About the UK Citizenship & Life tests
The Life in the UK Test is a 45-minute, 24-question exam that you must pass to apply for British citizenship or Indefinite Leave to Remain. The questions are drawn from the official Home Office handbook, Life in the United Kingdom: A Guide for New Residents, and you need to score at least 75% — that's 18 out of 24 — to pass.
Our free Life in the UK practice tests follow the official format exactly. Use them alongside the handbook to memorise dates, monarchs, traditions and the structure of UK government with confidence.
What's covered in the Life in the UK Test
The handbook is divided into five chapters: The values and principles of the UK; What is the UK; A long and illustrious history; A modern, thriving society; and The UK government, the law and your role. Expect questions on Stonehenge, the Romans, the Tudors, World Wars, devolution, the monarchy, the courts and key British traditions.
Some questions ask for a single fact, others ask which of two statements is true, and a few are multiple-select. Our mocks cover all four official question styles.
Tips to pass the Life in the UK Test
Read the official handbook end to end at least twice. The test only draws from this book — no outside knowledge is needed and outside knowledge will not help.
Make a one-page timeline. The dates that trip people up most are 1066 (Norman conquest), 1215 (Magna Carta), 1707 (Act of Union), 1801 (UK formed) and 1928 (women got the vote on equal terms).
Practise mocks in 45-minute sittings. Build the habit of moving on from any question you're not sure about and returning at the end.
On test day, bring two original ID documents and arrive 30 minutes early. Late arrivals lose their fee and have to rebook.
Who needs to take the Life in the UK Test
You must take and pass the test if you are applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain (settlement) or for British citizenship by naturalisation. Children under 18 and adults over 65 are usually exempt, as are people with a long-term physical or mental condition that prevents them from taking the test.
If you've already passed the test for ILR, you do not need to take it again for citizenship.
Ready to start? Take the Life in the UK Test, Take the British Citizenship Practice, Take the UK Laws & Rights Quiz.