Life in the UK Test for British Citizenship & Settlement

Those making either a British citizenship or settlement application in the UK are required to take the Life in the UK test.

If you are applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain after living in the UK for a length of time, you will need to take the Life in the UK test, this includes if you are:

• Applying for legal residence after 5 years in the UK, for example, on a Skilled Worker Visa
• Applying for legal residence as the spouse or partner of a British citizen or settled person
• Applying for legal residence after 10 years in the UK

Applicants for British citizenship are also required to pass the Life in the UK Test and will need to take the test prior to their application if they have not already taken and passed the test as part of a previous settlement application.

There are certain people who will not need to complete the UK citizenship test as part of their application. If you meet any of the following requirements, you will not have to complete the like in the UK test.

• are under 18 or over 65
• have passed it before – for example, if you’re applying to become a citizen and already passed it as part of your settlement application
• have a long-term physical or mental condition – you must provide either a form or letter from a doctor confirming your physical or mental condition
  • the physical or mental condition must be one that severely restricts your ability to learn English, prepare for the test, or prevents you from speaking or learning English to a required standard. This exemption is on a case-by-case basis.

If you are not sure whether you are qualified to be exempt, you can reach out to us for advice to avoid issues or delays with your British citizenship application.

If you’d like to practice for the Life in the UK test, you can use our free practice test on the right.

It contains hundreds of sample test questions, each one covering common topics and areas that come up in the Life in the UK test. Some of the practice questions are multiple-choice, while others ask for a true or false answer. If you get an answer wrong, you will receive an short explanation why to help you understand why you answered incorrectly.

Just like the real test, the practice test will give you 24 questions to answer. After you answer all 24 questions, you will be given a final score and be told if you have passed or failed the test.

You can retake the test as many times as you like until you’re confident that you can answer the questions correctly and consistently pass the test. Simply click the ‘Start the test’ button to begin.

You can only reserve your place through the official tool provided by the Home Office on the government website. The test must be booked at least 3 days in advance.

There are over 30 accredited Life in the UK test centres located across the UK, but you can only choose one of the five centres which are closest to where you live. If you submit your request to a test centre that does not meet this condition, you will not be allowed to sit the test.

When you book your test you will need the following:

• An accepted form of ID – this can include a valid passport, travel document with a photograph, biometric residence permit or biometric residence card. You cannot use an emergency travel document as your form of ID.
• A valid email address
• Your debit or credit card details

When you book the test you can make special requests, for example if you need additional assistance or extra equipment due to a disability. To make a request you can contact the Life in the UK Test Helpline on 0800 015 4245.

All questions in your test will be taken randomly from the official handbook released by the UKVI. This guide includes sample questions and answers, that you can use to practice the test. Your exam will cover the following topics:

• UK history
• The British government
• UK geography
• Local culture

To prepare for your real test it is highly recommended that you obtain a copy of the official Life in the UK Test book and that you take some practice tests. The Official Life in the United Kingdom – A Guide for New Residents (3rd edition) handbook is the current official guide and covers all the essential knowledge you need to pass your test.

As well as the official guide, the Home Office also offers an e-learning subscription that can help you to prepare for the test.

It is essential to arrive on time on the day of your test, otherwise you will not be allowed to sit the exam.

Do not forget to bring one of the accepted forms of identification with you (such as your passport or your Biometric Residence Permit) and a valid proof of address. This must show your name and your postcode, and must be dated within three months of the day of the test.

If you fail to present these documents, you will not be able to take the test.

You should not bring and dependents or children with you.

The test is taken on a computer and you will have 45 minutes to complete it. During the test you will be asked 24 questions that cover different topics such as the history of the UK, customs and traditions and the UK’s laws and political systems. All of the questions are chosen at random by the computer.

Once you finish the test, you must remain in the building until the results are available.

If you pass the test you will be given your Unique Reference Number (URN) at the test centre. You will need your URN when applying for British Citizenship or settlement and the Home Office will use it to check that you have met the Life in the UK Test requirement.

Please note that if you leave the centre before you are given your results, your test will be invalidated.

If you passed your test before 17th December then you will not have a URN, instead you will have a pass notification letter with a test reference ID that you will use instead.

If you pass the test you can proceed with your citizenship or Indefinite Leave to Remain application providing that you have met the other requirements.

If you don’t pass the test, you will be unable to progress with your settlement application. You can retake the test after seven days, and you can resit it as many times as needed.

If you decide to retake the test again, then you will need to book a new test using the same process, and you will need to pay the £50 fee again. You will need to do this each time that you take the test.

You can only progress with your settlement or citizenship application once you have passed the test, so you will need to continue to sit it until you do if you intend to proceed with your application.

It costs £50 to sit the test. If you fail the exam, if you were late to the test centre, or if you do not attend to your exam, this fee will not be reimbursed.

You are entitled for a refund only if you cancel your test at least 3 days in advance of your test date or if the test centre cancels the exam.

To cancel your test you must log in to your Life in the UK test account Click on ‘Confirmed tests‘ and select the ‘cancel test’ option. After this you will receive a refund to the account that you paid for, you don’t need to contact UK Visas and Immigration to get this.

If the test centre cancels your exam then you must request a refund within 3 months of the test date.

The Life in the UK Test pass certificate does not have an expiry date so once you have passed the test this will be valid for life.

This means that you can use your test for multiple immigration applications, for example you can use it initially as part of an Indefinite Leave to Remain application and then if you decide to apply to become a British citizen then you will not need to take the test again and can instead use the same test pass result for your citizenship application.

Where Are The Test Centres Located?

1. Sheffield PSI at Bank Street Sheffield The Synergy Building, Bank Street Entrance, Bank Street, Hartshead, Sheffield, S1 2EL
2. Edinburgh MTS Edinburgh 40 Sciennes, Newington, Ground Floor Edinburgh, Scotland EH9 1NJ
3. Birmingham PSI Birmingham Gateway House, 3rd Floor, 50-53 High Street Birmingham, B4 7SY
4. Luton Community Training Portal Luton 378 Leagrave Rd, Luton, LU3 1RG
5. Swansea PSI at Computeraid Swansea 11 – 12 Wind Street, 4th Floor, Swansea, Wales, SA1 1DP
6. Croydon PSI Croydon Grosvenor House, 8th Floor, 125 High Street, Croydon, London, CR0 9XP
7. Liverpool PSI Liverpool 1 Union Court, 4th Floor, Cook St, Liverpool, L2 4SJ
8. Manchester PSI Manchester Boulton House, 6th Floor, 17-21 Chorlton Street Manchester, M1 3HY
9. Leicester PSI Leicester 60 Charles Street, 5th Floor, Leicester, LE1 1FB
10. Newcastle PSI Newcastle Arden House, 4th Floor, Regent Centre, Gosforth, Newcastle, NE3 3LU
11. Reading PSI Reading Highline, 6th Floor, 30 Greyfriars Road Reading, RG1 1PE
12. Watford CTP Watford 45-47 Vicarage Road Watford, WD18 0DE
13. Bristol PSI Bristol Creswicke House, Ground Floor, 9-11 Small Street, Bristol, BS1 1DB
14. Glasgow PSI Glasgow Adelphi Centre, 1st Floor, 12 Commercial Road Glasgow, Scotland, G5 0PQ
15. Ipswich PSI at The Hub Business Centre Ipswich 2 Civic Drive, Room 16a, 2nd floor, Ipswich, IP1 2QA
16. Norwich PSI at Sackville Place Norwich Sackville Place, Ground Floor, Room 23-24, 44-48 Magdalen Street, Norwich, NR3 1JU
17. Exeter PSI Exeter Brittany House, 2nd Floor, New North Road, Exeter, EX4 4EP
18. Coventry PSI Coventry 101 Lockhurst Lane, 3rd Floor, Coventry, CV6 5SF
19. Blackbourn Community Training Portal Blackburn (Kings Court) Kings Court, 33 King Street, Suite 14/15, 2nd Floor Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 2DH
20. Hounslow Computer Learning Centre 65 Kingsley Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, London, TW3 1QB
21. Iranian Association 222 King Street London, W6 0RA
22. Brighton MTS at VP Brighton Vantage Point, 7th Floor, New Rd, Brighton, BN1 4GW
23. Maidstone Synod Solutions Ltd 114 Kestrel House, First Floor, Knightrider Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 6LU
24. Stratford PSI Stratford Boardman House, 2nd Floor 64 Broadway Stratford, London, E15 1NT
25. Peterborough PSI at Online Exams Peterborough Sefton House, Adam Court, Newark Road, Peterborough, PE1 5PP
26. Preston Preston Test Centre 38-40 Ormskirk Road, Preston, PR1 2QP
27. Belfast People 1st Belfast Ormeau House, Suite 1, 91-97 Ormeau Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT7 1SH
28. Cardiff PSI Cardiff at Bizspace Trafalgar House 5 Fitzalan Place, 5th Floor, Cardiff, Wales, CF24 0ED
29. Oxford PSI Oxford Unit A, Watlington House, Watlington Road Oxford, OX4 6NF
30. Milton Keynes MTS at Gloucester House Gloucester House, MTS Ground Floor, 399 Silbury Boulevard, Milton Keynes, MK9 2AH
31. Workington PSI at CPTT Workington High Street Workington,
32. Aberdeen PSI at Aberdeen College North East Scotland College, Ground Floor, Gallowgate, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB25 1BN

Tips for taking the life in the UK test

Understanding the Life in the UK Test

The Life in the UK Test is an exam on British culture, history, and society to see how much you know about the country you’ll be living in.

Gather Your Study Materials

Start revising for the test with the government’s official handbook, ‘Life in the United Kingdom: A Guide for New Residents.’ It covers everything from historical facts about the UK, as well as more modern British customs. We recommend you read this at least once, as well as other revision source material, to prepare thoroughly for the exam.

Take Online Practice Tests

Many online platforms offer free practice tests that mimic the real exam using past exam questions, giving you an idea of the question structure, type of content you need to study, and layout, so there will be no surprises on the day you sit your exam. Use these to assess your knowledge, familiarise yourself with the exam structure, and identify areas where you need to do more revision.

Join Life in the UK Test Study Groups

Consider joining a study group or online forum where you can discuss questions and share insights with new British citizens who have taken the test before. Explaining concepts to others or asking questions in this format can only broaden and benefit your understanding.

Stay Updated with Current British Affairs

Keep yourself updated with current affairs in the UK. Watch the news, read newspapers, and follow British culture and politics online. This will help with the test and make you feel more connected to your new home. IAS reports weekly on immigration news in the UK directly to your email inbox.

Take Mock Exams

Before your scheduled test day, take several mock exams under timed conditions. This will familiarise you with the test format, help you manage your time effectively, and give you an idea of the type of questions to expect on the real exam. This should be the final step in your preparation.