I’m supposed to be finishing up an article on new moms on staff, but I got another notice in the mail that resembles a sweepstakes notification.
My naturalization interview is in January so I’ll be spending my winter break prepping for two speaking gigs and studying for my civics test. I’m not going to study for the reading and writing portion of the test where I will need to read one out of three sentences and write one of three sentences to prove language proficiency. Methinks I can pass the English proficiency test despite occasionally being asked, “Where did you learn your English?” 😉
There are 100 civics questions on the naturalization test, and I will be asked up to 10 of those questions. I must answer 6 out of those 10 correctly. For once in my life it’s OK to shoot for 60% but something inside of my cringes. Surely I can get an A+. Right?
American-born Americans do not need to study any of these questions before they are American. I am not at all taking for granted the freedoms afforded me as a legal resident alien, and I am not at all taking for granted the freedom to apply for citizenship. I am not all that excited about having to take a test. And I feel a bit uneasy about pledging my allegiance to a flag…I’ll write about that one later…
Back to the test. For all of my American-born readers, do you think you could pass the test without studying since you are already “American”?
Sample questions:
- How many amendments does the Constitution have?
- What is the “rule of law”?
- The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
- The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
- Who was President during World War I?
- What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
- There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
- What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
- Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?
- How many justices currently sit on the Supreme Court?
No cheating. How did you do?
I don’t mind studying for this test. I believe it’s important to know and understand one’s history, and American history is a part of my story. After all of this I will hopefully have a piece of paper that makes it legal in a new way even if I’m certain I will still get asked, “Where are you really from?”.