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Proposal would require Virginia students to pass citizenship test to graduate

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RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A new proposal passed by a House of Delegates committee would add a new standardized test for Virginia high school students, drawing questions from the naturalization test given to immigrants seeking citizenship.

The measure would require high school students to pass a version of the civics portion of the naturalization test sometime between 9th and 12th grades before they can receive their high school diploma.

The bill specifies that the test should be between 25 and 50 questions, that a passing grade is 70% and that students may take the test as many times as necessary to pass it.

The bill won bipartisan support in the House Education Committee, passing by a vote of 14-8 and winning support from Delegates Schuyler VanValkenburg (D – Henrico) and Carrie Coyner (R – Chesterfield).