The Metro newspaper ran stories commemorating one year since the passing of the Her Late Majesty The Queen. These included an extended piece discussing findings of Professor Thom Brooks’ research on the Life in the UK citizenship test, including an interview.
Professor Brooks published a report that found several alarming findings. First, it uncovered that the test includes “correct” answers that are factually false. This cuts across test chapters on history and culture. Secondly, Brooks found that the test does not require new citizens to know who is the head of state. This makes the UK test the only in the world to omit this fact about itself from any test used, but it’s also a serious problem as anyone seeking citizenship is required to take an oath to the head of state. Brooks called for inclusion of the late Queen’s long reign on future tests and that it must include information about the head of state. Professor Brooks is Chair in Law and Government at Durham Law School and he was its longest serving Dean 2016 to 2021.
