Life in the UK Test

Migration to Britain

* Where have migrants come from in the past and why? What sort of work have they done?

The changing role of women

* Do women have equal rights and has this always been the case?
* Are there as many women in education or work as men?
* Do women get the same pay as men? Do women with children work?

Children, family and young people

* Do many children live in single parent families or step-families?
* When do children take tests at school? How many go on to higher education?
* What are the minimum ages for buying alcohol and tobacco? What drugs are illegal?

Population

* How many people live in the countries of the UK?
* What is the census and how is census data collected and used?
* How many people belong to an ethnic minority and which are the largest minority groups? Where are there large ethnic communities?

Religion and tolerance

* How many people say they have a religion and how many attend religious services? What are the largest religious groups?
* What is the Church of England and who is its head? What are the main Christian groups?

The regions of Britain

* Where are Geordie, Cockney and Scouse dialects spoken?

Customs and traditions

* Do people tend to live in the cities or in the country?
* What and when are the national days of the four countries of the UK? What are bank holidays?
* What and when are the main Christian festivals? What other traditional days are celebrated?

The working system of government

* What are MPs? How often are elections held and who forms the government?
* What is the role of the Prime Minister? Who advises them and what are the main roles in the Cabinet?
* What type of constitution does the UK have? What is Her Majesty’s Opposition and what is the role of the Leader of the Opposition?
* How is political debate reported? Are newspapers free to publish opinions or do they have to remain impartial?

The formal institutions

* What is the Queen’s official role and what ceremonial duties does she have?
* How do elections for the House of Commons work? How are candidates selected? What do the Speaker and Whips do?
* What is the House of Lords and who are its members?
* How can you visit Parliament?
* How are judges appointed and how do they apply the law?
* How are the police organised and who controls their administration?
* What is the civil service and how do civil servants work with government?
* How are local services managed, governed and paid for?

Devolved administration

* What is proportional representation and where is it used?
* What are the powers of the devolved administrations? Which areas of policy remain under the control of the UK government?
* What are quangos and non-departmental public bodies?

Britain in Europe and the world

* What are the roles and powers of the main institutions of Europe? How is European law organised?
* What rights do citizens of European Union states have to travel and work?
* What is the Commonwealth? What is the United Nations and what is Britain’s role within it?

The ordinary citizen

* What rights and duties do UK citizens have?
* Who has the right to vote and at what age? How and when do you register to vote?
* Who can stand for public office? How do you contact an elected representative?

If you fail the test, you will have to wait at least 7 days before you can try it again. Your results notification letter will mention the areas that you shouls review. Once you are confident that you are ready, book a new test date.

If you think that you may have failed because of insufficient English, you may consider taking English classes and your local learndirect centre.

You will get your test results at the end of your test session. The test supervisor will inform you of the result. The passmark is around 75%.

If you pass the test, you will receive a “Pass Notification Letter”. This document will mention your test date, supervisor, centre location, and a unique reference number.This letter should be attached to your application for citizenship or Indefinite Leave to Remain.

Keep your Pass Notification Letter in a safe place until mailing it to the Home Office with the rest of your documents. This letter cannot be replaced, meaning that you will have to pass the Life in the UK test again to obtain a new Pass Notification Letter.

Read the manual “Life in the United Kingdom: A Journey to Citizenship”. Everything you need is there. If you wish to make sure that you memorized all the information correctly, you may want to consider private training. Several companies provide training for the Life in the UK test online, usually charging a fee. We prepared a comparison chart for several providers, which can help you choose.

If you are tested between APril 2, 2007 and July 1, 2007, you can still take the test based on the 1st Edition of the official manual. When you arrive at the centre, let the supervisor know which edition you studied. Starting July 1, 2007, you will only be able to take the test based on the new edition.

You will have 45 minutes to answer 24 questions, which means less than 2 minutes per question. You may be given more time if you have a disability or a certain medical condition. You should inform your test centre of your disabilities or medical conditions when you make the booking.

Life in the UK Test has 24 questions. All the questions are based on the book called “Life in the United Kingdom: A Journey to Citizenship”, 2nd Edition, Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Note that you should get the NEWEST edition of the book. You may find very cheap books online, for example on eBay, but be careful and don’t buy the old edition.

Most questions will be about the United Kingdom in general, but some questions might be asked about the region where you live – England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Your test supervisor will take your name, date of birth, citizenship, place of birth, postcode, Home Office reference number, and will ask you why you are taking the test. The supervisor will also check your photo ID. Unless you already paid for the test earlier, you will be invited to pay at this time.

You will be assigned a computer and your test supervisor will explain the procedure. First you will be able to take a practice test.

The only way to take the test is on a computer. No paper-based version of the Life in the UK test exists. Therefore, you must have basic knowledge of how to use a personal computer in order to pass the test. Check out our How does it work pages for more information. You can always take a practice test directly at the Test Centre, just before the real test.

You will have to bring your Identification Documents to the test centre, and show them to your Test Supervisor. YOur ID must have your photograph, and the photograph must actually look like you. One of the following documents is acceptable:

Your passport
UK photocard Driving License, either full or provisional
CTD (COnvention Travel Document)
CID (Certificate of Identity Document)
SPD (Stateless Person Document)
your Immigration Status document, endorsed with a UK Resident Permit and bearing a holder’s photograph

You will have to provide your postcode, if you don’t know it, make sure to bring a piece of mail that contains your postcode.

If you made your reservation, and need to cancel or postpone the date of the test, you must advise your test centre as soon as possible. You could be charged a £10 administration fee if you give less than 7 days notice. This also depends on each centre; inquire on what the conditions are when you contact your nearest centre.

At this time the exam costs 34 pounds. VAT could be added to the test in the near future, which will slightly increase the final price.
Payment must be made at the test centre, before taking the test. Payment methods depend on each test centre.