The Writing Test: Does Spelling Count?

[Virginian61 1]

Went to immigration office for fingerprinting and they gave us a nice little study guide for the naturalization test. It discusses the writing test and says you will be asked to write three sentences. It also provides a vocabulary list of potential words that may be used.

But I wonder do you have to spell each word correctly, or is getting pretty close sufficient? If you attempt to spell phonetically the idiosyncrasies of english can be perplexing. For example: blue or (blu), Lincoln or (Lincon), Washington or (Washinton). Does anyone have experience with this part of the test?

[JimmyHou 610]

Went to immigration office for fingerprinting and they gave us a nice little study guide for the naturalization test. It discusses the writing test and says you will be asked to write three sentences. It also provides a vocabulary list of potential words that may be used.

But I wonder do you have to spell each word correctly, or is getting pretty close sufficient? If you attempt to spell phonetically the idiosyncrasies of english can be perplexing. For example: blue or (blu), Lincoln or (Lincon), Washington or (Washinton). Does anyone have experience with this part of the test?

Here's what the USCIS Policy Manual says about spelling:

http://www.uscis.gov/policymanual/HTML/PolicyManual-Volume12-PartE-Chapter2.html

3. Writing Test​

​

To sufficiently demonstrate the ability to write in English, the applicant must write one sentence out of three sentences in a manner that the officer understands. The officer dictates the sentence to the applicant using standardized writing test forms. An applicant must not abbreviate any of the words. Once the applicant writes one of the three sentences in a manner that the officer understands, the officer stops the writing test.​

​

An applicant does not fail the writing test because of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation errors, unless the errors interfere with the meaning of the sentence and the officer is unable to understand the sentence.​

​

Passing the Writing Test​

​

The applicant passes the writing test if the applicant is able to convey the meaning of one of the three sentences to the officer. The applicants writing sample may have​ the following​:​

​

Some grammatical, spelling, or capitalization errors​;​

​

Omitted short words that do not interfere with meaning​ or​

​

Numbers​ spelled out or written as digits​.​ ​

​

Failing the Writing Test​

​

An applicant fails the writing test if he or she makes errors to a degree that the applicant does not convey the meaning of the sentence and the officer is not able to understand the sentence. ​

​

An applicant fails the writing test if he or she writes​ the following​: ​

​

A different sentence or words; ​

​

An abbreviation for a dictated word;​ [9] ​

​

Nothing or only one or two isolated words; or ​

​

A sentence that is completely illegible. ​

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Most of us, if not all have been asked to write a single sentence, not sure where the 3 comes from?

[Mrs O. 29]

Most of us, if not all have been asked to write a single sentence, not sure where the 3 comes from?

That's because most or all get it on the first try. If the first wasn't correct, the officer moves on to the next. Max 3 attempts. That's where the 3 comes from. Just the same way the office stops asking questions once you answer 6 correctly on the civics test.

[Mrs O. 29]

Sorry for the double post, I dont know how it happened

Edited December 4, 2014 by Mrs O.

[Karee 4,189]

Went to immigration office for fingerprinting and they gave us a nice little study guide for the naturalization test. It discusses the writing test and says you will be asked to write three sentences. It also provides a vocabulary list of potential words that may be used.

But I wonder do you have to spell each word correctly, or is getting pretty close sufficient? If you attempt to spell phonetically the idiosyncrasies of english can be perplexing. For example: blue or (blu), Lincoln or (Lincon), Washington or (Washinton). Does anyone have experience with this part of the test?

My wife missed a word and misspelled Lincoln. They made her spell "Lincoln was the president during the civil war" I think she wrote "Lincon was the president civil war" They passed her.

[Virginian61 1]

My wife missed a word and misspelled Lincoln. They made her spell "Lincoln was the president during the civil war" I think she wrote "Lincon was the president civil war" They passed her.

Thanks to all for this information. My wife is practicing for the test and making similar spelling mistakes. I told her that they wouldn't fail her for spelling, but she was worried about it.

Now we are just waiting for the interview appointment. I would guess many immigration employees are taking vacation days over the holidays and that fewer interviews are being scheduled. But this final step in the immigration process has been the least troublesome.

[Buckyball 22]

I wonder how someone can survive in the U.S. if he is not able to write simple sentences like the ones they ask for.

BTW, I had to read/write "We pay taxes".

[JimmyHou 610]

I wonder how someone can survive in the U.S. if he is not able to write simple sentences like the ones they ask for.

BTW, I had to read/write "We pay taxes".

I've also read a few interview experiences on here where applicants said that they saw other people being interviewed who clearly could not speak a world of English. Most of these interviews did not end well. I think it must be quite difficult to do a lot of everyday things in the US if you don't speak English.

I looked up the numbers: this is from the 2011 census, so it's old, but it's the first document I found.

https://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/acs-22.pdf

A little over 60,000,000 people in the US speak a language other than English at home. Of these people, 15.4% said they "spoke English 'not well'" and 7% rated their speaking ability as "no English at all".

Those percentages translate into approximately 9,200,000 people who don't speak English well, plus 4,200,000 people who don't speak English at all.