What is the general rule of competency for witnesses?

• A. Every person is competent to be a witness.
• B. Only individuals who pass a competency test may testify.
• C. Competence is determined by the judge only after a trial begins.
• D. Competence is determined by the witness's appearance.

Answer: (B)

Competency of witnesses is a gatekeeping issue: a person must meet a minimum ability to understand the oath and to observe, recall, and relate facts in a coherent way before they may testify. In this framing, only those who pass a competency test may testify. This emphasizes that testimony isn’t automatic for everyone; there’s a standard to meet to ensure the witness can reliably tell the truth under oath.

The other ideas don’t fit as well. It isn’t universally true that every person is competent without any test, since there can be mental capacity or understanding concerns. Competence isn’t determined by appearance, and while a judge does decide who may testify, the rule isn’t simply that this decision comes after a trial has begun—there are pre-test or at-test determinations involved, rather than assuming competence or judging solely by timing.