Life in the UK test and UK Visa

[michealfunday]

I want to study and settle in UK. I am going to apply for study visa in May 2015. One of my friend told me that i need to pass the life in the uk test to become a British citizen. For this i bought the online book from http://www.tsoshop.co.uk/bookstore.asp?FO=1240167 website. I read all the pages of the book and taken some practice tests from http://www.officiallifeintheuk.co.uk/test/ and http://www.thelifeinuktest.co.uk

Please guide me on how to study in UK and become an UK citizen.

[theoldgit]

You might find this pinned topic very helpful. uk-settlement-visa-basics

[michealfunday]

Hi theoldgit,

Thank you very much for your advice and link.

Thanks,

[7by7]

You say that you will be applying to come to the UK to study, so you presumably know how to obtain the necessary visa to do so?

If not, see Tier 4 (General) student visa.

You will see that you do not need to pass the LitUK test for this; but will need to show you have the required standard of English.

You cannot apply for British citizenship whilst in the UK as a student; as to do so you must have no time limit on your stay in the UK; that is settlement.

As far as I can ascertain, the only way you could obtain settlement in the UK whilst there as a student is if you were to marry a British citizen or a person legally settled in the UK and apply to remain as their spouse.

Although it may be possible for you to extend your Tier 4 visa or switch to a Tier 2 (General) visa; provided you meet the requirements.

A Tier 2 visa can be switched to settlement; see here for a simple explanation. (Note that is a commercial site, and I take no responsibility for the accuracy of the information on that site.)

Note that having passed the LitUK test to obtain settlement, you do not need to take it again for citizenship.

Edited April 6, 2015 by 7by7

[mikebell]

I am a British citizen & lived in the UK for over 60 years; a University Graduate with nearly 40 years teaching experience. I am proud to announce I just passed one of the above tests with a score of 79%. I did not read the book or study for the test.

[durhamboy]

Mike - well done. So 79% means that you got 19 out of 24 i.e. 1 more than the passmark of 18.

Did you guess any? I did when I tried it.

The point is someone like you obviously very intelligent, with 60 years experience of living in the UK and 40 years a teacher just scraped a pass. I think that proves how difficult it is for foreigners to pass this ridiculous test.

[7by7]

I don't want to get into yet another silly argument about the LitUK test; so will just say the following:-

Being a graduate in one subject, and teaching that subject, does not make one an expert in another subject.

In order to pass any exam one needs to study for it; no matter how intelligent one is.

[durhamboy]

7by7 - well he did actually pass it without studying for it!

This may be a silly argument to you but LITUK is a very serious matter for a lot of our foreign spouses and their ILR is dependent upon it.

Your attitude seems to be (and I'm sure you will correct me if you think I'm wrong) is that people have 5 years to study for it so they have a very good chance of passing. That seems to conveniently forget that people just might have a few more important things in their life than studying LITUK e.g. having children or getting a job to make ends meet.

The thing is that it is "Life In The UK" test. The clue is in the name. Therefore in reality mikebell has been studying for it for 60 years and only just managed to pass it! Doesn't it occur to you that this test just might be a bit too hard for our Thai spouses who for the most part don't write our script and start from pretty much zero knowledge about the UK.

[7by7]

I am not going to further derail this topic by going over the same old arguments with you yet again.

The LitUK test, however flawed it may be, is a requirement for those who want ILR. It therefore is important to study for it.

Lot's of people combine work, family and study successfully.

Can we get back on topic now?

[durhamboy]

Excuse me 7by7 but considering the name of this topic is "Life in the UK Test and UK Visa" then surely what has been posted by everyone is very much on topic.

Your modus operandi is revealed once again. When it comes to the practicalities of this test you don't know what you are talking about so therefore you refuse to debate any further. I don't really think this forum is interested in reading posts from you saying you don't want to debate. This forum is about debating these things. If you haven't got anything to say then don't post anything.

[wooloomooloo]

I am a British citizen & lived in the UK for over 60 years; a University Graduate with nearly 40 years teaching experience. I am proud to announce I just passed one of the above tests with a score of 79%. I did not read the book or study for the test.

7by7 - well he did actually pass it without studying for it!

Well, ermm, mike did study didn't he? A graduate with nearly 40 years teaching experience.

What is your point again?

[oldgent]

durhamboy is right in what he says , mikebell did not read the book or study for the test. and I still say the test is away to hard.

but we cannot change that. I see online that there are 4 books, can the experts tell me what books does one need to buy?

[otherstuff1957]

I am a British citizen & lived in the UK for over 60 years; a University Graduate with nearly 40 years teaching experience. I am proud to announce I just passed one of the above tests with a score of 79%. I did not read the book or study for the test.

Apologies for going off-topic, but I just got 83% and I'm not even a British citizen.

[7by7]

Durhamboy; read the OP.

This topic is not about the merits or otherwise of the test.

We have debated that at length many times elsewhere; your yet again resorting to childish insults will not cause me to derail this topic further by doing so again here.

[7by7]

<snip>

I see online that there are 4 books, can the experts tell me what books does one need to buy?

There are many commercial sites and companies offering study books and practice tests, but the official ones can be purchased from the TSO shop.

My advice would be to buy all four; but Life in the United Kingdom: Official Practice Questions and Answers and Life in the United Kingdom: Official Study Guide are, in my opinion, essential.

The Life in the UK Test Handbook: in Thai and English 2nd edition is also available and may be of help.

Note that this book published by a commercial company and I am not endorsing it's accuracy nor specifically recommending it.

Edited April 8, 2015 by 7by7

[durhamboy]

Durhamboy; read the OP.

This topic is not about the merits or otherwise of the test.

We have debated that at length many times elsewhere; your yet again resorting to childish insults will not cause me to derail this topic further by doing so again here.

7by7 - I did read the OP.

He is asking about studying for LITUK. My posts (and some others here) give him an indication of how hard it is. So how on earth you think what I (and presumably mikebell and others) write is off-topic is completely beyond me. I don't see any of the moderators ticking us off.............yet!

Yes we have debated some of what I said before. Possibly the OP and some others haven't read those topics. We often get repeat questions in this forum and therefore it is necessary to go over old ground sometimes. I think you should be prepared to debate all relevant aspects of this or, if you don't know the practicalities, don't pretend that you do.

However I will make another new point about this. A lot of the pro-LITUK members of this forum used to say that it is all worth it because people with SVs get free NHS care before obtaining ILR. Therefore, their argument was, people should put up with the hardships and expense of studying because they get free health care. Since the recent imposition of the NHS surcharge on SVs and FLRs that argument is not now relevant. Instead of paying c£600 for FLR it is now c£1100. So it is in the government's interests to keep LITUK as hard as possible to generate more income. Of course, people will say that that may spur people on to pass LITUK. That may be so for some applicants but I fear that many settlers here will be caught in a never-ending circle of having to get FLR every 2 1/2 years and having to pay the ever increasing costs.

[durhamboy]

I am a British citizen & lived in the UK for over 60 years; a University Graduate with nearly 40 years teaching experience. I am proud to announce I just passed one of the above tests with a score of 79%. I did not read the book or study for the test.

7by7 - well he did actually pass it without studying for it!

Well, ermm, mike did study didn't he? A graduate with nearly 40 years teaching experience.

What is your point again?

Woolly, do I really have to explain it to you or are you just being deliberately obtuse?

[oldgent]

thanks 7by7. the link to the book in Thai and English might be of help. not sure about A Guide for new Residents

or A Practical Guide to living in the UK, the other 2 for sure yes. I do agree with the member whoever, said that the British

government is making money out of this. SHAME on them

[Jay Sata]

The OP has not explained how he plans to settle in the UK.

My understanding is he cannot given his planned student visa.

[MaprangHolmes]

Remember that the life in the UK book you have been linked to is a 2nd edition when the current book is the 3rd edition

http://www.tsoshop.co.uk/bookstore.asp?FO=1240167&ProductID=9780113413409&Action=Book&TRACKID=002353

[durhamboy]

The OP has not explained how he plans to settle in the UK.

My understanding is he cannot given his planned student visa.

Yes Jay I was also wondering about that. Mind you, I wouldn't have dared raise that issue for fear of being accused of derailing the topic! (555)

[7by7]

The OP actually asked

Please guide me on how to study in UK and become an UK citizen

Which was answered in the fourth post; did you miss it?

You say that you will be applying to come to the UK to study, so you presumably know how to obtain the necessary visa to do so?

If not, see Tier 4 (General) student visa.

You will see that you do not need to pass the LitUK test for this; but will need to show you have the required standard of English.

You cannot apply for British citizenship whilst in the UK as a student; as to do so you must have no time limit on your stay in the UK; that is settlement.

As far as I can ascertain, the only way you could obtain settlement in the UK whilst there as a student is if you were to marry a British citizen or a person legally settled in the UK and apply to remain as their spouse.

Although it may be possible for you to extend your Tier 4 visa or switch to a Tier 2 (General) visa; provided you meet the requirements.

A Tier 2 visa can be switched to settlement; see here for a simple explanation. (Note that is a commercial site, and I take no responsibility for the accuracy of the information on that site.)

Note that having passed the LitUK test to obtain settlement, you do not need to take it again for citizenship.

The OP asked about coming to the UK to study and then obtaining British citizenship. So telling him that he cannot obtain citizenship whilst in the UK as a student is certainly not off topic.

But rehashing old arguments about the merits or otherwise of language tests in general and the LitUK test in particular for immigrants in my opinion is; so I won't be drawn into those arguments yet again.

Other than to say that I do not recall anyone saying the LitUK test was worth it because of access to the NHS; certainly not an argument I have ever used!

[durhamboy]

7by7 - who said it was off topic? Me? My response to Jay was one of sarcasm born out of your ridiculous statement that what I (and therefore others) was saying was off topic. Just trying to lighten the debate.

Seriously though, it is odd that the OP is asking about settlement when he hasn't even started studying here.