Taiwan's naturalisation test: 20 questions, 70 to pass, or a year at school or 200 hours of class instead

Any one of three documents is enough: proof that you studied for a year or more at any public or private school in Taiwan; proof of class hours in courses run by a government agency in Taiwan, including courses it commissions or subsidises; or a pass in the naturalisation test, the basic language and civic knowledge test.

The hours depend on your route. 200 hours on the general route (Article 3). 72 hours for the spouse of a national, a divorced or widowed spouse, and the parent of a minor national child (Article 4, items 1 to 3). 100 hours for the other Article 4 cases (a parent who is or was a national, adopted children, people born in Taiwan, guardians) and for Article 5. 72 hours on any route if you are 65 or over.

You choose an oral test or a written test. The oral test is question and answer, in Mandarin, Taiwanese (Hokkien), Hakka or an indigenous language, your choice. The written test is multiple choice, written in Mandarin.

Both have 20 questions at 5 points each, out of 100. The questions come only from a question bank the Ministry of the Interior publishes; only the order of questions and options changes.

The pass mark depends on your route: 70 on the general route (Article 3), 60 on the Article 4 and Article 5 routes, and 50 if you are 65 or over.

You need a valid Alien Resident Certificate or Alien Permanent Resident Certificate, and you can apply at any office that runs the test. Each office either holds scheduled sessions, and then tells you the time and place in writing within two weeks of your application, or tests you when you turn up.

The fee is NT$500. Bring your residence certificate, the test notice (not needed for a walk-in test) and one colour half-length photo taken in the last two years. You get a score report; a replacement costs NT$50.

Our reading: if you already studied a year in Taiwan, you need no test at all. If you can talk easily about daily life but read little, the oral test lets you skip written Mandarin entirely, and Taiwanese or Hakka count as much as Mandarin. If you prefer a course to an exam, the hours are an alternative, but 200 hours is a large commitment on the general route.

None of this is the TOCFL, Taiwan's Mandarin proficiency test with its own bands; naturalisation does not ask for a TOCFL level. Language is also only one condition: Article 3 also asks for five years of lawful residence with at least 183 days a year, legal capacity, good conduct and enough means to support yourself.