Do you have what it takes to become a citizen?

[Susan]

When immigrants want to become Americans, they must take a civics test as part of their naturalization interview before a Citizenship and Immigration Services (INS) officer. The questions are usually selected from a list of 100 sample questions that prospective citizens can look at ahead of the interview (though the examiner is not limited to those questions). Some are easy, some are not. We have picked some of the more difficult ones.

NOTES: The INS plans to revise its list of questions in 2008 (a pilot program is using these new questions at selected INS sites). Also, the questions in the test below are as asked on the official United States Immigration and Naturalization Services Web site. Candidates are not given multiple choices in the naturalization interview, which is conducted orally.

Take the test: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19552808

You answered 95% of questions correctly. Here's your rating:

0-20%: Maybe you're still thinking too much about the Old Country.

25-40%: Mmmm. Do you really want to be a citizen? This kind of performance isn't going to impress those nice immigration folks.

45-60%: Not too bad, but you really need to break out the civics books again -- word is, the INS is looking for an 80 percent score.

65-80%: Hey, you may make a good citizen yet! Look at your wrong answers and a little revision should do the trick.

85-100%: Welcome to the United States! (And, truth be told, you know more about this great land than most Americans.)

I missed #19 sorry hadn't studied INS forms...

[LostInTime]

You answered 100% of questions correctly. Here's your rating:

0-20%: Maybe you're still thinking too much about the Old Country.

25-40%: Mmmm. Do you really want to be a citizen? This kind of performance isn't going to impress those nice immigration folks.

45-60%: Not too bad, but you really need to break out the civics books again -- word is, the INS is looking for an 80 percent score.

65-80%: Hey, you may make a good citizen yet! Look at your wrong answers and a little revision should do the trick.

85-100%: Welcome to the United States! (And, truth be told, you know more about this great land than most Americans.)

[Dennis]

100% and I guessed on the form. I'll stick with being Canadian though.

Dennis

[Fiona]

I got 65%. However being British I'm celebrating our independence from you merkins today, so I won't be applying for citizenship just yet.

[Elizabeth]

"You answered 95% of questions correctly. Here's your rating: ..."

I also guessed at and missed question #19.

Love always,
Elizabeth

[ChildOfTheLight]

I took this on another forum.  I got 100% thanks to a good guess (plus a bit of common sense) on the form question.

[aaron]

#19... wow thats a well balanced test but it's not the case in all cities.. I saw a sample test that a coworker had to study from.. it was very simple compared to most of these, mainly had to deal with local and state governing officials..

[Pica Pica]

55% - not bad seeing as its just info that drifted on the breeze.

[Kimberly]

Darn, I did better than expected at 65% correct.
I missed 3, 8, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19

However, a correct guess is still a guess...

./ - For some reason I actually knew #1, it was mentioned in my economics class if I remember correctly.
X - I totally guessed on 2 and picked the poshest sounding name.
X - I flubbed 3, what can I say I could not remember the movie title... (lol)
./ - 4 was correct.
X - I totally guessed at 5 (well not totally as 3 didn't seem right so I went with the second choice 9; I.e. I heard it somewhere at one time or another)
./ - 6 was correct.
X - Oh, 7 was correct; See, I did remember the movie title; Oh yeah, I guess there is a difference between the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, lol
X - I totally guessed at 8.
X - 9 was correct (go me, process of elimination as it happens)
./ - 10, ditto on the same for #1
./ - 11 was correct.
X - I guessed at 12 and chose the largest number available, score!
X - 13 was a educated guess, requiring serving as governor seemed off (too empire) an requiring living in the US a few years was reasonable. -- I tend to forget that people can actually get out of this place.
X - I totally guessed at 14
X - I educatedly guessed at 15 by answering 100 and given that 435 would seem correct I am less happy than before. (bloat is what comes to mind)
X - I flubbed 16
./ - 17 was correct.
X - I flubbed 18; Heh dame sifferance. (Yes, I do think they sleep in the same proverbial bed.)
X - I guessed at 19, and got it wrong. It was my second choice, drat!
./ - An I got 20 correct.

So, truthfully 7 of 20 are correct for 35%.

25-40%: Mmmm. Do you really want to be a citizen? This kind of performance isn't going to impress those nice immigration folks.

To answer their question, no. But I was born here and I am stuck. Yay?



If you get the impression I really don't care all that much about this country there is a reason for that...