PRINCETON, N.J. — Can citizenship really be tested? An increasing number of countries — especially, but not only, in Europe — seem to think so.

Over the last decade, tests and exams for immigrants have proliferated — but so have controversies about what they may legitimately ask. Recently, the revelation that the "Life in the U.K." test tries to instill respect for the practice of queuing — standing in line, that is — caused as much ridicule as indignation.

The British minister responsible for the test justified the idea by claiming that "the simple act of taking one's turn is one of the things that holds our country together. It is very important that newcomers take their place in queues whether it is for a bus or a cup of tea."