Life In The UK Test

[Arthur Little]

Good news Arthur! I am pleased for you both.

Al.

Al, ... with Myrna being a teacher [like your goodself] I guess it must have been a weird feeling for her to SIT an exam of ANY sort for the first time since her university days back in the early 1980s.

All the best with your career prospects.

[pennybarry]

, Penny ... what did YOU think of the test when you took it?

It was easy Arth. Just need to understand the book and you'll be alright. I read the book 2 weeks before my exam.

For next examinees, just read the book with full of understanding. Don't memorize. Watch news, and read local newspapers.
Don't panic. Kaya natin yan!

[Alan]

Al, ... with Myrna being a teacher [like your goodself] I guess it must have been a weird feeling for her to SIT an exam of ANY sort for the first time since her university days back in the early 1980s.

All the best with your career prospects.

Myrna will know - as teachers, we NEVER stop taking exams of one kind or another - in one guise or the other. Think of appraisal -OFSTED - training courses - etc.. etc... ad nauseum!!! Yes, I also thought I'd finished after university - WRONG!!!!
Mind you, I don't mind at all - after all - if we are to be proficient professionals, we must keep 'Up to speed!'

Congrats to your lady once more - I shall toast her this evening with a glass of scotch or twelve!!!

Al.

[Arthur Little]

Well done Myrna...

... , Simon.

How did she find it Arthur?

... "challenging!" (her own description).

It was posted on here a few months ago & I think most of us Brits, scored around 25%...FAIL !

Doesn't unduly surprise me ... there's an element of complacency about the British people ... the main problem being, that we tend to [think] we're familiar with every aspect of what makes our nation "tick". But, were we to be put to the test, I'm sure it would come as a bit of a shock to many of us (myself included) to find we actually knew a lot less than we'd thought! Besides, the level required for a pass is set at an alarmingly-high 75 percent and above. Quite daunting, really!

[Arthur Little]

congrats myrna... well done...and congrats also arthur....from colin and aileen..

, Aileen ... for your extremely helpful advice beforehand, and - not least - for the directions you gave to Myrna with regard to the location of the Test Centre in Dundee's Overgate Our kind regards to Colin.

[Arthur Little]

congratsss po! !!!!

... much appreciated, my friend ...

[Arthur Little]

Great news arthur & congratulations to Myrna

It IS, indeed, Stevie ... from Myrna and myself!!

[Arthur Little]

Congratulations Ms Myrna and Arthur!!!

from both of us, Mari ... we trust you're settling well in Wiltshire!

[Arthur Little]

Well done Myrna!

Wow! ... wasn't aware Myrna had an audience! , Davey and "invited guests"; ... mind you, I think a round of applause is due to you and your good lady for 33 years of wedded bliss!

[Arthur Little]

it just shows that filipinas are smart apart from being beautiful, loyal, good lover, etc etc

hope that everyone agrees

wholeheartedly, Rani ... obviously perceptive, too!!

[Arthur Little]

did you and myrna spend the whole day in the city of discovery arthur? used to stay there when i was attending the Art school.

Nah ... had a Chinese buffet meal at Jimmy Chung's in ... ... Castle Street - then had a wander round Primark. Pointed out Captain Scott's 1912 sailing vessel on our way back to the Railway Station ... but Myrna was too excited to pay it any real attention, as you can imagine!

Ah ... so you attended Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art? Know it well ...from the outside only, though!

Aye ... it's a small world, right enough!

[mikey73]

Nah ... had a Chinese buffet meal at Jimmy Chung's in ... ... Castle Street - then had a wander round Primark. Pointed out Captain Scott's 1912 sailing vessel on our way back to the Railway Station ... but Myrna was too excited to pay it any real attention, as you can imagine!

Ah ... so you attended Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art? Know it well ...from the outside only, though!

Aye ... it's a small world, right enough!

ah yes jimmy chung's so good mmmmmmmmmmm. you are correct sir arthur i went to the duncan of jordanstone school of art. didnt study art though, studied design there a few years ago. left there in 2005. never went to tour around the scott exhibition as i thought it was far far to expensive, is a nice ship though.
yes myrna must have been very happy and pleased that she passed the test (again well done myrna).
take care arthur/myrna

[Arthur Little]

well done to you both

, Steve ... from both of us. I'm just thinking, my friend ... only another 10 days and YOUR mahal will be arriving at Manchester Airport!

[Arthur Little]

Congrats to Myrna for passing the citizenship test.. I haven't got mine just yet as I believe the fee goes up every year and i have no intention to do it yet until perhaps a year or so after a Philippine holiday this year. How much did you pay for the test? Please let me know as I have no idea...

i have to renew my philippine passport for the time being, apply for my 2 kids' british passport, sorting out the return tickets arrrgh! of course not to forget pocket money.... too much thinking and i'm worrying a lot now.

Again, congratulations to Myrna!

, Venus. ... the examination fee is currently £34 ... "a mere drop in the ocean" compared to the cost of either of the settlement visas. Myrna won't actually be applying for ILR until early next year, but was advised by a friend of hers to get the 'Life in the UK Test' over and done with - and out of the way - well in advance. One thing less to think about, as it were!

Anyway ... I understand you've other, more-pressing matters on your hands with your holiday preparations, arranging your childrens' passports &c. But please feel free to contact me on your return - for guidelines on what the Test entails.

For the moment, try to relax. And have a lovely break back home in the Phils when the time comes.

[Arthur Little]

It was easy Arth. Just need to understand the book and you'll be alright. I read the book 2 weeks before my exam.

... well ... yes ... some advise reading it for up to a month beforehand. Depends on an individual's capacity to absorb a myriad of information, I suppose.

For next examinees, just read the book with full of understanding. Don't memorize. Watch news, and read local newspapers.
Don't panic. Kaya natin yan!

Hmm ... I should imagine a certain amount of memorising would be necessary. But you're right about keeping up to date with topical issues in the UK, ; however, there's a fair bit on the historical side as well ... with such multiple choice questions as "What year were women first allowed to vote?" ... Was it: 1906? 1918? or 1921? ... that type of thing. So it's important to remember the 3 'Rs' ... Read, Revise & Review, in this context.

And yes ... above all ... try not to panic!

[Arthur Little]

Myrna will know - as teachers, we NEVER stop taking exams of one kind or another - in one guise or the other. Think of appraisal -OFSTED - training courses - etc.. etc... ad nauseum!!! Yes, I also thought I'd finished after university - WRONG!!!!
Mind you, I don't mind at all - after all - if we are to be proficient professionals, we must keep 'Up to speed!'

Al.

You're absolutely RIGHT, Al. Silly me! ... what on earth was I thinking about in my initial response to your earlier post? Myrna's often spoken about yearly appraisals, regular training courses and the like. As has my son-in-law, who teaches Sixth Form Physics. There DOES seem to be an inordinate amount of administrative paperwork to contend with nowadays, though. But perhaps that's always BEEN the case. I know, too, that in the Phils, graduate probationers must pass the Teachers' Board Examination ... with marks of 80% and above before registration. And for THIS very reason it annoys me immensely that each of the UK's Educational Authorities pays scant heed to the highly-qualified standards and achievements of experienced professionals coming from abroad.

[malditako]

i've tried the test online and failed...got a score of 70% ..wonder how many questions in actual test...need to get Ms. Myrna for some advice when its my turn

[marlyn&kenny]

congrats sir!

[sparky]

congrats to Myrna and yourself- another hurdle overcome

is there only one test with one set of answers or do they change it with various papers?

[Ana_may365]

congrats!myrna.

[-sillybilly-]

congratulations sir arthur and ate myrna! God bless!

[Arthur Little]

i've tried the test online and failed...got a score of 70% ..wonder how many questions in actual test...need to get Ms. Myrna for some advice when its my turn

Yes, 75% is the pass mark ... pretty high, in my opinion! But don't worry, Grace ... you'll GET THERE with plenty of practice! And you'd be surprised at the number of British subjects who've scored considerably lower than YOU did when THEY attempted it ... myself included, I'm ashamed to admit!

The Test can be taken at any time during the valdity of your Spousal Visa ... but it is obviously advisable to wait until you've BEEN here long enough - say, at least a year - to acclimatise yourself to our way of life. By the same token, though, you should not leave it too close to the date(s) that you're due to apply for ILR.

The Test itself, consists of 24 questions ... SOME of which are of the 'Multiple Choice' type - whereas OTHERS require examinees to tick whether certain statements are 'True' or 'False'.

I hope I've been able to give you some idea of what is involved.

[Arthur Little]

congrats sir!

, Marlyn ... it's especially nice of you to think of us when you've been so busy yourself, following Katelyn's birth!

[Arthur Little]

congrats to Myrna and yourself- another hurdle overcome

, Sparky ... much appreciated!

is there only one test with one set of answers or do they change it with various papers?

Yes ... but I understand each candidate is given a different set of questions; the test is done on computer (rather than on paper) and is made up of 24 questions based on the content of the OFFICIAL Home Office Publication: LIFE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM - A Journey to Citzenship - dated April 2007 [2nd Edition] supplemented by a smaller handbook entitled 'Passing the Life in the UK Test' ... which contains 400+ citizenship practice Q's & A's for the year 2009. This is the situation as at stands at the present time, albeit the sources may, eventually, need to be updated in the wake of any legislative changes implemented by David Cameron's government.

I should imagine Norfolk is likely to have a number of Centres - with one possibly located in the town nearest to where you and Myrna live - that conducts tests.

Tests can be taken at any point within the duration of a person's spouse visa. However, my advice would be to allow Myrna enough time (say a year or more) to become accustomed to the changes in culture before presenting herself. That said (as I mentioned in reply to someone else's post) it's important she sits the exam well-ahead of becoming eligible to apply for ILR ... since it's one less thing to worry about when the time comes.

[Arthur Little]

congrats!myrna.

, Ana ... it's particularly kind of you to think of Myrna, in the light of your recent bereavement. We hope and that things are sorting themselves out for you.

congratulations sir arthur and ate myrna! God bless!

On behalf of Myrna and myself, Clarice ...

[malditako]

Yes, 75% is the pass mark ... pretty high, in my opinion! But don't worry, Grace ... you'll GET THERE with plenty of practice! And you'd be surprised at the number of British subjects who've scored considerably lower than YOU did when THEY attempted it ... myself included, I'm ashamed to admit!

The Test can be taken at any time during the valdity of your Spousal Visa ... but it is obviously advisable to wait until you've BEEN here long enough - say, at least a year - to acclimatise yourself to our way of life. By the same token, though, you should not leave it too close to the date(s) that you're due to apply for ILR.

The Test itself, consists of 24 questions ... SOME of which are of the 'Multiple Choice' type - whereas OTHERS require examinees to tick whether certain statements are 'True' or 'False'.

I hope I've been able to give you some idea of what is involved.

definite will follow your advice will take the test a year of my stay here...starting reading now though once in a while and always ask hubby and family here if i heard something i am not familiar with...like road signs, laws etc...i remember that question about woman allowed to vote..is it 1906 ) just a guess...

[Arthur Little]

Great idea, Grace! Currently - as I said to Sparky - the exam is based on the Second Edition of the official Home Office publication valid for tests taken from April 2007. ... along with its accompanying handbook containing a total of 400+ questions and answers spread over 17 Practice Tests conducted throughout 2009. DO bear in mind, though, that there's a fair chance of some changes to these sources, in order to comply with proposed new legislation being introduced by the Cameron administration.

[LEAHnew]

That's good news Sir Arthurcongrats to Ate Myrna....

[Arthur Little]

that question about woman allowed to vote..is it 1906 ) just a guess...

... No; in fact, the United Kingdom has operated a fully democratic system since 1928 ... when women were granted the same right as men to vote at age 21. The present voting age [for both sexes] however, was lowered to 18 in 1969 ... and consequently, all British-born and naturalised citizens - with a few exceptions, such as convicted prisoners - became eligible for inclusion on the Roll of Electors.

[Arthur Little]

That's good news Sir Arthurcongrats to Ate Myrna....

Hi, Leah ... how are things with YOU? for your message of congratulation.