Life in the UK test Information

The Life in the United Kingdom test (the “Test”) is a computer-based test and passing it is one of the requirements for anyone seeking Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK or naturalisation as a British citizen.

The purpose of the Test is to prove that the applicant has sufficient knowledge of British life and sufficient proficiency in the English language. The Test consists of 24 questions covering topics such as British values, history, traditions and everyday life.

Everybody aged between 18 and 64, as part of their citizenship or indefinite leave to remain (ILR) application, is required to pass the Life in the United Kingdom test.

You do not need to take the test if:

• You are under 18 or over 65
• You only need to pass the test once – you do not need to pass the test again if you are applying to become a British citizen and previously passed the Life in the UK Test as part of your settlement (ILR) application
• You are unable to, because of special circumstances (such as a long-term physical or mental condition; you will need to provide necessary proof).

To pass, candidates must score 75% or higher in the Test (i.e. they should answer at least 18 out of the 24 questions correctly).

You must use the official booking website to book the test (https://www.gov.uk/life-in-the-uk-test). Please only use the official booking website to book the Test using the link above.

You will need to select your preferred test location from a list of available test centres. The difficulty level of the test is the same in all test centres and therefore it is advisable to book the centre closest to you.

The fee to book the Test is £50. You must book your Life in the UK Test online at least 3 days before the Test date.

You will need to prove your identity when booking the test. You will also need to bring the ID that you used to book the test with you to the test centre. If you do not bring a proper form of identification to the test centre, you may not be allowed to sit for the test.

You can use one of the following as ID to book the Test:

• passport – it can be out of date
• UK photocard driving licence – full or provisional
• convention travel document (CTD), certificate of identity document (CID) or stateless person document (SPD)
• EU identity card
• immigration status document endorsed with a UK residence permit on a passport with a photo – it can be out of date
• biometric residence permit

Please refer to https://www.gov.uk/life-in-the-uk-test for further information.

You must bring the same ID to the test centre that you used to book the test.

You must also bring proof of your address that has your name and postcode on it. The proof of address must be dated within 3 months of the day of your test. This can be a:

• gas, electricity or water bill
• Counci Tax bill
• letter from the Home Office with your name and address on it
• UK photocard driving licence
• bank or credit card statement
• Bank statements must be an original statement printed by your bank. If you do not usually get paper statements, you can ask your bank for one. These statements must be stamped by the bank branch that gave you it.

You can make special requests when you book your test, for example if you have a disability and need extra equipment or help accessing the centre. Please visit https://www.gov.uk/life-in-the-uk-test to book your test

Contact the Life in the UK Test Helpline if you need help with your booking.

Life in the UK Test Helpline

Telephone: 0800 015 4245

Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm

You need to know the information contained within the 3rd edition handbook “Life in the United Kingdom: A guide for new Residents”.

All questions that come up in the official Test will be based on this book.

We recommend that you read and study the contents of the Handbook before attempting the practice tests on our website. The Handbook can be found in the ‘Official Handbook’ section and the practice tests can be found in the ‘Practice Test’ section of the website.

Our practice tests are based on the official Life in the United Kingdom tests and give you a feel of the real test before you go to the test centre to sit for your final test. We recommend that you complete all 45 tests on our website to maximize your chances of passing the test on your first attempt.

While practicing the tests, it is important to ensure that you learn from your mistakes. The ‘Test Results’ tab in ‘My Account’ section will have a log of all the tests you have attempted, the questions you answered incorrectly and explanations for the correct answers. This will allow you to review your tests easily and compare your answers for similar tests to ensure that you keep improving your results.

Please note that you will only have access to ‘My Account’ and ‘Test Results’ sections when you sign up as a member.

The official Life in the United Kingdom test selects 24 randomly generated questions from the question database, making every single test unique in terms of difficulty.

Our practice tests cover all the essential facts that you should know for the Test, and give you sufficient mock test practice. Once you have attempted all the tests on our website, you can be confident that you know all the content you need to pass the final test.

The Life in the United Kingdom test was last updated in 2013 (the 3rd edition update). The most recent versions (2013 onwards) is available to study in the ‘Official Handbook’ section by clicking the ‘Official Handbook’ tab. There is no difference between the content of the 2013 version and the 2019/20 version of the book.

We carefully select questions from the most recent version of the Life in the United Kingdom: A guide for new residents, 3rd Edition. Therefore, all the questions in our practice tests are valid for all exams taking place after 2013 to date.

Our questions are designed to be similar to those in the official Test. Therefore, the questions in your final Test will be similar but not identical to the practice questions on this website.

The similarity of the questions means that once you have practiced all the questions on our website, you should be able to pass the final Test without much difficulty.

Take your time to read the question before you answer it. It is important to carefully read the question before you answer it to make sure that you have correctly understood what the question is asking. You are allowed 45 minutes to complete the Test, which means you have just under 2 minutes per question.

Additionally, you should pay attention to the type of question that is being asked. Some questions will have more than one correct answer. In such cases, make sure that you select as many correct options as the question has asked for.

It may take you up to 2 hours in total at the test centre. You should arrive 15 minutes before the time given. The identity checks usually take another 15 minutes and then you will be given 45 minutes to complete the test.

The waiting time for the result is usually about 5 minutes and you will be able to leave the test centre upon receiving your pass (or fail) certificate.

You will be required to show the identification used when booking the Test and show the true likeliness of the person displayed on the ID. Please see ‘What documents do I need to book the Test?’ above.

Not all test centres will allow visitors/guests. However, you will be able to bring guests to the British Citizenship ceremony.

Upon passing the life in the UK test, you will receive a pass certificate. This certificate has no expiry date and can be used for all future applications.

You must wait 7 days before taking the Test again, but you can take the Test as many times as you need to. You need to book and pay the £50 booking fee again each time you book the Test.

Make sure you know your way to the test centre and are able to arrive 15 minutes before the Test starts. This is why it is important to book the centre closest to where you live.

In some cases, candidates were not allowed to sit the test after incorrectly stating their place of birth (e.g. stating the city instead of country). Please ensure that you pay attention while you input this information.

Make sure that you look out for “First name” and “Last name” fields. The booking service asks for your Last name and then your First name. If you mix up your First and Last names, you may not be able to sit the test or get the money back.

If your passport has both, the Identity number and Passport number, make sure that you enter your Passport number when booking the Test.

You will need to contact the Home Office on 03001 232 253 about your lost pass certificates.

Contact PSI to make a complaint.

complaints@lituk.psionline.com

Telephone: 0800 015 4245

Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm

You’ll get a response within 10 working days. You must send your complaint within 3 months of the test date.

Further information can be found on https://www.gov.uk/life-in-the-uk-test/cancellations-refunds-complaints

If you pass all the practice tests on our website you can go into the final test with confidence, knowing that you will pass it.

We would love to hear from you. Please submit your feedback/complaints/testimonials using the contact form in the Support section of ‘My Account’.