Life in the UK Test (UK Citizenship Test)
Foreign nationals who plan to apply for British citizenship or settlement must take and pass the Life in the UK Test, a test about British life, traditions, and customs commonly known as the British citizenship test.
If you are preparing to take the Life in the UK test, contact Total Law for assistance from our team of qualified immigration experts.
Call +44 (0) 333 305 9375, or use the online contact form to get expert advice on the citizenship or settlement application process in the United Kingdom.
What is Life in the UK Test?
The Life in the UK Test is a multiple-choice style exam featuring twenty-four questions about British life, tradition, and customs. The Life in the UK Test may also commonly be called the UK citizenship test because the test must be taken by foreign citizens who are applying for British citizenship. If you are applying for settlement in the UK you are also required to take the Life in the UK Test.
Citizenship and settlement applicants taking the test are given forty-five minutes to complete all of the questions on the test with a passing score. You only have to pass the test once in your life, so if you take the test when applying for settlement and you later become a British citizen, you do not have to re-take the test.
Who Needs to Take the Life in the UK Test?
The Life in the UK test is mandatory for most applicants who are pursuing British Citizenship or settlement.
- Applicants for British citizenship must take the test if they have not previously taken it
- Applicants for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) status in any category must take the test
- Applicants under the age of 18 or over the age of 65 are exempt from taking the test
- Applicants who have an ongoing or long-term physical or mental condition which prevents them from understanding or taking the test may be exempt with a letter from their doctor confirming their condition.
If you are unsure if you have to take the life in the UK test, contact a qualified immigration lawyer who can advise you on the requirements for your situation.
How to Book Life in the UK Test?
The Life in the UK test must be scheduled online through the test booking tool on the UK government website. You must book your testing appointment online at least 3 days prior to the test date.
You must choose your test centre out of the five centres closest to your place of residence. If you attempt to book a test centre that is not within the five closest to you, you will not be allowed to take the test and your test fee may not be refunded. There are a total of 30 test centres in the UK.
When you book your UK test online you can make special requests, such as assistance for a disability. You can also contact the official Life in the UK Test helpline at 0800 015 4245. When you book your test, you will need to provide the following:
- A valid email address to receive your test appointment details
- Your debit or credit card details to pay the test fee
- An accepted form of identification. This includes a current passport or Biometric Residence permit. Emergency travel documents will not be accepted as a form of identification
On the day of the test, bring your identification with you as well as a valid proof of residence showing your name and address.
In order to be accepted, proof of residence must be dated within three months prior to the date of the test.
It is recommended for applicants to arrive early. You must be at the test room at the designated start time or you will not be permitted to take the exam and your test fee may not be refunded.
Each applicant will have forty-five minutes to complete the 24-question computer-based test. Questions surrounding UK life, culture, traditions, and politics are chosen at random.
Electronic devices will not be allowed to be used in the test room except in the case of approved extra equipment for those with confirmed disabilities.
Do not bring friends or family members to the test centre with you as they will not be allowed into the test room.
Passing the life in the UK test does not guarantee the applicant British citizenship.
The UK home office maintains the final decision over who is permitted to become a citizen.
Preparing to take the Life in the UK Test
The Life in the UK Test is based on the official British Citizenship Handbook published by the UKVI. Topics that are covered in the handbook include:
- British customs and traditions
- Life in the United Kingdom
- UK geography and history
- British politics and government
You can study the official handbook in order to prepare for your Life in the UK test. In addition, you can find example questions and practice tests to complete online, or contact the official Life in the UK Test helpline at 0800 015 4245. The UK Home Office also provides an e-learning subscription to help applicants prepare for the test. Study the practice questions carefully.
The UK Home Office takes cheating seriously and any applicant who is caught cheating will be barred from the test room. If you are caught cheating later, your settlement or citizenship can be nullified and you can be deported to your home country.
Life in the UK Test Fee
The Life in the UK Test costs £50 each time you take it. The test fee will not be refunded if:
- You fail the test
- You are late to the test centre
- You do not show up for your scheduled test date
You can receive a refund when you cancel your test a minimum of 3 days prior to your scheduled test date, or if your test is cancelled or rescheduled by the test centre.
You can cancel your test online from the account you made when creating your online booking.
If your test is cancelled, you must request a refund from the test centre within 3 months of your originally scheduled test date.
Life in the UK Test Results
After taking your Life in the UK test, you should remain in the test centre until your test results are available. Do not leave the building until you receive your results from the test centre staff. If you leave the test centre before receiving your results, your score will become invalid and you will have to take the test and pay the test fee again.
If you pass the test, you will receive a Unique Reference Number, or URN, that you will use to prove you have achieved a passing score on the Life in the UK Test when applying for citizenship or settlement in the UK.
In some cases, you may receive a pass notification letter with a test reference identification number instead of a URN.
If you do not pass the Life in the UK test, you can retake it after 7 days. You will need to create a new online booking and pay the test fee again for each new test you take. You must pass the test in order to apply for UK citizenship or settlement.
You can retake the test as many times as you need to in order to achieve a passing score.
Once you have passed, you do not have to take the test again in your life.
How Can Total Law Help?
At Total Law, our team of expert immigration lawyers can help you to navigate the Life in the UK test requirement.
Your personal advisor at Total Law can advise you on your path to citizenship or settlement in the UK.
For further information, contact us today at +44 (0) 333 305 9375 or use our online contact form to get in touch with our team of qualified immigration lawyers.
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Related pages for your continued reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Life in the UK Test certificate does not expire. Once you have passed the test, the certificate is valid for life and can be used as part of your application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or British citizenship.
Life in the UK Test consists of 24 questions. You will have 45 minutes to complete the test, and you need to answer at least 18 questions correctly (75%) to pass.
You only need to pass the test one time in your life. You can use the same passing test result to gain indefinite leave to remain and citizenship in the UK.
Applicants who are required by the British government to take the Life in the UK test are those who are applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain or citizenship status in the UK. New residents of the UK must take the test to prove their knowledge of UK history, geography, culture, traditions, and customs.
You can cancel your test booking up to three days before your scheduled test date and choose a new time to take the test with the online booking tool. When you cancel your test within three days prior to your test date, you will not receive a refund and you will need to pay the test fee again. You must book your test at one of the five UK test centres closest to your address.
