What topics come up in the Life in the UK test?

What topics come up in the Life in the UK test?

The test draws on all five chapters of the handbook: values and principles, what the UK is, history, modern society, and government, law and your role. Your 24 questions are different from other people's, so no chapter is safe to skip.

The chapters are not the same size. History is the longest by far, and "what is the UK" is only a page. Use the guide below to plan your time, and follow the links for a deeper look at each area.

Chapter 1: What are the values of the UK?

This short chapter sets out the ideas that the rest of the book rests on: democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, tolerance of different faiths and beliefs, and taking part in community life. It also lists what the UK expects of you and what it gives you in return.

Learn these as a set of five. A simple trick is to say them as a sentence: "People vote, laws apply to everyone, you are free, you respect others, you join in." Read the values and principles chapter in one sitting.

Chapter 2: What is the UK?

This is the smallest chapter, but people trip on it. It explains what the UK is made of, and what Great Britain means. It also covers islands that are close to the UK but not part of it. Read the four nations and their capitals and the what is the UK chapter.

Chapter 3: What does the history chapter cover?

History is the biggest chapter, with more than two fifths of the words in the book. It runs from Roman Britain to Brexit. It is a story, so learn it in order, as one long line, and not as a heap of separate facts.

Split it into six parts: early Britain, the Middle Ages, the Tudors and Stuarts, the global power years, the twentieth century, and Britain since 1945. For each part, learn three things: who ruled, what changed, and why it mattered.

Two guides help with the people. Kings and queens puts the monarchs in order, and Prime Ministers covers the leaders from Walpole to the end of the book. For years, use dates and numbers. The full chapter is at history.

Chapter 4: What is modern society?

This chapter describes how people live today. It covers population and languages, religion, customs and traditions, sport, arts and culture, leisure, and places of interest.

It reads like a long list, so group it. Put festivals on a calendar, sports on a map, and writers and artists on a timeline. Patron saints and national days is a good place to start, because it pins four days and four nations together. The chapter is at modern society.

Chapter 5: What do government, law and your role cover?

This chapter explains how the country is run and what you can do in it. It covers the monarchy and the constitution, Parliament and the government, the three devolved parliaments, the courts, the police, taxes, driving and the environment. It ends with how you can help in your community.

Draw a simple chart: who makes the laws, who runs the country, who decides cases. Then add the differences between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The chapter is at government, law and your role.

How should you split your time?

Time should follow the size of the chapter, with a little extra for the small ones that trip people up. A rough split is two parts history, one and a half parts government and law, one and a half parts modern society, and a short session each for chapters 1 and 2.

Also keep in mind that the handbook first came out in 2013. A few facts have changed, such as the monarch. Learn the handbook version first and add a note for today. See the handbook chapters for a map of the whole book.

How do you practise?

Read one section, close the book, and say what you remember. Then try a few questions on that part. When you have been through all five chapters, take the free practice test to see which areas are still weak.

Check yourself

• Name the five chapters in order, from memory.
• Say the five values of chapter 1 as one sentence.
• Which chapter is the longest, and how will you split it into parts?