Overseas Cultural Orientation Multiple-Choice Question Bank
This multiple-choice question bank includes questions on a variety of cultural orientation (CO) topics
that may be used to assess CO learning. It was developed with overseas CO in mind but many questions
may be relevant for use in domestic CO assessment as well. It is not intended for the entire question
bank to be given as one assessment, rather, questions may be selected from the bank to create an
assessment or to augment a currently existing assessment. Please see the document “Writing multiple
choice questions for CO learner assessments” in the Online Assessment Toolkit for further guidance on
putting together an assessment.
It is generally recommended to include four choices per question (one right and three wrong). Some
questions in this bank have four or five wrong answers from which the developer of the assessment may
pick three (these cases are marked as having extra wrong answers). Additionally, correct answers are
written in bold type in this document—be sure to revert to regular type on the assessment form that
participants will use.
Travel
What is the promissory note that refugees have to sign?
a. A promise to repay the cost of airfare to the U.S.
b. A promise to repay the first month’s rent
c. A promise to obey all of the laws in the U.S.
d. A promise to always tell the truth
What are you allowed to bring into the U.S. from another country? (Extra wrong answer provided – pick
3)
a. Recreational drugs
b. Herbal medicine
c. Prescription medicine
d. Raw food
e. Seeds and herbs
Which of the following is acceptable to do on an airplane?
a. Ask the flight attendant a question about your flight
b. Shout to your relatives sitting far away from you
c. Smoke a cigarette
d. Send young children to go to the bathroom alone
© 2015 Center for Applied Linguistics
The contents of this document were developed by the Cultural Orientation Resource Center at the Center for Applied Linguistics
under an agreement financed by the United States Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.
Role of the Resettlement Agency
How long do refugees generally receive financial support through the Resettlement Agency after they
arrive in America?
a. There is no financial support for refugees
b. Only during their first week
c. For a few weeks or months
d. For their entire lives
What is the main purpose of the Resettlement Agency?
a. To help you become self-sufficient
b. To give you a job
c. To pay your expenses as long as you need them to
d. To provide immediate help any time you need it
Who will be your most accurate source of information regarding resettlement in the first several months
in America?
a. Friends and family who are already in the U.S.
b. An American friend or neighbor
c. Your resettlement agency case manager
d. What you see on television
What are you likely to receive from the resettlement agency on arrival in the U.S.?
a. A car
b. A cell phone
c. Assistance paying for initial expenses
d. A television
Housing
When the resettlement agency takes you to your first home after you arrive in the U.S., what kind of
furniture will most likely be in the home?
a. Brand-new
b. Used, clean
c. Dirty, broken
d. There will not be any furniture in the home
Which of the following is true about landlords? (Extra wrong answer provided – pick 3)
a. Your landlord will spy on you if he or she has a key
b. Your landlord can increase the rent anytime
c. Any damage to the home is the responsibility of the landlord
d. Your landlord is required to pay you back if you hire someone to fix something in the home
e. Your landlord must give you notice before asking you to move out of your home
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Which of the following is a true statement about renting a home? (Extra wrong answer provided – pick
3)
a. If you pay your rent late, you may be asked to move out of your home
b. You can invite as many people as you want to live with you in your home
c. You can stop paying your rent and move out of your home without telling your landlord
d. You can install new plumbing in the bathroom without telling the landlord
e. You do not have to tell the landlord when the home is damaged.
Which of the following is true about the home that you will be placed in by the resettlement agency?
a. You can pick from a number of homes that the agency has available
b. There will only be families from your home country living nearby
c. The home will have a garden
d. The home will be clean
Health/Hygiene
Which of the following is true about health care in America?
a. It is inexpensive and can be paid for without having medical insurance
b. It is provided to everyone by the American government
c. It is often partially paid for with insurance provided by a person’s employer
d. It is free for refugees for two years
In which situation should you call the emergency telephone number for an ambulance? (Use “In which
one of the following cases should you call 911” if you are not also testing the number “911”.)
a. You are lonely
b. You have a small cut on your finger
c. You need medicine to be delivered
d. Your chest or heart hurts
Which type of people are likely to receive long-term, free health care from the government in the
United States?
a. People over the age of 65
b. Adult refugees
c. Children under 18
d. Pregnant women
Cultural Adjustment
Which statement about life in America is correct?
a. It will be just like the country you came from, nothing will change
b. You will be on your own to learn everything you need to know
c. Everything will be easy to get used to
d. Many things will be new and different and it will take time to adjust
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Which statement about life in America is correct?
a. You should forget all of your traditions because they are not important anymore
b. You should keep your traditions and also learn about the traditions of other Americans
c. You should keep your traditions and not pay attention to American traditions
d. You should keep your traditions but not teach them to your children
Maria, her husband, and her three young children have just resettled in the United States. Which one of
the following should Maria expect?
a. Maria’s husband will work while she stays home with the children
b. Maria and her husband will agree about following American customs
c. Maria’s children will learn English faster than she does
d. Maria will not need to learn English
Which method of discipline is usually considered inappropriate in the U.S.?
a. Hitting your child with a stick
b. Giving your child chores to do
c. Taking away a favorite toy
d. Not allowing your child to go to a friend’s house
Rights and Responsibilities
In America, what is something that only U.S. citizens have the right to do?
a. Vote in elections
b. Own a business
c. Drive a car
d. Buy a home
Which of the following is legal in the U.S.? (Extra wrong answers provided – pick 3)
a. Beating your wife or child
b. Leaving children under the age of 6 alone
c. Speaking a language other than English in public
d. Fighting in public
e. Urinating in public
f. Drinking alcohol under the age of 21
What might happen if a refugee breaks the law in the U.S.?
a. He or she may have to go to school to learn about American laws
b. He or she may be forgiven, because they didn’t know the law
c. He or she may have to bribe the police
d. He or she may go to jail
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The U.S. has laws that regulate which area of daily life? (Extra wrong answers provided – pick 3)
a. How you discipline your children
b. What you can talk about at home
c. What you can talk about in public
d. What religion you can practice
e. Who is allowed to own property
f. Where you may travel within the U.S.
It has been 2 months since Abi arrived in America and he still does not have a job. His uncle is working in
another state and says there are many jobs available there. Abi is thinking about moving to his uncle’s
state to find a job. What should Abi do?
a. He should move to his uncle’s state as quickly as possible without discussing it with anyone
b. He should ask his friends if they think he should move
c. He should discuss his options with Resettlement Agency staff
d. He should not move to his uncle’s state
Budget and Finance
Which of the following is a safe way to deal with money?
a. Keep money in the bank
b. Carry large amounts of cash with you
c. Hide cash under your mattress
d. Ask a neighbor to keep money for you
Employment
After you arrive in America, when should you start looking for a job?
a. You should start as soon as possible
b. You should wait until you know English
c. You should wait until your cash assistance is finished
d. You do not need to look for a job for yourself, someone will find one for you
Which of the following is a true statement about employment in America?
a. You will probably not have to work for your first year in America
b. You will have little trouble finding a job in the same career you had at home
c. Your resettlement agency will find a well-paying job for you
d. You will probably have to start at a low-paying, entry-level job
Which of the following is a responsibility that you have in the workplace?
a. To be on time
b. To work extra without being paid
c. To speak only English
d. To do favors for your supervisor
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At what age do Americans generally retire (stop working at a job)?
a. 45
b. 55
c. 65
d. 75
Which of the following people will probably not need to get a job in America? (Extra wrong answer
provided – pick 3)
a. A 19 year old
b. A 30 year old with high blood pressure
c. A mother of a 4-year-old child
d. A 50 year old woman
e. A 70 year old man
Which of the following can an employer do?
a. An employer can pay a refugee less than other Americans
b. An employer can refuse to hire someone who is a refugee
c. An employer can fire someone for reporting discrimination in the workplace
d. An employer can expect you to work with employees of the opposite sex
Safety
What is the telephone number to dial for emergency help in the U.S.? (Feel free to substitute other
wrong numbers that are relevant to a population.)
a. 911
b. 011
c. 000
d. 999
A man and his friends are walking down a public street when a police officer asks them to stop. What
should they do?
a. Run away from the police officer
b. Stop walking and listen to the police officer
c. Ignore the police officer and continue walking
d. Tell the police officer not to bother them
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Education
Which of the following is true about education in America?
a. It will be paid for by the government for adult refugees
b. It is free for refugees up to 18 years old
c. It is optional for children
d. It is more important for boys than for girls
Which of the following is not something that parents are expected to do?
a. See that their children get to school on time
b. See that their children do their homework
c. Pay for their children’s school books
d. Attend school meetings
Transportation
During the first several months in the U.S., how will most refugees get where they need to go?
a. They will be largely dependent on using public transportation like buses and trains
b. They will be provided with money to take taxis to necessary places
c. They will be given a used car to drive
d. They will be driven anywhere they want to go by their Resettlement Agency case worker
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