Individuals in Florida who want to obtain citizenship may be concerned about the administration of the naturalization test that must be passed. The testing is conducted in order to determine whether an applicant has successfully met the requirements for knowledge of U.S. government and history as well as the English language. The English language portion assesses an applicant’s ability to understand the language. An applicant must be able to speak, read, and write the language proficiently. A civics test is administered to measure knowledge of history and government issues and facts.
These tests can be taken twice by an applicant. If the first exam is not passed, a re-examination interview is offered. If a candidate for citizenship does not pass any portion of the exams after both attempts, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services will deny the individual’s application for naturalization. A hearing related to a denial may be requested by the candidate, and officials are required to re-administer the failed sections of the exams in this situation. Failure to attend a second exam or to take the tests during attendance at an exam or hearing are considered failed attempts.
Exemptions are possible in some cases. Applicants may be exempted from the English proficiency portion if they are at least 50 years of age and have had lawful permanent resident status for a designated period of time. While the language requirement may be waived, some form of the civics test may be required. A medical disability exception may allow an individual to naturalize without taking one or both tests.
Individuals who are having difficulties with the subject matter for the required exams might seek help through community programs as they prepare. They also might want to work with an immigration attorney to ensure that misunderstandings with scheduling or other issues do not lead to unplanned exam failures.
Source: USCIS, “A. Educational Requirements “, November 05, 2014
