Comments on: Contact Us http://howbritishareyou.com You may think you know everything about being British, but could you pass the British citizenship test? Wed, 18 Aug 2010 19:33:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Bill (Scotland) http://howbritishareyou.com/about/comment-page-1/#comment-652 Bill (Scotland) Wed, 18 Aug 2010 19:33:23 +0000 http://howbritishareyou.com/?page_id=2#comment-652 I've just answered the first three questions of your silly questionnaire (I took it once before a year or so ago just to see what it is like); my reaction then was the same as what I write below about my reaction today. The first question was about PMQs and it so happens I answered it correctly. The second question asked the percentage of people in the last census who said they were Muslim; I hazarded a guess it might be 5%, but it seems the correct answer is 3%. The third question asked the percentage of people who said they attended religious services (not the same thing, in my view, as the percentage who actually do attend religious services). I hazarded a guess it might be 30%, but it seems the correct answer is 10%. I have not bothered with any of the remaining questions, because I feel that Qs 2 and 3 are frankly completely irrelevant. The UK is a secular country so why I (a native-born British citizen) should be expected to know this kind of thing completely escapes me, or frankly why an immigrant seeking naturalisation as a UK citizen should be expected to know such useless information either. I accept that the data may perhaps be useful for planning purposes, but if people fill in the Census form saying they are a 'Jedi Knight' (which I understand some people did the last time) or other unusual 'sect' (perhaps as a joke) I find it difficult to believe that this kind of question in the Census form has any kind of value at all. For myself at the last Census I left the answer to this question blank as I do not see what business such is of anyone, but me, and certainly not of the State. Any more than it is of anyone else how I choose to vote. What is the point of these questions? I think there are many other relevant questions that could be asked of those seeking naturalisation. Yours pretty disgruntedly! I’ve just answered the first three questions of your silly questionnaire (I took it once before a year or so ago just to see what it is like); my reaction then was the same as what I write below about my reaction today.

The first question was about PMQs and it so happens I answered it correctly.

The second question asked the percentage of people in the last census who said they were Muslim; I hazarded a guess it might be 5%, but it seems the correct answer is 3%.

The third question asked the percentage of people who said they attended religious services (not the same thing, in my view, as the percentage who actually do attend religious services). I hazarded a guess it might be 30%, but it seems the correct answer is 10%.

I have not bothered with any of the remaining questions, because I feel that Qs 2 and 3 are frankly completely irrelevant. The UK is a secular country so why I (a native-born British citizen) should be expected to know this kind of thing completely escapes me, or frankly why an immigrant seeking naturalisation as a UK citizen should be expected to know such useless information either. I accept that the data may perhaps be useful for planning purposes, but if people fill in the Census form saying they are a ‘Jedi Knight’ (which I understand some people did the last time) or other unusual ’sect’ (perhaps as a joke) I find it difficult to believe that this kind of question in the Census form has any kind of value at all. For myself at the last Census I left the answer to this question blank as I do not see what business such is of anyone, but me, and certainly not of the State. Any more than it is of anyone else how I choose to vote.

What is the point of these questions? I think there are many other relevant questions that could be asked of those seeking naturalisation.

Yours pretty disgruntedly!

]]> By: Marsha Stewart http://howbritishareyou.com/about/comment-page-1/#comment-143 Marsha Stewart Sun, 02 Aug 2009 20:34:41 +0000 http://howbritishareyou.com/?page_id=2#comment-143 Dear Mr. Dillon, Through curiosity and searching I have found your website. As you know by now, I have a little blog called "Prairie" and while checking my statistics yesterday, noticed that you had visited my blog and made reference to my comments about my most recent adventure in taking the "Life in the UK Test" - and have put these comments on your blog. (sorry for the run on sentence) I want you to know that I sent for your book (Practice Questions) as well as the Home Office's book from Amazon and used your study guide "predominantly" - and never did read the other book. What a interesting coincidence this has been ! Thank you for the book, it was a great help to me. Best, Marsha Dear Mr. Dillon,
Through curiosity and searching I have found your website. As you know by now, I have a little blog called “Prairie” and while checking my statistics yesterday, noticed that you had visited my blog and made reference to my comments about my most recent adventure in taking the “Life in the UK Test” – and have put these comments on your blog. (sorry for the run on sentence) I want you to know that I sent for your book (Practice Questions) as well as the Home Office’s book from Amazon and used your study guide “predominantly” – and never did read the other book. What a interesting coincidence this has been ! Thank you for the book, it was a great help to me. Best, Marsha

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