We do not run, set or book the test. This page explains how the official exam is structured so you know what to expect. The figures below are widely published general facts, but rules and fees can change — always confirm the current position and book your sitting only on GOV.UK. We never take payments or reservations of any kind.

How the Life in the UK test works

Before you revise content, it helps to understand the shape of the exam itself. Once you know the format, the timing and the pass mark, the test stops feeling mysterious — and most of the pressure goes with it.

The exam at a glance

What	Detail
Number of questions	24, all multiple-choice, drawn from a large randomised bank
Time allowed	45 minutes (far more than most people need — many finish well inside 15 minutes)
To pass	at least 18 correct out of 24 — that is 75%
Fee	£50, paid when you book (the amount can be reviewed — check before paying)
What it tests	only the official handbook, Life in the United Kingdom: A Guide for New Residents, 3rd edition (2013). The current monarch is King Charles III, who acceded on 8 September 2022.
Booking	arranged in advance through GOV.UK at a registered centre — typically a few days ahead, not on the day
Result	given to you at the centre the same day you sit it
If you pass	you receive a unique reference number, which your later citizenship or settlement application needs; a pass does not expire
If you do not pass	you may retake it as often as necessary, booking a fresh sitting and paying the £50 again each time

One thing to fix in your mind: every question comes from the official handbook (3rd edition, 2013) — and nothing else. Things that happened in the real world after the book was written (for example, the renaming of the Welsh body or whoever is Prime Minister this week) are not in scope. When the book and the news disagree, answer from the book.

The four question formats

Questions are presented on screen one set at a time. They come in four shapes, and recognising which one you are looking at is half the battle.

One-of-four multiple choice

A question with four options; exactly one is correct. This is the most common type.

True / false

A single statement is shown and you decide whether it is true or false.

Which of two statements is correct

Two statements are shown side by side and you pick the one that is correct (a 1-of-2 statement pick).

Pick two of four

Four options are shown and you must select the two that are correct; both have to be right to score.

A sensible strategy

Read the instruction, not just the question. "Choose two" means two — getting only one right scores nothing on that item.
Trust your first recall. The exam rewards remembering the handbook, not clever reasoning. The straightforward, official-sounding answer is usually the intended one.
Do the easy ones first. Move quickly through what you know, leave the date-and-sequence questions for a second pass, then return. Time is genuinely not the limiting factor here.
You are allowed to be wrong six times. 18 out of 24 is enough. A couple of obscure questions will not sink you, so don't let them rattle you.
Use the spare time. If you finish early, re-read every instruction line once more — that is where avoidable marks hide.
When in doubt, the handbook wins. If a practice resource ever contradicts the official book, the book is correct.

Where points are actually lost. The history material is the largest and the part people most often slip on. The recurring problems are mixing up monarchs with similar names and numbers, confusing look-alike documents and the two World Wars, and misremembering a handful of dates. The other quiet trap is over-revising history and government while skimming culture, sport and traditions — those are easy marks if you've read them and frustrating misses if you haven't. Our study tips page is built around exactly these failure modes.

What to bring — and the ID rules

The single most common reason someone is turned away is identification. You must bring the original photo ID you used when booking — not a copy, not a photo of it on your phone — and the name on your booking must match the ID exactly. Acceptable documents are generally a valid passport, a national identity card from an EU/EEA country, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway, a valid photo travel document, a biometric residence permit or card, or an eVisa share code. A photograph of you is taken at the centre. If your ID is wrong or missing, or you refuse the photo, you will not sit the test and you will not get the £50 back. Check the current accepted-document list on GOV.UK before you travel.

On the day — a checklist you can tick off

These boxes save in your browser only, on this device. No account, nothing sent anywhere. Use it the morning of the test.

The exact original photo ID I booked with is in my bag

The name on my booking matches that ID exactly

I know the test centre address and how I'm getting there

I'm leaving early enough to arrive about 15 minutes before the start

I've planned to put my phone and bag in a locker (no notes allowed inside)

I've done one last skim of the trickiest topics on the way

I've reminded myself: I can miss up to 6 and still pass

Booking and official information

We are an independent study aid and have no connection to the test, the Home Office or GOV.UK. The only place to book a real sitting, check the current fee and confirm the ID rules is the official page: https://www.gov.uk/life-in-the-uk-test. Please also study from the official handbook itself — this site supports that, it does not replace it.