New citizenship test more difficult

In an effort to ensure that those wishing to become U.S. citizens are truly embracing American ideals and values, Citizenship and Immigration Services, a Homeland Security Department agency, plans to revise the U.S. citizenship test.

Its director, Emilio Gonzalez, said, "You ought to internalize by [the time of examination] the very values that make this country what it is, the very reason why you are raising your right hand. ... Citizenship is not [merely a matter of] test taking."

The questions used today date back to the large-scale amnesty for illegal immigrants in 1986.

There are 144 draft test questions, and the new exam will be taken in 10 cities. It will be tried out by 5,000 volunteers in Miami, El Paso, San Antonio, Tucson, Albany, Boston, Charleston, Denver, Kansas City, Mo., and Yakima, Wash. A redesigned citizenship test is planned to come out in 2008.

Citizenship and Immigration Services expects to spend about $6.5 million for the revised test. The $400 citizenship application fee is also expected to face a substantial hike.

The process will continue to be an oral examination conducted in English, and applicants can test twice for citizenship. They get two tries per application to pass the exam. Applicants must correctly answer six of 10 questions to pass the civics portion of the test. The questions are not multiple choice and have more than one answer.

Instead of rote memorization of seemingly trivial facts, such as which state was admitted as the 49th state or what the colors of the American flag are, immigrants will be asked to have basic knowledge of voting rights, the Bill of Rights, and the English language. Sample questions include inquiries into why the U.S. has three branches of government, the meaning of democracy, or being asked to name one important idea found in the Declaration of Independence.

"That's the key to teaching the kinds of ideas that will help immigrants assimilate," says Matthew Spalding, the director of the Heritage Foundation's Center for American Studies.

A press statement released by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services states that in designing the new exam, they worked with U.S. history and government scholars, test development contractors, and experts in English as a second language.

They also sought input from immigration advocacy groups, citizenship instructors, and district adjudications officers. The questions and answers for the revised citizenship test will be publicly available.

Most of the eight million immigrants who already meet the necessary basic requirements for citizenship are for the mostly Spanish speakers. Needless to say, becoming a U.S. citizen is very meaningful for many immigrants. It is a significant step towards becoming a full participant in American society.