10/1/2008

Naturalization Test Change Effective October 1, 2008: Do You Know Which Test Materials to Read for the Interview? The redesigned test was publicly introduced on September 27, 2007. Naturalization applicants will begin taking the revised test on October 1, 2008. Following is the guidelines: 

1. Which Test Do I Take? 

The following guidelines will determine whether naturalization applicants will take the current test or the redesigned version: 

• If an applicant applies BEFORE October 1, 2008 and is scheduled for his or her naturalization interview BEFORE October 1, 2008, he or she will take the current test. 

• If an applicant applies BEFORE October 1, 2008 and is scheduled for his or her naturalization interview AFTER October 1, 2008, he or she can choose to take the current test or the redesigned version until October 1, 2009. 

• If an applicant applies AFTER October 1, 2008, he or she will take the redesigned version. 

• If the nationalization interview is scheduled AFTER October 1, 2009, regardless of when he or she applied, he or she will take the redesigned version. 

2. Current Test 

• Civics & Written English Test 

• Sample Sentences for Written English Test 

3. Redesigned Test 

• History & Government Test 

• Reading Vocabulary Test 

• Writing Vocabulary Test 

For the naturalization applicants, this is a confusing period because of the scheduled redesign of the citizenship interview tests. The following is the additional information for the applicants which the USCIS released in the August 26, 2008 Community Stakeholder Meeting Q&A

For the writing test, a USCIS Officer will dictate to the applicant using sentences from one of the standardized test forms. The sentences are constructed from words included on the English writing vocabulary list. Applicants are required to write 1 sentence out of 3 correctly (same as the current test). During the writing test, the applicant is provided a form with blank lines to write the dictated sentences. 

The USCIS Officer instructs an applicant to write down exactly what he/she says. For the reading test, a USCIS Officer will use sentences that appear on one of the standardized test forms and will ask the applicant to read the sentences, which are constructed from words included on the English reading vocabulary list. The applicant must read 1 sentence out of 3 correctly (same as the current test).