"Life In Britain Test" Sample Test Questions

[MAJIC]

Having heard how hard the "Life in Britain Test" is,for Thais seeking a UK Settlement Visa,I decided to find out what kind of Test Papers,they are likely to be given.

This website has over 50 Test Papers,so which one your wife is given at random, is an unknown quantity.

My wife tried 5 different Test papers,and failed them all miserably (her best was 16 out of 24) Next, I did 5 Test Papers,and I must confess I failed 2 out of 5 Tests (17 and 16 right),of them.

I can now see why many Thai ladies can fail as much as 3 times,it seems to me the successful ones would have to do a lot of studying,and learn most of the Questions from memory,to be in with a chance.

Have a go yourself,

personally I think many of the Questions are unfair,and too difficult

http://www.hiren.info/life-in-the-uk-test/19

[GarryP]

Three random tests. Three scores of 17. My only excuse is that I have not lived in the UK for nearly 30 years. Will they let me back in????

[seaeagle]

Just done 3, and passed all 3. Mind you, it wasn't with 'flying colours', though!

I suspect problems exist for test takers by not reading the question carefully and slowly. Being nervous, and foreign, doesn't help, of course. With multiple choice, there were often questions where the answer was bleedin' obvious - just take a few seconds to filter out the crap.

Others, simply, require the knowledge. It's learning by rote, which, for Thais, should be something they're used to.

Sadly, a couple of questions were awful and badly written - even I had to take a wild stab as I hadn't a clue what the question was about. Without doubt, those questions should be changed to a clearer question.

[VisasPlus]

It's wrong to say that this test is required in order to get a settlement visa. It isn't. For a settlement visa for the UK the applicant is required to pass an A1 Level English test. The " Life in The UK" test is to obtain Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK, and is taken in the UK, not to obtain a visa.

You might be giving visa applicants a scare !

Edited March 23, 2012 by VisasPlus

[tribalfusion001]

I've just done 2 tests, 18/24 and 20/24, passed, there are some tough questions though!

[malcolminthemiddle]

A lot of the questions are just guesswork, for anyone.

[theblether]

I've done three, 20, 21, 21.........

I'm surprised at many of the questions..........I don't know if I'm secretly proud that the government is trying to ensure integration, which I think is essential, or if they are being unfairly tough.

On balance I think they are veering on being too tough..........I reckon multiple millions of people in the UK would fail the test. In fact, I'm off work for the weekend, when I go back into my shop on Monday I'll get 10 people to sit the test without help and I'll post the results here.

pd..........excellent post MAJIC.

Edited March 23, 2012 by theblether

[bobrussell]

The answers are not guesswork. The answers are in the book that prepares a candidate for the test. Not convinced the test is of much value other than to test someones ability to learn facts in English!

[MAJIC]

Three random tests. Three scores of 17. My only excuse is that I have not lived in the UK for nearly 30 years. Will they let me back in????

With a bit of practice,you will be fine,good results!

[MAJIC]

It's wrong to say that this test is required in order to get a settlement visa. It isn't. For a settlement visa for the UK the applicant is required to pass an A1 Level English test. The " Life in The UK" test is to obtain Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK, and is taken in the UK, not to obtain a visa.

You might be giving visa applicants a scare !

Yes you are right,I should have said ILR,instead of Settlement.

Edited March 23, 2012 by MAJIC

[MAJIC]

A lot of the questions are just guesswork, for anyone.

Very true,but thats the beauty of multi choice answers, you will usually get a guess or two right.

[MAJIC]

I've done three, 20, 21, 21.........

I'm surprised at many of the questions..........I don't know if I'm secretly proud that the government is trying to ensure integration, which I think is essential, or if they are being unfairly tough.

On balance I think they are veering on being too tough..........I reckon multiple millions of people in the UK would fail the test. In fact, I'm off work for the weekend, when I go back into my shop on Monday I'll get 10 people to sit the test without help and I'll post the results here.

pd..........excellent post MAJIC.

Good Idea! ill be interested to see how well they done,I will bet there will be a few long faces amongst them,especially the Brain of Britain types? you are right,the questions are erring on the tough side.

[kurnell]

Fail. But I am an Aussie

[MAJIC]

Fail. But I am an Aussie

Perfectly Acceptable reason.

[sbk]

Moving to Visas to other countries forum

[David48]

Fail. But I am an Aussie

Perfectly Acceptable reason.

Just trying to estimate if there was a touch of sarcasm in your reply MAJIC.

For fun, I also took the test.

Failed the first time, passed (just) the next time and like kurnell, I'm also an Aussie.

I was surprised how many questions there were about Scottish history, do the Welsh or Northern Ireland get much attention?

Also similarly surprised about the focus on the ethnicity of the UK

Edit Spelling ... Lucky it isn't a spelling test for citizenship ... I'd be an epic fail!

Edited March 24, 2012 by David48

[David48]

As a comparison, here are the tests for Australian.

http://www.citizenship.gov.au/learn/cit_test/practice/

Scored 100% every time but it is a completly different style.

[kurnell]

Fail. But I am an Aussie

Perfectly Acceptable reason.

Just trying to estimate if there was a touch of sarcasm in your reply MAJIC.

For fun, I also took the test.

Failed the first time, passed (just) the next time and like kurnell, I'm also an Aussie.

I was surprised how many questions there were about Scottish history, do the Welsh or Northern Ireland get much attention?

Also similarly surprised about the focus on the ethnicity of the UK

Edit Spelling ... Lucky it isn't a spelling test for citizenship ... I'd be an epic fail!

Not a single question about Monty Python, Blackadder, Fawlty Towers, Bitter or Yorkshire pudding, so where is the relevance? Where is the culture?

[MAJIC]

Fail. But I am an Aussie

Perfectly Acceptable reason.

Just trying to estimate if there was a touch of sarcasm in your reply MAJIC.

For fun, I also took the test.

Failed the first time, passed (just) the next time and like kurnell, I'm also an Aussie.

I was surprised how many questions there were about Scottish history, do the Welsh or Northern Ireland get much attention?

Also similarly surprised about the focus on the ethnicity of the UK

Edit Spelling ... Lucky it isn't a spelling test for citizenship ... I'd be an epic fail!

No! David absolutely no sarcasm intended,although our laws are very similar,due to the Commonwealth days,and some of the questions might still apply, I understand the difference. Sounds like you did better than some Brits can claim hand on heart.

Yes the Scottish,Welsh, and Ireland questions are perfectly acceptable as members of the United Kingdom

[MAJIC]

Fail. But I am an Aussie

Perfectly Acceptable reason.

Just trying to estimate if there was a touch of sarcasm in your reply MAJIC.

For fun, I also took the test.

Failed the first time, passed (just) the next time and like kurnell, I'm also an Aussie.

I was surprised how many questions there were about Scottish history, do the Welsh or Northern Ireland get much attention?

Also similarly surprised about the focus on the ethnicity of the UK

Edit Spelling ... Lucky it isn't a spelling test for citizenship ... I'd be an epic fail!

Not a single question about Monty Python, Blackadder, Fawlty Towers, Bitter or Yorkshire pudding, so where is the relevance? Where is the culture?

I get your point,but don't expect our Ministries to have a sense of humour,stiff upper lip,and all that crap.

[RHCP]

I think a truer test of how ridiculously tough or unfair these questions are for non UK citizens is to ask UK nationals residing in Britain some of them. I tried it out previously with my parents and they found it tough to answer several questions and were surprised by the specific nature of many of the questions believing that a lot of UK citizens wouldn't have a clue what the answer was. For the record I took 2 of these tests on the link provided and managed to just about pass one and the other I just failed.

[backstairs]

Done 3 passed 3 but I thought that most answers were in the first circle. So if you ticked the first each time.....

[BWPattaya]

I have just tried the test. One question said

What percentage of the population of England is of ethnic minority decent?

Good job it wasn't a spelling test for the question setter.

The thing that annoys me about this test, apart from the fact that most British people wouldn't pass, is that many Europeans who know very little about Britain don't have to do it before moving and working in Britain.

[1weatherman]

Well as an American bloke it was a wee bit harder for me. Only got 14 correct. Some of the questions were common sense. Some I had no idea but guessed correctly, an educated guess. A few of the questions, as previously mentioned, are not worded properly and as such are misleading. I missed 4 after changing the answer after the first thought that came to mind was the correct one. Yep, go with the first one next time. Would have passed the test. And just how many children can afford to go out and buy their mums flowers and chocolates for Mothering Sunday? I'm thinking, good grief, that's more than a few quid and they can't buy that stuff. Ok, the dad helps. Taking the question too literally me thinks.

[AdmiralKen]

Tried 3 passed 2 (just) and I'm an Aussie expat.

Whoever writes this crap needs to learn the (English) language as many of the questions are ambiguous or so badly worded that their intention is unclear.

... just for the expected responses, I do know and understand the terms grammar, punctuation and syntax. Obviously, unlike whoever wrote the sample questions. Most of the UK population that I meet here in Pattaya can't even spell these things, let alone understand them. How do you expect and immigrant to know (or care) if 1.75678% of the population of Greater London is made up of immigrants from Prednistria? ... and who cares?

All a test like this does is encourage cheating and allows the politicians to beat their chests and say "look we're doing something". Better for politicians to do something useful or nothing at all. This applies not only to the UK.

Australia (and the UK) should apply a similarly difficult test to it's politicians and expel any that fail - now that would be interesting. (Couldn't happen in the US as someone would claim that it discriminates against morons and have it dismissed by the Supreme Court.)

Cheers, Admiral Ken

Edited March 25, 2012 by AdmiralKen

[8OA8]

I PASSED AT 79% NOT GREAT, HOWEVER IT WAS EDUCATIONAL AND MOST WERE GUESSES. sorry about the caps

[ExoticMatter]

This was the first website we came across (b4 doing the test and finally passing on the 4th attempt btw). We found it well meaning but inaccurate. For example there are many numbers and % related questions, in the actual test we only found 2 out of 24 like that. Do not be misled by the number of questions available thinking that they are all there, there are many syntax style types completely missing, get the home office approved life in the uk book and a couple of test question books and do them until your prospective knows every last bit by rote. My wife could usually score 24/24 on these hirem examples but was no way upto speed for the real thing incidently.

[cardholder]

I passed 2 out of 5.

Many choices are too narrow.

What the heck is this about ?

Moving of children from their parent's house varies from one family and one community to another

True

How much is the deposit for candidates standing as a Member of the European Parliament?

£5000

£3000

£1000

£500

[theoldgit]

^^^^^^

Yes, I got those questions Cardholder, I did wonder what many of the questions really had to with life in the UK, and indeed how many people who have lived there all their lives would know.

[Tiffer]

My wife passed with 100%

She passed her diving test theory with 100% and practical with only one minor error!

I didn't do so well!

Interestingly, these tests proved to be great dinner conversation topics and the whole gang enjoyed a few weeks of pub quiz sytle evenings from which we all learnt something.