How many questions are in the Life in the UK test?

How many questions are in the Life in the UK test?

There are 24 questions. They are all multiple choice, you answer them on a computer, and you have 45 minutes.

To pass you need 75 percent, which is 18 correct answers out of 24. That means you can get 6 questions wrong and still pass.

Is the Life in the UK test multiple choice?

Yes. All 24 questions are multiple choice, and you answer them on a computer at a test centre. You take the test in person. You cannot do it at home.

You pick your answers on the screen. You do not write anything long.

How much time do you get for each question?

You have 45 minutes for 24 questions. That is a little under 2 minutes for each one.

A fact you know takes a few seconds, which leaves time for the questions that make you stop and think.

A simple plan helps. Go through the test once and answer what you know. Then use the time you saved on the harder questions. Before you finish, read your answers again if time allows.

What do the questions cover?

The test follows the whole handbook. No chapter can be left out. The questions can come from any of the five chapters:

1. values and principles
2. what the UK is
3. history
4. modern society
5. government, law and your role

History is the longest chapter, about two fifths of the book, so it needs the most study time. The short chapters are small, but you still have to know them. A short chapter is easy to read in one evening.

Study one chapter at a time, but also practise with mixed questions, so your head learns to change topic quickly.

How should you prepare for 24 questions?

Learn the ideas, not only the words. When you see how facts connect, for example which events came first and which led to the next, they are easier to remember.

Here is a simple method:

• Read one chapter section at a time.
• Say the main facts out loud in your own words.
• Take a short test on that section.
• Write down what you got wrong and read that part again.

When you can do this across all five chapters, take full practice tests of 24 questions with a timer. This is how you learn to pace yourself. A free practice test is a good first one, because it has the same shape as the real test.

Are there any other parts to the test?

No. The Life in the UK test is these 24 questions and nothing else. It is not a speaking test. Your English speaking and listening are checked separately, at level B1, by a different test or qualification. Being from an English-speaking country does not remove the Life in the UK test.

The first handbook chapter, on values and principles, has a short section about the test. Then read the pass mark guide so you know your target score, and how long the test takes so you can plan your visit.

Check yourself

• Can you say how many questions there are, how long you have and how many you need right?
• Can you name the five handbook chapters without looking?
• Which chapter will you give the most hours, and why?