Concerns arise among immigrants, prospective citizens, and advocates as the US citizenship test undergoes updates. There are worries that the changes will create a disadvantage for individuals with lower levels of English proficiency. This is significant because the naturalization test is a crucial step toward citizenship, following a lengthy process that includes years of legal permanent residency.
In December, US authorities announced the revision of the test after 15 years, with the new version expected to be introduced later this year. The proposed change by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services involves the addition of a speaking section to assess English language skills. During the test, an immigration officer would present images depicting daily activities, weather, or food and ask applicants to describe them verbally.
This modification is likely to pose difficulties for individuals with lower English language and speaking skills, particularly for those who have struggled to learn English as adults after immigrating to the US. The new speaking section could increase stress levels for applicants during the test.
Another proposed change involves making the civics section, which covers US history and government, multiple-choice instead of the current short-answer format.
According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the proposed changes aim to incorporate current best practices in test design and standardize the citizenship test.
These changes bring to mind the alterations made to the test during the administration of former President Donald Trump in 2020, which made it longer and more challenging to pass. However, upon assuming office, President Joe Biden ordered the elimination of barriers to citizenship. In line with this directive, the citizenship test was reverted to its previous version, last updated in 2008.
