Life in the UK Explained

Skip the cramming.
Understand Britain and pass.

All 24 questions in the Life in the UK test come from one official handbook. We have turned it into short stories you'll actually remember, from Stonehenge and 1066 to Henry VIII's six wives and Brexit. Every chapter has quizzes in the test's own format, and when you're ready there's a mock test that works just like the real one.

Start the free mock test Read the first story

Free, no sign-up. 281 practice questions, checked chapter by chapter against the official 2020 printing.

Try one question first

Quiz

In 1066, who defeated Harold, the Saxon king, at the Battle of Hastings?

The story behind it: 1066: The Battle That Shaped the English Language

One story, one answer you won't forget

Why is it a cow in the field but beef on your plate? After the Normans conquered England in 1066, the farmers who raised the animals spoke Old English, while the lords who ate the meat spoke French. Picture that, and a question on how the Norman Conquest changed English will be easy.

In the field: farmers spoke Old EnglishAt the table: lords spoke French
cowOld English cū
→
beefFrench bœuf
pigOld English
→
porkFrench porc

Read the whole story

From Stonehenge to Brexit: British history in 9 chapters

History is the biggest part of the test. Each chapter takes about ten minutes. Read them in order and answer the quizzes as you go.

  1. Prehistory–410Early Britain and the RomansThe people who built Stonehenge, and the Romans' wall across Britain
  2. 410–1066Anglo-Saxons and VikingsHow England got its name
  3. 1066The Norman ConquestThe battle that made a live animal a cow but its meat beef
  4. 1100–1485The Middle AgesA king made to obey the law, and the plague that killed one in three
  5. 1485–1603The TudorsHenry VIII and his six wives
  6. 1603–1714The StuartsThe king tried and executed by his own Parliament
  7. 1714–1902A global powerThe first Prime Minister, and the Industrial Revolution that changed Britain
  8. 1900–1945The two world warsHow women won the vote
  9. 1945–2020Since 1945From the NHS to the Brexit vote: how Britain became what it is today

Beyond history, there are British values, modern society (festivals, sport and the arts) and government, the law and your role. See all topics

How to use this site

  1. Take a mock test to see where you stand.
  2. Read the explanations for the ones you got wrong. Each one tells you which chapter it comes from.
  3. Read that chapter's story. Each chapter has short quizzes to check you've got it.
  4. Try again a few days later. Every mock test draws new questions from the bank.

About this site

The Life in the UK test has 24 questions and you have 45 minutes. You need 18 correct answers (75%) to pass. Every question comes from the official handbook for new residents, A Guide for New Residents (3rd edition).

Everything here, text and questions alike, is written in our own words. Nothing is copied from the handbook or from other sites. Each chapter has been checked point by point against the official printed handbook (the 2020 printing). Some facts in the handbook are out of date, but the test follows the handbook, so this site does too. In the test, always answer as the handbook says. This is not an official site. To book the test, go to GOV.UK.