The Life in the UK test is 24 questions in 45 minutes, costs £50 per attempt, and must be booked at least three days ahead. A pass is required for settlement and for citizenship on most routes, and it does not expire — the same pass covers both applications.
Life in the UK
The Life in the UK Test in 2026
What the Test Is For
It is half of the knowledge of language and life requirement. Appendix KoLL sets that requirement for settlement and for citizenship: a pass in the Life in the UK test, and knowledge of English at the level your route requires. They are separate requirements and both have to be met.
24 questions, 45 minutes, £50 per attempt, booked online at least 3 days in advance at an approved centre. You must bring accepted photo identification, or an eVisa share code, and the name on the booking must exactly match the name on the ID. A pass does not expire and covers both settlement and citizenship. Under-18s and anyone 65 or over are exempt.
The Test and the English Requirement Are Not Interchangeable
A pass in the test does not evidence English, and an English certificate does not evidence knowledge of life in the UK. Applications are refused for producing one where both were needed, and GOV.UK warns plainly that a citizenship or settlement application will be refused if you send the wrong qualifications — see our page on English requirements.
Does a Pass Expire?
No. A pass is permanent, and the same pass can be used for a settlement application and later for naturalisation. That is unusual in the immigration system, where most evidence has a shelf life, and it makes taking the test early a sensible piece of planning rather than a wasted effort.
Keep the unique reference number from the pass notification. The certificate itself is not always reissued years later, and the reference is what allows the pass to be verified against your application. Our pages on settlement and naturalisation cover where it is used.
The Format
- 24 questions: multiple choice, drawn from the official handbook.
- 45 minutes: which is generous for the number of questions.
- Taken on a computer: at an approved test centre.
- Result on the day: pass or fail, with the outcome notified at the centre.
- Photo identification required: matching the booking name exactly.
The time limit is rarely the difficulty. Candidates who fail usually do so on detail — dates, numbers, institutional names — rather than on running out of time. Reading each question carefully costs nothing at this pace.
The Fee
£50, and it is charged for each attempt. There is no discount for resitting and no refund for a fail. Against the £3,226 settlement fee or the £1,709 naturalisation fee it is small, but three attempts is £150 and a booking wasted by an ID mismatch is £50 gone for nothing.
GOV.UK is explicit that the name you give on the booking must be an exact match with the name on your identification. A middle name included on one and omitted on the other, or a transliteration difference, can mean being turned away at the centre — and the fee is not returned.
What the Handbook Covers
Questions come from the official handbook, which is organised into five chapters: the values and principles of the UK; what the UK is; its history; modern British society; and the government, the law and your role in it. Nothing outside the handbook is tested.
- The system of government: Parliament, the devolved administrations, elections and the role of the monarch.
- The legal system: the courts, the police, and the rights and responsibilities of residents.
- History: dates, monarchs, conflicts and constitutional milestones.
- Society and culture: national days, sport, the arts, religion and traditions.
- Everyday civic life: taxation, jury service, registering to vote and public services.
Passing It First Time
- Use the current official handbook: older editions contain material no longer tested.
- Learn the numbers: dates, ages, percentages and thresholds are where questions cluster.
- Practise under timed conditions: so the format is familiar rather than novel.
- Read each question fully: several ask which statement is correct, and skimming produces avoidable errors.
- Revise weak chapters, not comfortable ones: most people over-revise history and under-revise government.
- Check the ID and booking name well before the day.
Where the Test Sits in the Timeline
The Knowledge Requirements by Stage
| Stage | Life in the UK test | English |
|---|---|---|
| Family entry clearance | Not required | A1 |
| Family extension | Not required | A2 |
| Settlement, most routes | Required | B1, rising to B2 from 26 March 2027 |
| Settlement on several work routes | Required | Exempt, having proved it at entry |
| Naturalisation | Required | B1 |
Source: Appendix KoLL and the GOV.UK route pages. Checked 22 August 2026.
The table explains why so many people meet the test requirement twice over and the English requirement twice under. The test is needed once and lasts forever; English is graded by stage and has to be evidenced afresh each time unless an exemption applies.
How Long to Prepare
There is no required study period, and preparation time varies enormously with background. Someone who has lived in the UK for years still has to learn handbook detail that daily life never teaches — the number of members in a devolved legislature, or the year of a particular Act.
The practical approach is to read the handbook once end to end, then work through practice questions and return only to the chapters that produce errors. Studying material that is not in the handbook is wasted effort, because nothing outside it is tested.
The Kind of Thing Tested
Questions are factual and drawn directly from the handbook text. They ask which of four statements is correct, whether a statement is true or false, or which two of four options apply. They do not ask for opinions, and they do not test English beyond the level needed to read the question.
Typical subject matter includes the composition and powers of Parliament and the devolved administrations, the age at which particular civic rights and obligations begin, the structure of the court system, the dates of significant historical events, and the patron saints and national days of the four nations.
Practice materials that reproduce actual test questions are not official, and their accuracy varies. The handbook is the only authoritative source, and any practice set should be checked against it rather than trusted.
Preparing If English Is Not Your First Language
The test is not an English exam, but it is written in English and the handbook uses institutional vocabulary that everyday conversation does not — franchise, devolution, magistrate, constituency. Candidates who are comfortable speaking English sometimes struggle with the reading rather than the facts.
Where that applies, read the handbook with a dictionary for the first pass and build a short glossary of the terms that recur. It is quicker than repeated practice sets, because the same twenty or thirty words carry most of the questions across all five chapters.
If You Fail
You can book again, and the only cost is the £50 and the time. There is no limit on attempts in the sense that matters for most applicants, and a failed attempt is not recorded against your immigration history — it is not a refusal and it is not declarable.
Do not rebook immediately out of frustration. Identify which chapters produced the errors, revise those specifically, and book when the material is solid. Three attempts costs £150 and, more importantly, can push a settlement application past a date you were working to.
Booking and What to Bring
- Book online at least three days ahead: through the official service only.
- You need an email address and a payment card: plus accepted identification.
- Accepted ID: a passport, an EU or EEA identity card, a travel document, a biometric residence permit or card — or an eVisa share code.
- Match the name exactly: between the booking and the identification.
- Choose a centre you can reach: arriving late generally means losing the booking.
Where you no longer hold a physical document, an eVisa share code is accepted. Generating one takes minutes through your UKVI account and it lasts 90 days — see our page on the eVisa and share codes.
Exemptions
- Anyone under 18: at the date of application.
- Anyone 65 or over: at the date of application.
- Anyone who has already passed: the pass does not expire.
- A long-term physical or mental condition: evidenced by a completed doctor's form and original medical reports.
The medical exemption is documented rather than asserted, and the same evidence usually covers the English requirement. Several settlement categories carry their own exemptions from the knowledge requirements — see our pages on settlement as a partner, the BN(O) route and Skilled Worker.
Both Partners Usually Need It
Where a couple are settling together, each person meets the requirement in their own right. A British sponsor does not take the test, but a partner applying for settlement does, and so does an adult dependant. Only children under 18 and applicants aged 65 or over are exempt on age grounds.
After You Pass
Keep the pass notification and its unique reference. It is used on both the settlement and the citizenship application, and there is no need to retake it between the two. Where the notification is lost, the reference can usually be recovered, but it is far easier to keep it.
The test is one of several requirements. Absences, continuous residence and the correct application form all still have to be right — see our pages on the continuous residence requirement, our ILR forms guide and our in-country fee page.
Sources: the GOV UK Life in the UK test pages, the exemption guidance, Appendix KoLL and the Home Office knowledge of language and life guidance. Figures verified 22 August 2026.
Frequently Asked
Life in the UK Test Questions
How much does the test cost?
£50, charged for each attempt. There is no discount for resits and no refund for a fail.
How many questions and how long?
24 questions in 45 minutes, taken on a computer at an approved test centre.
Does a pass expire?
No. The same pass covers settlement and, later, citizenship. Keep the unique reference number from the pass notification.
How far in advance must I book?
At least three days, online through the official service. Book earlier where centre availability in your area is limited.
What identification do I need?
A passport, EU or EEA identity card, travel document, biometric residence permit or card — or an eVisa share code. The booking name must match the ID exactly.
Who is exempt?
Anyone under 18 or 65 and over, anyone who has already passed, and anyone with a long-term physical or mental condition evidenced by a doctor's form and original medical reports.
Does passing satisfy the English requirement too?
No. They are separate requirements. Sending one where both were needed is a common and avoidable reason for refusal.
Can I resit if I fail?
Yes, at £50 each time. Use the official handbook rather than unofficial practice sets, and revise the chapters that produced the errors.
Are the practice questions online the real ones?
No. Only the official handbook is authoritative. Practice sets vary in accuracy and should be checked against it.
Is a failed attempt recorded against me?
No. A fail is not a refusal, is not part of your immigration history, and does not have to be declared on any application.
Which chapters should I revise hardest?
Government, the law and civic life. Most candidates over-revise history and under-revise the institutional material, which is where questions concentrate.
Should I take the test early?
Yes, if you intend to settle. The pass does not expire, so taking it well before the application removes one deadline from a stage that already has several.