Can you take the Life in the UK test in Welsh or Scottish Gaelic?

Can you take the Life in the UK test in Welsh or Scottish Gaelic?

Yes. You can take it in Welsh at a test centre in Wales, or in Scottish Gaelic at a test centre in Scotland. The test is usually in English, so you ask for the other language when you book.

You do this in the "Special Arrangements" step on the booking site.

Why are these two languages offered?

Wales and Scotland each have their own national language. They are two of the four nations of the UK, with England and Northern Ireland. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also have a parliament or assembly of their own, with powers in set areas.

What must you do to take it in Welsh?

Choose a test centre in Wales when you book. Then ask for Welsh in the "Special Arrangements" step. A Welsh test needs a centre in Wales, so both steps matter.

What must you do to take it in Scottish Gaelic?

Choose a test centre in Scotland. Then ask for Scottish Gaelic in the same step.

If you live far from the right centre, plan the trip with care. You choose the centre yourself when you book, and there are over 30 centres in the UK. Check where the Welsh or Gaelic ones are before you pick a date.

What stays the same?

Everything else. The test is computer based, 24 multiple choice questions, 45 minutes, in person. It costs £50. You need an email address, a debit or credit card and an accepted ID, with a name that matches your booking exactly. Book at least 3 days in advance at gov.uk/life-in-the-uk-test.

You are told pass or fail on the day. You get an email with your unique reference number after the test.

What about other languages?

The test is usually in English. For other languages, see taking the test in another language.

The English part of your application is separate. It is a B1 level of speaking and listening, shown by a separate test or qualification, being a national of a majority English-speaking country, or a degree taught in English. A Welsh or Gaelic test does not replace that part.

How should you study if you take it in Welsh or Gaelic?

The test is based on the whole handbook, so learn the facts and the key names clearly. Make a small word list of the main terms in both languages, such as the names of the nations and the parliaments.

Practise with our free practice test, to learn the shape of the questions. Then read the chapter on what the UK is. It is very short, and it clears up a mix-up that many people make. The UK is England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland together. Great Britain means only England, Scotland and Wales, without Northern Ireland. The rest of Ireland is a separate country.

For other help, read about special arrangements.

Check yourself

• Which language do you want to take the test in, and which centre do you need?
• Have you found the "Special Arrangements" step in your booking?
• Can you explain, in your own words, the difference between Great Britain and the UK?