CITIZENSHIP TEST CENTRE OPENS IN BIRMINGHAM

Friday 4 November 2005

One of the UK’s first test centres for new UK citizenship applicants has been set up in Birmingham. Based at an adult learning centre run by TBG Learning in Great Charles Street, the facility allows applicants to undertake the ‘Life in the UK’ test to demonstrate their knowledge of life in the UK.

Adrian Downing, Regional Manager for TBG Learning, West Midlands, says,

”Six out of eight applicants have passed the test since we started running it last week. Because of the range of adult courses we already have on offer we are able to help applicants to improve their English and understand the areas that the test covers”.

Applicants do the test online on a computer and are given 24 multiple choice questions designed to test their knowledge of life in this country. The questions focus on all areas of UK society - on a range of topics - from UK traditions to the laws that govern us.

Taking the test is part of the Government's requirement that all new applicants seeking naturalisation show a good standard of English (ESOL Entry 3 or above) and have developed an understanding of UK life.

TBG Learning’s Birmingham centre offers a number of tutor-led and computer based English language courses for speakers of other languages (ESOL) and a Learndirect computer suite with online courses in IT, literacy and numeracy. The centre, where over two hundred adults are currently on courses, also provides a wide range of free courses in computing and business administration, all of which lead to nationally recognised qualifications and enjoy a high success rate.

The Birmingham TBG Learning Centre is on the fifth floor of Lombard House, 145 Great Charles Street. The centre is open Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm. Telephone 0121 200 2646 for further details.