AM:

Here is an example of a multiple choice exam which new immigrants will now need to sit in order to get a British passport. I'm ashamed to say that I only got 11 right (I got 1, 7, 12 & 14 wrong)!

Some of the questions look a bit ambiguous to me - for example, the correct answer to question 8 would probably depend on what sort of pub you were in and what sort of person you'd spilt beer over! [Big Grin]

Posted by Christian Volpi (Member # 2370) on 06-16-2005, 09:39 AM:

Woo-Hoo!! I got 5 right!

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 06-16-2005, 11:32 AM:

I've earned a seat in Heathrow Arrivals... with a 5 too.
But at least I got that first pub question right. [beer]

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 06-16-2005, 12:21 PM:

I would not have got most of them.

The '12' certificate was replaced by '12a' some time ago for cinema exhibition, though it is still used on videos.

The nominal Voltage was changed from 240 to 230 a few years ago to bring us into line with the mainland. Theirs was raised from 220 to 230 Volts. Tolerances were changed to bring the existing Voltages within the allowed range.

Who the hell cares where the myth of Father Christmas came from, or when various saints' days are? (I haven't got a clue when any of them are) Why would anyone wanting to live here need to know?

Knowing what number to dial in an emergency is obviously important, but most of the rest of it isn't. I think the most important thing is a reasonable knowledge of the English language; at least if you've got that you can ask for help or advice on any other matter if you need it.

In Croydon on a Friday night the fight would be almost certain, but since the pubs here don't generally have car parks it would be out in the street.

Posted by Gunnar Johansson (Member # 1661) on 06-16-2005, 12:37 PM:

I got 11 right, a seat in the Parliament, apparently...

But then I´m an anglophile... And I haven´t read the "manual"...

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 06-16-2005, 12:52 PM:

I have a seat on the district council ...

Posted by Adam Wilbert (Member # 1184) on 06-16-2005, 12:53 PM:

i got an 8. UK here I come!

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 06-16-2005, 01:01 PM:

quote:
The UK introduced the 112 number to help foreign visitors who may not know that 999 is the main emergency number.

Why, exactly? What is the significance of "112" elsewhere in the world?

Posted by Dave Macaulay (Member # 813) on 06-16-2005, 01:09 PM:

From the answers (I got this one wrong, of course):

quote:
The UK introduced the 112 number to help foreign visitors who may not know that 999 is the main emergency number.

Does this make any sense? Make up a new emergency number because visitors don't know the usual one? Doesn't is seem slightly more sane to just tell new arrivals what the right number is?
I suppose this doubles the probability that somebody in a panic who is frantically dialling random 3 digit numbers will actually connect to the emergency centre (from 1 in 1000 to 2 in 1000 each time)... still doesn't make sense to me.

Edit: I looked up the international "911" numbers and 112 is there but hardly dominates. The site is http://www.sccfd.org/travel.html and there's way too much there to quote here I think. Maybe vistors from Curacao or Greece have a lot of trouble remembering 999?

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 06-16-2005, 02:17 PM:

I think 112 is the most common in Europe, most countries use it, in some cases alongside an older, national, number, as in Britain. I think it's a European harmonisation thing.

Between them, 112 and 911 cover a large part of the World; maybe there's a case for making both available everywhere. Is there anywhere that either of these numbers is used for any non-emergency purpose? There are places where different numbers are used for each service, but as long as at least one of them is using 112 or 911 it wouldn't really matter; if you wanted the Fire Brigade, but got the Police, it would only take a couple of seconds for them to transfer the call for you, no longer than for an emergency operator to put you through.

My guess is that 112 will soon be published as the emergency number in Britain, but that 999 will still work for a long time to come. As a matter of interest, does anybody know if 911 will work here, or if 112 will work in 911 countries?

Many years ago, when the speaking clock changed from TIM to 123 the new number worked long before it was published. In the last couple of decades London has changed from 01 to 071 and 081 to 0171 and 0181 to 020. In each case there was an official overlap period when either number could be used, but in each case the new nmber would work for some time before this period started. It wouldn't surprise me if unpublished emergency numbers can actually be used.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 06-16-2005, 02:31 PM:

So the UK has multiple 3-digit numbers for various purposes?

In the US, I'm only aware of 911 (emergency), 411 (information), and 611 (telephone repair service). In some areas, there is a 3-digit ANI number (reads back your phone number...888-902-9998 is the nationwide equivalent), too.

The "time of day" number varies by location. In the 617 area code, it's 637 followed by any four digits (e.g. 617-NERVOUS will give you the time, plus or minus twenty seconds or so). Same for the weather number (which usually begins with 93--i.e. WEather).

Posted by Jesse August (Member # 1798) on 06-16-2005, 02:32 PM:

I got 10 right.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 06-16-2005, 02:48 PM:

quote: Scott Norwood
So the UK has multiple 3-digit numbers for various purposes?

Yes. Most of them except the emergency number are 1XX, and 9XX is also reserved. For example, 100 gets you the operator, 152 is to report a fault and 141 is dialed before the a customer's number if you want to withhold yours (i.e. your number won't appear on the LCD display of the person your calling's 'phone).

Agreed with Stephen that most of these questions are pretty silly. If you're going to have a test at all, IMHO, the emphasis should be on stuff you really need to know in order to get through everyday life - for example, knowing what businesses are closed on a bank holiday, or that you have to buy a licence in order to use a TV in your home, would surely be of more use to newly arrived immigrants more than knowing where the myth of Father Christmas came from. The cultural stuff can come later, and furthermore I don't think you really need to test people on that: all the immigrants I know are very keen to take that on board. I would be if I were even to live in another country temporarily, let alone want to become a citizen of one.

Posted by Will Kutler (Member # 770) on 06-16-2005, 07:34 PM:

YAHOO WHAOO...8 RIGHT!

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-16-2005, 07:35 PM:

I got them all right. I am now a citizen of the United Kingdom.

Posted by Emma Tomiak (Member # 1862) on 06-16-2005, 11:01 PM:

Yikes, only 5 right! Good thing I already have my passport! [thumbsup]

Posted by Wolff King Morrow (Member # 2226) on 06-16-2005, 11:22 PM:

got 8. Many of them can be answered correctly with some common reasoning, but some of the others I had to take a wild guess.

Posted by Gunnar Johansson (Member # 1661) on 06-17-2005, 02:45 AM:

I agree with Leo on the relevance on this test, even though I haven´t read the manual. It also seemed to me that the questions actually weren´t relevant questions about Britain, but about the text. The test was if you´ve read the text, not if you´re "apt" to be a citizen... If it wasn´t on the BBC website, and april 1st wasn´t a while ago, it´d almost seem like a joke.

There´s some discussion in Sweden as well about having a test to let people get citizenship, to cover basics in how the system works, and apparently a language part.

As for the 112 it´s a EU (EC) harmonizing thing. Sweden used to have 90 000 (or as many zeros as needed...) but it got changed like 10 years ago to 112, because everyone else in Europe also changed, so you wouldn´t have to worry about that in the free mobile Europe. Now we have both numbers, but they´re phasing out the old one, until they notice that noone calls it anymore. Actually it would make sense to have 911 as well, seeing how americanized we are (it comes and goes, it used to be Germany, France and Britain in that order for a hundred years each or so) and I remember watching "Rescue 911" with Bill Shatner, "the show dedicated to the men and women..." when I was a kid, but given a moment to think about it I´d dial 112.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 06-17-2005, 03:07 AM:

..I also garnished an "8"! - not bad for a beginner. Must be the English side of my family helping me out.

Posted by Dick Vaughan (Member # 540) on 06-17-2005, 03:43 AM:

11 right as well

2,7,11,12 wrong

Santa who knows?

11 The line voltage is 230V +5% -10% tolerance

12 I haven't had a dog for 15 years

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 06-17-2005, 04:38 AM:

quote: Leo Enticknap
The cultural stuff can come later, and furthermore I don't think you really need to test people on that: all the immigrants I know are very keen to take that on board. I would be if I were even to live in another country temporarily, let alone want to become a citizen of one.

I too believe that "cultural" tests are nonsense, especially when a lot of the "natives" wouldn't be able to answer most questions either. But I doubt very much that what you said about immigrants can be said to be generally true. I myself met a lot of immigrants, mostly from Muslim and Hindu countries, in England who couldn't form a sentence in English if their life depended on it. Same about a lot of Mexicans here. Not only do many of them not speak much if any English at all, they also make it very clear that they don't give a shit about learning it and being able to communicate. Same in Germany with a lot of immigrants, again mostly from Muslim and Hindu countries, who often tend to disintegrate themselves very aggressively. Don't get me wrong - I don't expect them to walk around in Lederhosen (few Germans do that anyway), just like I don't run around in a cowboy hat (few Californians do that anyway). Bringing elements of their own culture into the guest country is an important part of what immigrants are about. The "multicultural" society. I found it quite strange that when I came to the USA two years ago, me and my company were required to hand in tons of paperwork to prove my professional skills - but I didn't have to take an English test. Well, English is not the official language of the US in a legal sense. But it is the de facto official language, and you can not function here in any skilled profession if you don't know it.

BTW - in Germany, police is 110 and fire dept./medical emergencies is 112. If in doubt, you can call either number, and they will take care of the problem.

Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 06-17-2005, 09:17 AM:

Got 14 right!

Missed question 14, the one on divorce. I just figured that the british were more snooty then I gave them credit for [evil]

.

Ciao

Posted by Aaron Mehocic (Member # 15) on 06-17-2005, 12:39 PM:

Only a 7. [Frown]