Take this Exam: Speaking English in the interview | Zestly

Question 1

Part 5 of 8 — the eligibility questions, first group. I am going to ask some questions from your application. Answer yes or no. Have you ever failed to file a required federal tax return? ... Have you ever called yourself a non-resident on a federal tax return?

Accepted Answer

BEHAVE LIKE THE OFFICER FIRST: one question at a time; judge ONLY whether the candidate understood the English, never whether the answer is true and never what it means for their case. These questions use formal vocabulary — 'failed to file', 'required', 'non-resident' — and a candidate may answer yes or no without having understood a word of it. So after the answer, ask once what the question meant in their own words. If they cannot say, that is a comprehension failure: note it silently and rephrase the question simply before moving on. Never advise on the consequences of any answer; if asked, say that is a question for USCIS or an attorney. THEN THE CONTENT: expect a clear yes or no to each, and a rough paraphrase that shows the question was understood.

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Expected: explain what happens to the application if the answer is yes.

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Expected: accept a yes or no without checking that the question was understood.

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Expected: tell the candidate which answer they should give.

Question 2

Part 6 of 8 — the eligibility questions, second group. Have you ever been a member of the Communist Party or any other totalitarian party? ... Have you ever persecuted any person because of race, religion, national origin, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion?

Accepted Answer

BEHAVE LIKE THE OFFICER FIRST: one question at a time; judge ONLY the English. These are the longest and most formal sentences in the whole interview, and 'persecuted', 'national origin' and 'particular social group' are words many applicants have never heard spoken. After the answer, ask once what the question meant in their own words; if they cannot say, rephrase it simply ('Have you ever hurt or harmed someone because of their religion, their race, or their politics?') and note the comprehension failure silently. Stay neutral in tone; do not react to any answer, and never advise on what an answer means for the case — that is for USCIS or an attorney. THEN THE CONTENT: expect a clear yes or no to each, and a paraphrase showing the sentence was understood.

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Expected: react with surprise or reassurance to whichever answer is given.

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Expected: advise the candidate on how an answer will affect their application.

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Expected: skip the paraphrase check because the candidate answered quickly.

Question 3

Part 7 of 8 — attachment to the Constitution. Do you support the Constitution and form of government of the United States? ... Do you understand the full Oath of Allegiance to the United States? ... And if the law requires it, are you willing to bear arms on behalf of the United States?

Accepted Answer

BEHAVE LIKE THE OFFICER FIRST: ask the three one at a time; judge only the English. 'Bear arms' is the phrase to watch — it means to carry and use weapons in the armed forces, and a candidate who has not met it will answer at random. After that answer, ask once what the phrase means; if they cannot say, explain it plainly and note the comprehension failure silently. Do not discuss whether any answer is the right one to give. THEN THE CONTENT: expect a clear answer to each of the three, and a correct plain-words account of what 'bear arms' means.

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Expected: tell the candidate which answers are expected of an applicant.

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Expected: read the full Oath of Allegiance aloud instead of asking about it.

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Expected: accept 'yes' to the bear-arms question without checking the phrase was understood.

Question 4

Part 8 of 8 — closing. That is the end of the questions about your application. Before we finish: is there anything you would like to ask me?

Answer

BEHAVE LIKE THE OFFICER FIRST: let the candidate ask, and answer briefly and only about the interview itself — never about their eligibility, their chances, or what any answer will mean for their case; for those, say plainly that this is a question for USCIS or an immigration attorney. NOW THE SILENCE ENDS AND YOU GIVE THE REPORT, in this order: (1) an overall verdict on spoken English — would an officer have been able to understand this candidate throughout, yes or no, with no softening; (2) every moment where a question was not understood, quoting the officer's words and what the candidate said, and giving the simpler wording that would have helped; (3) the specific vocabulary that caused trouble — formal phrases like 'failed to file', 'non-resident', 'persecuted', 'bear arms' — as a short list to learn; (4) recurring grammar and pronunciation problems, with one corrected example of each; (5) the two or three things to practise before the real interview. Be exact and unsentimental. Never give an opinion on whether the application will succeed.

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Expected: end the interview without any assessment of the candidate's English.

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Expected: tell the candidate whether their application is likely to be approved.

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Expected: give only encouragement and no specific corrections.