Anyone who is preparing for a Swiss naturalisation test can hardly call the process ‘fun’ – quite the opposite, in fact. But a new app might change that.
Anyone wishing to obtain Swiss citizenship must answer – correctly – a series of test questions.
These questions cover not only historic, political, and geographic knowledge about Switzerland, but also specific details about candidates’ canton as well as their municipality.
Preparation for the test is cut-and-dry, not exactly a child’s play – until now.
Taking it up a notch
Italian immigrant Vincenzo Casini used his own experience of becoming a Swiss citizen to create the aptly named ‘Swiss Naturalisation Test’ application, which includes 330 questions based on each canton’s official list of questions.
Swiss naturalisation test app
For instance:
Screenshot, Swiss Naturalisation Test app
(For more questions, see below),
Today, several thousand people in Switzerland are already using it, he said.
Fun experience
The app doesn’t offer alternative questions or additional training materials; instead, its novelty lies in its more user-friendly interface.
Image: Screengrab Swiss naturalisation app
For instance, it features a Smart Coaching system, an online leaderboard, and various game modes: Play, Rapid Fire, Challenge and Conquest, and Tandem.
The application can be downloaded free of charge from iOS or Google Play, or you can the online version here.
READ MORE: Would you pass a Swiss citizenship test?
The Local has tried the app for both a random canton (Vaud) and a city (Geneva).
It is easy to use and tallies up both right and wrong answers, so you can see where your knowledge is lacking.
Image: Screengrab Swiss naturalisation app
These are some of the cantonal multiple choice questions:
Which melody was used as the base of the Swiss Psalm? (Answer: The one composed by a monk, Alberik Zwyssig)
Which Swiss city is the head office of the Olympic Committee? (Lausanne)
When did Switzerland become officially neutral? (1815)
At the federal level, when did women obtain the right to vote in Switzerland? (1971)
What’s the duration of the Recruits School, the first and mandatory part of the Army training in Switzerland? (18 to 23 weeks)
Which art and cultural movement emerged in Zürich in the beginning of the 20th century? (Dadaism)
And here are some of the municipal questions:
Which historic event inspired Henri Dunant to found the Red Cross in Geneva? (The Battle of Solferino, 1859)
Which 19th-century war led to the creation of modern Swiss state? (The Sonderbund War, 1847)
Which text defines the rights and duties of Swiss citizens? (The Federal Constitution)
What is the percentage of foreign residents in Switzerland? (25 percent)
What is celebrated during l’Escalade? (Defence of Geneva against a surprise night attack by the troops of the Duke of Savoy in 1602)
