United Kingdom
The Life in the UK Test: what it is, what it costs, and what you need to pass
24 questions in 45 minutes, and you need 75% or more to pass. It costs £50 every time you sit it, there is no limit on how often you may retake it, and you take it at one of over 30 centres with photo identification. You need it for British citizenship or for settlement. You are exempt if you are under 18 or 65 or over, if you have passed it before, or if a long-term physical or mental condition prevents it. Every figure here is quoted below with the gov.uk page it was read from.
What the test is
You need it for British citizenship or for settlement — the same application the day counts on this site are for.
How the day works
- 1Book online and choose your test centre. There are over 30 of them in the UK, and the £50 is paid when you book.
- 2Bring photo identification that looks like you — a valid passport, an EU, Swiss, Icelandic, Liechtenstein or Norwegian ID card, a valid travel document with a photo, or a biometric residence permit or card.
- 3Answer 24 multiple choice questions about British traditions and customs, with 45 minutes to do it.
- 4Score 75% or more and you pass. You are given a unique reference number, which your citizenship or settlement application needs.
- 5Score less and you can rebook as many times as you need, paying again each time. The Home Office guidance says applicants may take it as many times as is necessary to pass.
Who does not have to take it
- You are under 18.
- You are 65 or over.
- You have passed it before — for example, you passed it for your settlement application and are now applying for citizenship.
- You have a long-term physical or mental condition, which needs an exemption form or a letter from a doctor.
What the test actually asks about
The questions come from a handbook on British history, law and customs. The course on this site lays that material out as a road through time, in six eras and 83 stops, each one its own page. Free, and no account.
The other half of the same application
Passing the test is one requirement. The other is how many days you spent outside the UK, which is counted from dates you have to find yourself.
gov.uk, in its own words
You need to take the test as part of your application for British citizenship or settlement in the UK.
You'll have 45 minutes to answer 24 questions about British traditions and customs.
You must score 75% or more to pass the test.
You'll get a 'unique reference number'. You'll need this number to complete your citizenship or settlement application.
You can rebook the test as many times as you need. You'll have to pay each time.
It costs £50.
There are over 30 test centres in the UK. You can choose where to take your test when you book.
You must use ID with a photo that looks like you.
have passed it before - for example, if you’re applying to become a citizen and already passed it as part of your settlement application
Applicants may take the test as many times as is necessary to pass.
Questions people ask about the test
- What is the pass mark for the Life in the UK Test?
- 75%. gov.uk puts it in one line: "You must score 75% or more to pass the test."
- How many questions is it, and how long do I get?
- 24 multiple choice questions in 45 minutes, about British traditions and customs.
- What happens if I fail?
- You rebook and sit it again. There is no limit: gov.uk says you can rebook "as many times as you need", and the Home Office caseworker guidance says applicants may take it "as many times as is necessary to pass". You pay the £50 each time.
- What does it cost?
- £50, paid when you book, and again for every retake.
- Do I need it for settlement, or only for citizenship?
- Both. gov.uk puts them in one sentence: you take it "as part of your application for British citizenship or settlement in the UK". If you sat it for settlement you do not sit it again for citizenship, because having passed it before is itself listed as a reason you do not need to.
- Who does not have to take it?
- Anyone under 18 or 65 or over, anyone who has passed it before, and anyone with a long-term physical or mental condition, which needs an exemption form or a doctor's letter.
- What do I get when I pass?
- A unique reference number. Your citizenship or settlement application needs it, so keep it with the rest of your paperwork.
- Does this page have practice questions?
- Not this page. There is a free course elsewhere on this site that does, and its questions are generated from a table of facts rather than written out one by one, so every question on it traces back to a row you can read. The real test questions are not published by anyone, so nothing here is a copy of them.
Not immigration advice.