British Citizenship TestPractice

Life in the UK Test: free practice questions

Twenty questions with full answers and explanations, free, with nothing to sign up for. Every one is written from the official 3rd-edition handbook.

  1. 1. Who is expected to take an ESOL course in English with Citizenship rather than the Life in the UK test?

    1. Someone whose standard of English is below ESOL Entry Level 3
    2. Someone who has lived in the UK for less than one year
    3. Anyone applying for citizenship rather than settlement
    4. Anyone who was born outside the European Union
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Someone whose standard of English is below ESOL Entry Level 3

    The ESOL course route is aimed at people whose English is below ESOL Entry Level 3. The course improves their English while also teaching them about life in the UK, and there is a test at the end of it.

    Handbook section 1.2

  2. 2. From October 2013, what will applicants for settlement or permanent residence be required to do?

    1. Pass the Life in the UK test and provide acceptable evidence of English speaking and listening skills at B1 level
    2. Pass the Life in the UK test or provide evidence of English at B1 level, whichever they prefer
    3. Complete an ESOL course in English with Citizenship and sit an interview
    4. Pass the Life in the UK test and provide evidence of written English at B2 level
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Pass the Life in the UK test and provide acceptable evidence of English speaking and listening skills at B1 level

    From October 2013 the two requirements are combined rather than alternatives: applicants must pass the Life in the UK test AND produce acceptable evidence of speaking and listening skills in English at B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference.

    Handbook section 1.2

  3. 3. Which of these does a new citizen promise in the pledge made at the citizenship ceremony?

    1. To uphold the UK's democratic values and observe its laws faithfully
    2. To serve in the armed forces if called upon
    3. To pay a yearly citizenship fee
    4. To take part in every general election
    Show answer

    Answer: A. To uphold the UK's democratic values and observe its laws faithfully

    The pledge covers giving loyalty to the United Kingdom, respecting its rights and freedoms, upholding its democratic values, observing its laws faithfully, and fulfilling the duties and obligations of a British citizen.

    Handbook section 1.3

  4. 4. Which of these statements is correct?

    1. Freedom of speech is one of the things the UK offers to those who live here
    2. Freedom of speech is one of the responsibilities that residents are expected to carry out
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Freedom of speech is one of the things the UK offers to those who live here

    The handbook separates the two lists. Freedom of speech sits on the list of what the UK offers, alongside freedom of belief and religion and freedom from unfair discrimination; the residents' list contains duties such as obeying the law and treating others fairly.

    Handbook section 1.3

  5. 5. Roughly how many registered Life in the UK test centres are there around the UK?

    1. About 60
    2. About 20
    3. About 200
    4. About 500
    Show answer

    Answer: A. About 60

    There are about 60 registered and approved test centres across the UK, and the test may only be sat at one of them.

    Handbook section 1.4

  6. 6. The ESOL course in English with Citizenship is intended for applicants whose standard of English is already above ESOL Entry Level 3.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: B. False

    False. It is exactly the other way round: the course is for people whose English falls below ESOL Entry Level 3. It raises their English while teaching them about life in the UK, and ends with a test.

    Handbook section 1.2

  7. 7. Which of these statements is correct?

    1. Democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, tolerance of different faiths and beliefs, and participation in community life are the fundamental principles of British life
    2. Democracy, compulsory voting, national service, state religion and free housing are the fundamental principles of British life
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, tolerance of different faiths and beliefs, and participation in community life are the fundamental principles of British life

    The handbook's list of fundamental principles contains those five items and no others. They grow out of British history and tradition and are protected by law, custom and expectation.

    Handbook section 1.3

  8. 8. Which of these statements is correct?

    1. Looking after yourself and your family is one of the responsibilities expected of those who wish to be permanent residents or citizens
    2. Looking after yourself and your family is one of the freedoms that the UK offers to those who live here
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Looking after yourself and your family is one of the responsibilities expected of those who wish to be permanent residents or citizens

    The handbook keeps two lists apart. Looking after yourself and your family sits among the residents' responsibilities, alongside obeying the law, respecting others' rights and opinions, treating people fairly and caring for your local area and the environment.

    Handbook section 1.3

  9. 9. Select two places that are part of the United Kingdom.

    Select two answers

    1. Scotland
    2. The Isle of Man
    3. Northern Ireland
    4. The Republic of Ireland
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Scotland and C. Northern Ireland

    Scotland and Northern Ireland are two of the four countries of the UK, along with England and Wales. The Isle of Man is a Crown dependency rather than part of the UK, and the rest of Ireland is an independent country.

    Handbook section 2.2

  10. 10. Which countries does the term 'Great Britain' refer to?

    1. England, Scotland and Wales
    2. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
    3. England, Wales and Northern Ireland
    4. England and Scotland only
    Show answer

    Answer: A. England, Scotland and Wales

    'Great Britain' means England, Scotland and Wales only. Northern Ireland is part of the UK but is not part of Great Britain, which is why it is named separately in the country's official title.

    Handbook section 2.2

  11. 11. British overseas territories such as the Falkland Islands form part of the United Kingdom.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: B. False

    This is false. The British overseas territories are linked to the UK, but they are not part of it, just as the Crown dependencies are not.

    Handbook section 2.2

  12. 12. Which of these statements is correct?

    1. The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are Crown dependencies: closely linked to the UK, but with their own governments and not part of it
    2. The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are counties of England and send members to the Westminster parliament
    Show answer

    Answer: A. The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are Crown dependencies: closely linked to the UK, but with their own governments and not part of it

    The two Crown dependencies are linked to the UK but sit outside it and run their own governments. That is what distinguishes them from the four countries that actually make up the UK.

    Handbook section 2.2

  13. 13. The First World War came to an end at 11.00 am on 11 November 1918.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: A. True

    The fighting stopped at 11.00 am on 11 November 1918, with victory for Britain and the other Allied Powers after four years of war.

    Handbook section 3.4

  14. 14. The Easter Rising against British rule took place in Dublin in which year?

    1. 1913
    2. 1916
    3. 1919
    4. 1922
    Show answer

    Answer: B. 1916

    Irish Nationalists were not prepared to wait for Home Rule once the war had delayed it, and rose against the British in Dublin in 1916. The leaders were executed under military law, and a guerrilla war against the British army and police followed.

    Handbook section 3.4

  15. 15. In which year did the BBC start its radio broadcasts?

    1. 1918
    2. 1922
    3. 1929
    4. 1936
    Show answer

    Answer: B. 1922

    BBC radio broadcasting began in 1922, during a period of cultural blossoming that also produced writers such as Graham Greene and Evelyn Waugh and the economic theories of John Maynard Keynes.

    Handbook section 3.4

  16. 16. When did Britain win the crucial aerial battle against the German air force known as the Battle of Britain?

    1. In the summer of 1940
    2. In the spring of 1939
    3. In the winter of 1941
    4. In the autumn of 1944
    Show answer

    Answer: A. In the summer of 1940

    Hitler needed control of the air before he could invade, so Germany launched an air campaign against Britain. British fighter planes resisted and won the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940, though German bombers continued to attack British cities by night.

    Handbook section 3.4

  17. 17. Which of these statements is correct?

    1. Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, while scientists led by Ernest Rutherford were the first to split the atom
    2. Ernest Rutherford discovered penicillin, while scientists led by Alexander Fleming were the first to split the atom
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, while scientists led by Ernest Rutherford were the first to split the atom

    Fleming, a Scottish-born doctor, discovered penicillin in 1928 while researching influenza; Howard Florey and Ernst Chain later turned it into a usable drug and Fleming won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1945. Rutherford led the scientists at Manchester and then Cambridge who first split the atom and who later worked on the Manhattan Project.

    Handbook section 3.4

  18. 18. Which of these statements about the 1930s in Britain is correct?

    1. The Great Depression, which began in 1929, brought mass unemployment to some parts of the UK, while new industries such as automobiles and aviation grew
    2. The Great Depression, which began in 1929, caused unemployment evenly across the whole of the UK and stopped any new industries from developing
    Show answer

    Answer: A. The Great Depression, which began in 1929, brought mass unemployment to some parts of the UK, while new industries such as automobiles and aviation grew

    The depression hit unevenly: traditional heavy industries such as shipbuilding suffered badly, but car and aircraft manufacturing expanded. Prices fell, so those still in work had more to spend, and car ownership doubled from 1 million to 2 million between 1930 and 1939.

    Handbook section 3.4

  19. 19. Roughly how long ago did the Channel permanently cut Britain off from the European mainland?

    1. About 4,000 years ago
    2. About 6,000 years ago
    3. About 10,000 years ago
    4. About 20,000 years ago
    Show answer

    Answer: C. About 10,000 years ago

    For much of the Stone Age a land bridge joined Britain to the continent, and people came and went across it. Britain only became permanently separated by the Channel around 10,000 years ago.

    Handbook section 3.7

  20. 20. In which year did a Roman invasion led by the Emperor Claudius succeed in occupying most of Britain?

    1. 55 BC
    2. AD 43
    3. AD 410
    4. AD 789
    Show answer

    Answer: B. AD 43

    Claudius led the Roman army in a new invasion in AD 43. Some British tribes resisted, but the Romans went on to occupy almost the whole island.

    Handbook section 3.7

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