Best way to "study" and "prepare" for the US Citizenship Interview?

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CrossHairs

Registered Users (C)
This question may have been asked many times, and the best answer may be buried somewhere. I hope one of you can point me to the thread or provide me the answer right here. Either way, your help is appreciated.

1. What is the best way to study and prepare for the US Citizenship Interview?
Books? Internet? Pointers appreciated.
I do find books - but which is a good book?

2. Also, I hear that the "format" of the Civics Test has changed? Do people undergoing interviews now take the NEW FORMAT or still the OLD FORMAT? (I dont know the details...someone was telling me a new format is introduced!? for the civics test!?)

3. When is the Test conducted? During FP or during Interview by IO?
Some people seem to indicate during FP and some people say during Interview? When is the civics test?
 
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3) the civic test is conducted at Interview time by IO, not during FP
2) The 10 pilot exam sites are: Albany, NY; Boston, MA; Charleston, SC; Denver, CO; El Paso, TX; Kansas City, MO; Miami, FL; San Antonio, TX; Tucson, AZ; and Yakima, WA.
If you live in one of the above areas the USCIS will send a notice for you to volunteer, it is upto you to decide which one you want to take.

1) When you go to the FP, ask the person at the counter. they will provide you with a book that has the civic qn's and also a CD.

you can use the following link at uscis, to study via internet.
there are websites, where que cards can be purchased/printed.
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/us...nnel=bb93667706f7d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD
 
I've used this book throughout this entire process:

Becoming a U.S. Citizen: A Guide to the Law, Exam and Interview

by Attorney Ilona Bray

$24

and the USCIS website has ALOT of Information if you take the time to look!



Best,
-Jedi.Knight
 
There are a number of websites that list all the questions from the old and the new test. http://uscitizennow.com/ is just one of them. They all contain the questions that will be asked. As as mentioned when you get your FP you should get a package with a CD and book with all the questions too. It's really pretty basic...
 
Agreed, real exam is not multiple option. If my memory serves me well the quiz has some question/s which are not from the list of 96. I printed out the flash cards and study mostly with them, also with the pdf of the flash cards on the computer. I liked that because the questions are on big easy to read font and have some visual clues to learn them.
 
I still have while for my interview but I have started my preparation mainly using the CD provided at the finger printing center. The CD is good because it has both a detailed version and a short version and it also has a gap of a few seconds for one to speak out one's own answer.

No doubt the flash card method has the advantage of a visual retention aide as well.

Huracan said:
Agreed, real exam is not multiple option. If my memory serves me well the quiz has some question/s which are not from the list of 96. I printed out the flash cards and study mostly with them, also with the pdf of the flash cards on the computer. I liked that because the questions are on big easy to read font and have some visual clues to learn them.
Click to expand...
 
I would say that different people have different style of learning. Some people prefer just to read, some people to hear. I would say there is not a bullet proof method, and 96 questions are not that hard to learn, even by choosing an inadequate method. The good thing is that there is a variety of study materials to choose from.
 
sammySam said:
But the real interview test does NOT have multiple option answers - there are NO options given.

This test is misleading. I wouldnt use it at all....
Click to expand...
Agreed - I am not using it as a way to emulate the way I'll be tested at the interview, I look instead at the questions without looking at the multiple choices.
 
CrossHairs said:
3. When is the Test conducted? During FP or during Interview by IO?
Some people seem to indicate during FP and some people say during Interview? When is the civics test?
Click to expand...

1. Why is it then that some folks on this forum (if you see their dates) also say FP appeared and Test passed on the same date. This means they had the FP and the civics Test on the same day? (and not a separate interview date?)

2. It seems that the new test is 'voluntary' for now in only 10 places. When does it become mandatory for all the District offices? And what is the main difference between the new and old tests incase some of you have seen it?
 
CrossHairs said:
1. Why is it then that some folks on this forum (if you see their dates) also say FP appeared and Test passed on the same date. This means they had the FP and the civics Test on the same day? (and not a separate interview date?)

2. It seems that the new test is 'voluntary' for now in only 10 places. When does it become mandatory for all the District offices? And what is the main difference between the new and old tests incase some of you have seen it?
Click to expand...

1. Some places it seems they actually administer the test there at the FP location. I have heard about it and seems to be the norm in various places.

2. The testing for this should wrap up next year and then they will decide then what questions they will keep and what ones to remove. They were hoping by next summer to have it standard, but that will only be a best guess. They may argue for some time what questions should be removed...
 
warlord said:
1. Some places it seems they actually administer the test there at the FP location. I have heard about it and seems to be the norm in various places.

2. The testing for this should wrap up next year and then they will decide then what questions they will keep and what ones to remove. They were hoping by next summer to have it standard, but that will only be a best guess. They may argue for some time what questions should be removed...
Click to expand...

Regarding #1 above, if the test is along with the FP - then do they tell you in advance in the FP letter...I assume people dont want to go to FP thinking there is no test, and then be surprised!
 
From what I read (rwsh?) those who go for the optional new test give it at finger printing and if they fail they can give the old one like everyone else at the interview.
CrossHairs said:
Regarding #1 above, if the test is along with the FP - then do they tell you in advance in the FP letter...I assume people dont want to go to FP thinking there is no test, and then be surprised!
Click to expand...
 
The old set of 96 questions is printed (with the answers) in the back of the Guide to Naturalization. Other than remembering the original 13 colonies (which I'm told is never asked), none of them were very hard. And, you only need to get 6 of 10 right.
 
brb2 said:
From what I read (rwsh?) those who go for the optional new test give it at finger printing and if they fail they can give the old one like everyone else at the interview.
Click to expand...

Interesting...why would people go to the trouble of taking the optional test? Is that an easier format for some and hence they prefer it?
Otherwise I assume many folks will decline the voluntary test and not take the trouble of choosing it.
 
The new test questions are pretty much the same, it is not getting harder. In fact from what I saw it was getting easier. Some DOs like Baltimore give the option of the civics test at the FP center during the FP process.
You will be surprised how easy/cool the actual interview process will be, at least it is for most of the people.
 
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