Life in the UK Test practice test 1
24 questions, no clock, with the answer explained as you go. Use the timed exams when you want to know if you are ready.
Before you start
- Questions
- 24
- Pass mark
- 18 correct
- Time limit
- Untimed
- Marking
- After each question
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Show all 24 questions with answers
Every answer and explanation for this test. Opening this before you sit it rather defeats the point.
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All 24 questions and answers
Every question here was checked by hand against Life in the UK: A Guide for New Residents (3rd edition). How we check
1.Where must a resident’s vehicle be registered?
- AThe local authority for the area you live in
- BHM Revenue & Customs, with your tax record
- CThe Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
- DThe Home Office, with your immigration record
Residents must register a car or motor cycle with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. (Taxation, driving and your role in the community)
2.How many crosses make up the Union Flag?
- AThree
- BFour
- COne
- DTwo
The Union Flag is often called the Union Jack and is still the official flag of the UK. (The Union Flag)
3.What does it mean that the UK is a constitutional monarchy?
- AThe monarch may veto any Act of Parliament
- BThe monarch appoints the government of their own choosing
- CThe monarch rules according to a written constitution
- DThe monarch does not rule but appoints the government the people have chosen
Under constitutional monarchy the king or queen appoints, rather than rules: the government is the one voters chose. (The monarchy)
4.On what date is Valentine’s Day?
- A14 February
- B14 April
- C1 April
- D31 October
Valentine's Day is 14 February, when lovers exchange cards and gifts. (Other festivals and bank holidays)
5.What kind of homes did people live in during the Bronze Age?
- ALonghouses
- BHill forts
- CRoundhouses
- DRound barrows
Bronze Age homes were roundhouses, and the dead went into tombs called round barrows. (Early Britain)
6.From which country did Charles II return from exile?
- AFrance
- BThe Netherlands
- CSpain
- DScotland
Exile in the Netherlands ended for Charles II in May 1660, on Parliament's invitation. (The Restoration)
7.Where is it against the law to smoke tobacco products?
- AIn nearly every enclosed public place
- BOnly on public transport
- COnly in workplaces
- DOnly in restaurants and pubs
Smoking tobacco is unlawful in nearly any enclosed public place here. (Criminal and civil law)
8.By what name is London’s West End also known?
- AThe Strand
- BTheatre Row
- CThe Fringe
- DTheatreland
London's West End is also known as Theatreland. (Arts, culture and leisure)
9.What did the Bill of Rights confirm?
- AThe right of every adult man to vote
- BThe union of the English and Scottish crowns
- CFreedom of religion for Roman Catholics
- DThe rights of Parliament and the limits of the king’s power
Parliament's rights, and the limits on the king, were set out in the 1689 Bill of Rights. (The Bill of Rights and constitutional monarchy)
10.What are members of the Northern Ireland Assembly known as?
- AAMs
- BMPs
- CMLAs
- DMSPs
The Northern Ireland Assembly has 108 elected members, known as MLAs, members of the Legislative Assembly. (Devolved administrations)
11.Since which year has the Welsh Assembly been able to pass laws without the agreement of the UK Parliament?
- A1997
- B2011
- C1998
- D1999
Westminster's agreement has not been needed for Welsh laws on those topics since 2011. (Devolved administrations)
12.What was the symbol of the House of Tudor?
- AA white rose alone, taken from York
- BA red rose with a white rose inside it
- CA white rose with a red rose inside it
- DA red dragon on a green and white ground
Tudor's badge set a white rose inside a red one. (A distinct identity and the Wars of the Roses)
13.What was the symbol of the House of York?
- AA white rose
- BA red dragon
- CA thistle
- DA red rose
A red rose stood for Lancaster, a white rose for York. (A distinct identity and the Wars of the Roses)
14.What is the Council of Europe responsible for?
- AMaking laws for its member countries
- BThe protection and promotion of human rights
- CManaging the Euro currency
- DCoordinating European defence
The Council of Europe is responsible for the protection and promotion of human rights in its member countries. (The UK and international institutions)
15.What is the currency of the UK?
- AThe pound and the Euro
- BThe Euro
- CThe shilling
- DThe pound sterling
The currency in the UK is the pound sterling, with the symbol £. (Money, languages and traditional food)
16.In which language did Protestants read the Bible?
- ALatin
- BGreek
- CTheir own languages
- DHebrew
Protestants read the Bible in their own languages instead of in Latin. (Henry VIII and the Reformation)
17.Why did the Emperor Hadrian build a wall in the north of England?
- ATo keep out the Picts
- BTo protect a trade route
- CTo mark the edge of the Empire’s farmland
- DTo defend against Viking raids
To keep the Picts out, the Emperor Hadrian walled the north of England. (The Romans)
18.In which year was the Turner Prize established?
- A1984
- B1927
- C1952
- D1968
The Turner Prize was established in 1984 and celebrates contemporary art. (Arts, culture and leisure)
19.How many member countries does the Council of Europe have?
- A190
- B54
- C15
- D47
The Council of Europe has 47 member countries, including the UK. (The UK and international institutions)
20.In which year was the Battle of Bosworth Field?
- A1066
- B1415
- C1485
- D1455
The Wars of the Roses ended with the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. (A distinct identity and the Wars of the Roses)
21.What was Home Rule?
- AComplete independence for Ireland
- BDirect rule from Westminster
- CThe partition of Ireland into two countries
- DIreland remaining in the UK but having its own parliament
Home Rule, argued for by Charles Stuart Parnell, would have given Ireland its own parliament inside the UK. (Ireland in the 19th century and the right to vote)
22.Who invented the cash-dispensing ATM?
- ASir Peter Mansfield
- BSir Tim Berners-Lee
- CJames Goodfellow
- DAlan Turing
In the 1960s James Goodfellow invented the cash-dispensing ATM, or cashpoint. (British inventions of the 20th century)
23.Which of these is a major political party in the UK?
- AThe CBI
- BGreenpeace
- CThe Liberal Democrats
- DLiberty
The major political parties are the Conservative Party, the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats, and parties representing Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish interests. (Parties, pressure groups, the civil service and local government)
24.What is the conflict in Northern Ireland often referred to as?
- AThe Partition
- BThe Troubles
- CThe Home Rule crisis
- DThe Easter Rising
The Troubles is the usual name for the conflict between full Irish independence and loyalty to the British government. (The partition of Ireland and the inter-war years)