USCIS to Administer Redesigned Naturalization Exam Starting October 1, 2008


NALEO Policy Update
USCIS to Administer Redesigned Naturalization Exam Starting October 1, 2008 NALEO Educational Fund Urges Agency to Work Closely with Educators, Community-based Organizations and Advocates During Implementation

September 2008 I. Background In September 2007, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced its intention to implement a redesigned naturalization test to assess the English-language and civics proficiency of applicants for U.S. citizenship. The agency will start administering the test to applicants on October 1, 2008. Between October 1, 2008 and October 1, 2009, certain applicants can choose between taking the current test and the new redesigned test.* Starting in October 1, 2009, the new examination will be the only one available for applicants. In recent months, the USCIS has provided information about the redesigned examination through a variety of meetings and publications. This Update summarizes the latest information available on the content and format of the test, how it will be administered, the training provided to USCIS personnel, and the study materials and training the USCIS intends to disseminate to naturalization educators and service providers. The NALEO Educational Fund will also continue to advocate for the fair and effective implementation of the new exam, and our advocacy priorities are set forth at the end of this Update. II. USCIS’ Progress on Implementing the Naturalization Test A. Test Content, Format and Administration As it has in the past, the USCIS’ redesigned naturalization test will require most applicants to demonstrate a basic knowledge of U.S. history and government (the civics test) and a basic ability to read, write, speak, and understand English. Civics Test: For the civics test, USCIS examiners will still ask applicants 10 U.S. history and government questions, from which the applicants must answer at least 6 correctly in order to pass In addition the civics exam will remain an oral exam where the applicant must provide an oral response. In September 2007, the USCIS released a list of the civics questions and answers which are the source of the 10 questions adjudicators will ask during the naturalization test. The USCIS has created standardized test forms for adjudicators to use when testing applicants on the civics test. The agency has used “weighting” techniques with respect to the combination of specific questions on each form to ensure that overall, each test form has the same level of difficulty. Due consideration for the civics test: Under USCIS regulations, the agency must provide “due consideration” when administering the civics test. These regulations require examiners to take into consideration an applicant’s education, background, age, length of residence in the United States, and other relevant factors when choosing subject matters, in phrasing questions and in evaluating responses to the test. The USCIS is providing its adjudicators with policy guidance with respect to the implementation of “due consideration” for the new exam. Reading and Writing Test: The format for the reading and writing portions of the redesigned English reading test is similar to the current test. The USCIS has created standardized test forms for adjudicators to use, and the content focuses on civics topics. The reading section of the test consists of sentences written as questions that the applicant has to read, and the writing section of the test consists of the answers to the questions, which will be dictated by the adjudicator. Adjudicators will provide applicants with up to three chances to correctly read a question and write a dictated sentence in English. Reading Test Scoring Guidelines: Under the USCIS’ reading exam scoring guidelines, the agency directs adjudicators not to fail applicants merely because of their accent when speaking English. However, the adjudicator can fail an applicant if he or she does not read the question, makes pronunciation or intonation errors that interfere with the meaning, omits a content word or substitutes another word for a content word, or pauses for an extended period of time. Writing Test Scoring Guidelines: Under its scoring guidelines, the USCIS directs adjudicators not to fail applicants on the writing test because of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation errors unless the errors prevent understanding the meaning of the sentence. However, an applicant would fail if he or she writes 1) nothing or only one or two isolated words; 2) a completely illegible sentence; or 3) a sentence that does not communicate the meaning of the dictated sentence. Speaking Test: The USCIS has not changed the portion of the examination that tests applicants’ ability to speak and understand English. Adjudicators will determine this ability by an applicant’s answers to questions normally asked in the course of the naturalization interview, which includes questions taken from the applicant’s N-400 naturalization application. The USCIS requires adjudicators to repeat and rephrase the questions until they are satisfied that the applicant either fully understands the question or does not understand English. In connection with this process, the agency encourages adjudicators to use a list of rephrased N-400 questions that were provided to them in an interoffice policy memorandum on September 28, 2006. If the applicant generally understands and can respond meaningfully to the questions, the applicant has demonstrated the ability to speak English. Each adjudicator determines the questions he or she will ask applicants during their interviews, and the USCIS has not developed a standardized form for this portion of the exam. B. Civics and Citizenship Study Materials and Training In recent meetings, the USCIS reaffirmed that the Office of Citizenship will produce updated versions of all existing study materials to correspond with the new test. The agency has announced that the following products have been or will be made available to prepare for the new naturalization test: Civics (U.S. History and Government) questions and English vocabulary: As noted above, in September 2007, the USCIS released a list of the civics questions and answers which are the source of the 10 questions adjudicators will ask during the naturalization test. At that time, the agency also released two lists of English vocabulary to assist applicants with their preparation for the English reading and writing portions of the exam. The USCIS believes that these materials currently constitute the primary study materials for the test. Because of the importance of the civics questions, the agency will make translated versions available in multiple languages. The USCIS has already made the Spanish and Chinese versions of the questions available online and will be translating them to Vietnamese, and Tagalog for online access by September 15, 2008. The study materials can be purchased as single items or in bulk through the Government Printing Office online bookstore or can be accessed for free through the USCIS’ website by clicking here. Flash Cards: The USCIS has released flash cards for the civics questions, and intends to release flash cards for the English vocabulary by late summer of 2008. Learn About the United States: Quick Civics Lessons: In September 2008, the USCIS will release this publication to help applicants study for the naturalization test and learn more about U.S. history and government. The Quick Civics Lessons are based on each of the sample civics questions that applicants should study for the naturalization test. In addition to the foregoing study materials, the Office of Citizenship is holding regional training conferences and workshops for educators and volunteers. The training has three elements: 1) the fundamental principles of American democracy, 2) an overview of naturalization eligibility and the naturalization process, and 3) the skills required for the new naturalization test. According to the USCIS, regional training conferences have taken place in Denver, Miami, Las Vegas, Raleigh, Houston, and Los Angeles; one is scheduled in Milwaukee for the week of October 20. To register for the training conferences and for additional information on teacher training for the new test click here. The USCIS will also continue to hold training workshops for adult educators, volunteers, and other immigrant –serving organizations. If an organization would like to host the Office of Citizenship at USCIS for a training workshop in the future, they can contact the Office at office.of.citizenship@dhs.gov. C. Adjudicator Training** The USCIS is currently training adjudicators on the new test, with a deadline for completion prior to October 1, 2008. Adjudicator training will include information about the statutes and regulations guiding the educational requirements for naturalization, how to administer and score the test, and use of the standardized test forms created for the civics test, and the reading and writing test. Adjudicators will have to take “refresher” courses on the naturalization test every year; these refreshers will include sample items to help educate adjudicators about scoring the exam. Once the USCIS issues its policy guidance on the new exam, and provides training materials to the field offices, USCIS headquarters staff will hold teleconferences with each region where adjudicators and other district or field personnel can raise any questions or concerns they may have. It is unclear; however, whether these teleconferences will take place prior to October 1, 2008, which is the day USCIS adjudicators can first administer the new test. If teleconferences do not occur before that date, there is a risk that adjudicators could start administering a new test without having the opportunity to raise their questions or concerns about it. III. The NALEO Educational Fund’s Advocacy Efforts on the New Exam The NALEO Educational Fund will continue its advocacy efforts to ensure that the USCIS implements the new exam fairly and effectively. Our advocacy priorities include the following: The NALEO Educational Fund will closely monitor the USCIS during the transition to the new test to ensure that: 1) the agency provides appropriate training to adjudicators; 2) adjudicators follow the proper guidelines for scoring the reading and writing sections, and 3) adjudicators are administering the speaking test fairly. In this connection, we are urging the USCIS to hold teleconferences between its headquarters and each region so that district personnel can raise concerns about the new test well in advance of the October 1 implementation date for the exam. We are urging USCIS to require that its field offices work closely with local immigration CBOs and service providers during the overall implementation of the new exam to ensure a smooth transition. This includes working with the CBOs by informing them about the availability of workshops on the new test and of regional trainings, by widely distributing educational materials for the new test and by making USCIS field office personnel accessible to CBOs to answer questions that the community may have about the new test. The NALEO Educational Fund will continue to work with the USCIS to explore the feasibility of creating a mock interview video on the new test so community partners can better understand the format of the new test and educate their clients, customers, and students accordingly. The NALEO Educational Fund will urge the USCIS to disseminate statistics on a regular basis to naturalization service providers and advocates that document applicants’ experiences with the new exam. These statistics should set forth the number of applicants that pass and fail each separate portion of the new exam (civics, reading, writing and speaking portions of the English test). The agency should also provide these statistics for applicants who take the current exam until the time that it is discontinued. The USCIS should also provide data on the number of applicants who are denied naturalization for reasons unrelated to the civics or English test. The agency should breakdown all of the foregoing statistics by USCIS district office and national origin of the applicant. The NALEO Educational Fund will continue to provide you with updates on naturalization policy developments and actions that you can take to assist with our advocacy efforts. For more information about the naturalization test redesign or other naturalization issues, please contact: William Ramos Director of Washington, DC Office Tel: 202-546-2536 Email: wramos@naleo.org Eleonor Velasquez Policy Analyst Tel: 202-546-2536 Email: evelasquez@naleo.org Rosalind Gold Senior Director of Policy, Research and Advocacy 213-747-7606, ext. 4420 Email: rgold@naleo.org NALEO Educational Fund Civic Engagement Staff Efrain Escobedo Senior Director of Civic Engagement Tel: 213-747-7606, ext. 4422 Email: eescobedo@naleo.org Elisa Sequeira Program Manager (Los Angeles) Tel: 213-765-9429 Email: esequeira@naleo.org Claudia Hogue Director of Civic Engagement (Houston) Tel: 713-228-6400 Email: chogue@naleo.org Julissa Gutierrez Director of Civic Engagement (New York) Tel: 212-480-1918 Email: jgutierrez@naleo.org
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September 2008

I. Background

In September 2007, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced its intention to implement a redesigned naturalization test to assess the English-language and civics proficiency of applicants for U.S. citizenship. The agency will start administering the test to applicants on October 1, 2008. Between October 1, 2008 and October 1, 2009, certain applicants can choose between taking the current test and the new redesigned test.*
Starting in October 1, 2009, the new examination will be the only one available for applicants.

In recent months, the USCIS has provided information about the redesigned examination through a variety of meetings and publications. This Update summarizes the latest information available on the content and format of the test, how it will be administered, the training provided to USCIS personnel, and the study materials and training the USCIS intends to disseminate to naturalization educators and service providers. The NALEO Educational Fund will also continue to advocate for the fair and effective implementation of the new exam, and our advocacy priorities are set forth at the end of this Update.

II. USCIS’ Progress on Implementing the Naturalization Test

A. Test Content, Format and Administration

As it has in the past, the USCIS’ redesigned naturalization test will require most applicants to demonstrate a basic knowledge of U.S. history and government (the civics test) and a basic ability to read, write, speak, and understand English.**

Civics Test: For the civics test, USCIS examiners will still ask applicants 10 U.S. history and government questions, from which the applicants must answer at least 6 correctly in order to pass In addition the civics exam will remain an oral exam where the applicant must provide an oral response. In September 2007, the USCIS released a list of the civics questions and answers which are the source of the 10 questions adjudicators will ask during the naturalization test. The USCIS has created standardized test forms for adjudicators to use when testing applicants on the civics test. The agency has used “weighting” techniques with respect to the combination of specific questions on each form to ensure that overall, each test form has the same level of difficulty.

Due consideration for the civics test: Under USCIS regulations, the agency must provide “due consideration” when administering the civics test. These regulations require examiners to take into consideration an applicant’s education, background, age, length of residence in the United States, and other relevant factors when choosing subject matters, in phrasing questions and in evaluating responses to the test. The USCIS is providing its adjudicators with policy guidance with respect to the implementation of “due consideration” for the new exam.

Reading and Writing Test: The format for the reading and writing portions of the redesigned English reading test is similar to the current test. The USCIS has created standardized test forms for adjudicators to use, and the content focuses on civics topics. The reading section of the test consists of sentences written as questions that the applicant has to read, and the writing section of the test consists of the answers to the questions, which will be dictated by the adjudicator. Adjudicators will provide applicants with up to three chances to correctly read a question and write a dictated sentence in English.

Reading Test Scoring Guidelines: Under the USCIS’ reading exam scoring guidelines, the agency directs adjudicators not to fail applicants merely because of their accent when speaking English. However, the adjudicator can fail an applicant if he or she does not read the question, makes pronunciation or intonation errors that interfere with the meaning, omits a content word or substitutes another word for a content word, or pauses for an extended period of time.

Writing Test Scoring Guidelines: Under its scoring guidelines, the USCIS directs adjudicators not to fail applicants on the writing test because of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation errors unless the errors prevent understanding the meaning of the sentence. However, an applicant would fail if he or she writes 1) nothing or only one or two isolated words; 2) a completely illegible sentence; or 3) a sentence that does not communicate the meaning of the dictated sentence.

Speaking Test: The USCIS has not changed the portion of the examination that tests applicants’ ability to speak and understand English. Adjudicators will determine this ability by an applicant’s answers to questions normally asked in the course of the naturalization interview, which includes questions taken from the applicant’s N-400 naturalization application. The USCIS requires adjudicators to repeat and rephrase the questions until they are satisfied that the applicant either fully understands the question or does not understand English. In connection with this process, the agency encourages adjudicators to use a list of rephrased N-400 questions that were provided to them in an interoffice policy memorandum on September 28, 2006.

If the applicant generally understands and can respond meaningfully to the questions, the applicant has demonstrated the ability to speak English. Each adjudicator determines the questions he or she will ask applicants during their interviews, and the USCIS has not developed a standardized form for this portion of the exam.

B. Civics and Citizenship Study Materials and Training

In recent meetings, the USCIS reaffirmed that the Office of Citizenship will produce updated versions of all existing study materials to correspond with the new test. The agency has announced that the following products have been or will be made available to prepare for the new naturalization test:

Civics (U.S. History and Government) questions and English vocabulary: As noted above, in September 2007, the USCIS released a list of the civics questions and answers which are the source of the 10 questions adjudicators will ask during the naturalization test. At that time, the agency also released two lists of English vocabulary to assist applicants with their preparation for the English reading and writing portions of the exam. The USCIS believes that these materials currently constitute the primary study materials for the test.

Because of the importance of the civics questions, the agency will make translated versions available in multiple languages. The USCIS has already made the Spanish and Chinese versions of the questions available online and will be translating them to Vietnamese, and Tagalog for online access by September 15, 2008. The study materials can be purchased as single items or in bulk through the Government Printing Office online bookstore or can be accessed for free through the USCIS’ website by clicking here.

Flash Cards: The USCIS has released flash cards for the civics questions, and intends to release flash cards for the English vocabulary by late summer of 2008.

Learn About the United States: Quick Civics Lessons: In September 2008, the USCIS will release this publication to help applicants study for the naturalization test and learn more about U.S. history and government. The Quick Civics Lessons are based on each of the sample civics questions that applicants should study for the naturalization test.
In addition to the foregoing study materials, the Office of Citizenship is holding regional training conferences and workshops for educators and volunteers. The training has three elements: 1) the fundamental principles of American democracy, 2) an overview of naturalization eligibility and the naturalization process, and 3) the skills required for the new naturalization test. According to the USCIS, regional training conferences have taken place in Denver, Miami, Las Vegas, Raleigh, Houston, and Los Angeles; one is scheduled in Milwaukee for the week of October 20. To register for the training conferences and for additional information on teacher training for the new test click here. The USCIS will also continue to hold training workshops for adult educators, volunteers, and other immigrant –serving organizations. If an organization would like to host the Office of Citizenship at USCIS for a training workshop in the future, they can contact the Office at office.of.citizenship@dhs.gov.

C. Adjudicator Training

The USCIS is currently training adjudicators on the new test, with a deadline for completion prior to October 1, 2008. Adjudicator training will include information about the statutes and regulations guiding the educational requirements for naturalization, how to administer and score the test, and use of the standardized test forms created for the civics test, and the reading and writing test. Adjudicators will have to take “refresher” courses on the naturalization test every year; these refreshers will include sample items to help educate adjudicators about scoring the exam.

Once the USCIS issues its policy guidance on the new exam, and provides training materials to the field offices, USCIS headquarters staff will hold teleconferences with each region where adjudicators and other district or field personnel can raise any questions or concerns they may have. It is unclear; however, whether these teleconferences will take place prior to October 1, 2008, which is the day USCIS adjudicators can first administer the new test. If teleconferences do not occur before that date, there is a risk that adjudicators could start administering a new test without having the opportunity to raise their questions or concerns about it.

III. The NALEO Educational Fund’s Advocacy Efforts on the New Exam

The NALEO Educational Fund will continue its advocacy efforts to ensure that the USCIS implements the new exam fairly and effectively. Our advocacy priorities include the following:

The NALEO Educational Fund will closely monitor the USCIS during the transition to the new test to ensure that:
1) the agency provides appropriate training to adjudicators; 2) adjudicators follow the proper guidelines for scoring the reading and writing sections, and 3) adjudicators are administering the speaking test fairly. In this connection, we are urging the USCIS to hold teleconferences between its headquarters and each region so that district personnel can raise concerns about the new test well in advance of the October 1 implementation date for the exam.
We are urging USCIS to require that its field offices work closely with local immigration CBOs and service providers during the overall implementation of the new exam to ensure a smooth transition. This includes working with the CBOs by informing them about the availability of workshops on the new test and of regional trainings, by widely distributing educational materials for the new test and by making USCIS field office personnel accessible to CBOs to answer questions that the community may have about the new test.
The NALEO Educational Fund will continue to work with the USCIS to explore the feasibility of creating a mock interview video on the new test so community partners can better understand the format of the new test and educate their clients, customers, and students accordingly.
The NALEO Educational Fund will urge the USCIS to disseminate statistics on a regular basis to naturalization service providers and advocates that document applicants’ experiences with the new exam. These statistics should set forth the number of applicants that pass and fail each separate portion of the new exam (civics, reading, writing and speaking portions of the English test). The agency should also provide these statistics for applicants who take the current exam until the time that it is discontinued. The USCIS should also provide data on the number of applicants who are denied naturalization for reasons unrelated to the civics or English test. The agency should breakdown all of the foregoing statistics by USCIS district office and national origin of the applicant.

The NALEO Educational Fund will continue to provide you with updates on naturalization policy developments and actions that you can take to assist with our advocacy efforts. For more information about the naturalization test redesign or other naturalization issues, please contact:

William Ramos
Director of Washington, DC Office
Tel: 202-546-2536
Email: wramos@naleo.org

Eleonor Velasquez
Policy Analyst
Tel: 202-546-2536
Email: evelasquez@naleo.org

Rosalind Gold
Senior Director of Policy, Research and Advocacy
213-747-7606, ext. 4420
Email: rgold@naleo.org

NALEO Educational Fund Civic Engagement Staff

Efrain Escobedo
Senior Director of Civic Engagement
Tel: 213-747-7606, ext. 4422
Email: eescobedo@naleo.org

Elisa Sequeira
Program Manager (Los Angeles)
Tel: 213-765-9429
Email: esequeira@naleo.org

Claudia Hogue
Director of Civic Engagement (Houston)
Tel: 713-228-6400
Email: chogue@naleo.org

Julissa Gutierrez
Director of Civic Engagement (New York)
Tel: 212-480-1918
Email: jgutierrez@naleo.org