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Life in the UK Test

Life in the UK Test practice test 37

24 questions, no clock, with the answer explained as you go. Use the timed exams when you want to know if you are ready.

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All 24 questions and answers

  1. 1.Who is the ceremonial head of the Commonwealth?

    • AThe Prime Minister
    • BThe monarch
    • CA rotating head of state
    • DThe Secretary-General

    The monarch is the ceremonial head of the Commonwealth. (The UK and international institutions)

  2. 2.About how long ago was the Giant’s Causeway formed?

    • AAbout 5 million years ago
    • BAbout 50 million years ago
    • CAbout 500,000 years ago
    • DAbout 10,000 years ago

    Columns of volcanic lava make up the Giant's Causeway, formed some 50 million years ago. (Landmarks and places of interest)

  3. 3.Where did textile and engineering firms send agents to find workers?

    • AUganda and Kenya
    • BIndia and Pakistan
    • CThe West Indies
    • DIreland and Poland

    Nine countries gained independence in 1947, Ceylon — today Sri Lanka — along with India and Pakistan. (Decolonisation, migration and the 1960s)

  4. 4.By what margin did the UK vote to leave the European Union?

    • A51.9% to 48.1%
    • B48.1% to 51.9%
    • C55% to 45%
    • D60% to 40%

    Leaving the European Union carried by 51.9% against 48.1%. (The 1970s onwards, Thatcher, Blair and Brexit)

  5. 5.At which battle was Bonnie Prince Charlie defeated?

    • ACulloden
    • BKilliecrankie
    • CNaseby
    • DBannockburn

    Culloden in 1746 was where George II's army beat Bonnie Prince Charlie. (The rebellion of the clans and the Enlightenment)

  6. 6.How many British citizens left the country between 1853 and 1913?

    • AAbout 40 million
    • BAbout 1 million
    • CAs many as 13 million
    • DAbout 120,000

    Emigration between 1853 and 1913 took as many as 13 million British citizens overseas. (The Victorian Age and the British Empire)

  7. 7.Which TWO are shared values and responsibilities in the UK?

    Choose two

    • AServing in the armed forces
    • BTreating others with fairness
    • CJoining a political party
    • DRespecting and preserving the environment

    Shared values and responsibilities include obeying and respecting the law and treating others with fairness. (Taxation, driving and your role in the community)

  8. 8.Which TWO place names come from the Viking languages?

    Choose two

    • AGrimsby
    • BWinchester
    • CCanterbury
    • DScunthorpe

    Place names such as Grimsby and Scunthorpe come from the Viking languages. (The Vikings)

  9. 9.What marks the beginning of British history?

    • AThe Roman invasion of AD 43
    • BThe first coins minted in Britain
    • CThe building of Stonehenge
    • DThe arrival of the first farmers

    The first coins to be minted in Britain were made in the Iron Age. (Early Britain)

  10. 10.Which countries compete in the Six Nations Championship?

    • AEngland, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy
    • BEngland, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Australia and New Zealand
    • CEngland, Wales, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal
    • DEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, France and Italy

    Cricket began in England, and a game may run five days and still be drawn. (Sport)

  11. 11.Where was Isaac Newton born?

    • AScotland
    • BLincolnshire
    • CCambridge
    • DLancashire

    Isaac Newton was born in Lincolnshire and his most famous published work was Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica. (The Restoration)

  12. 12.Where in Scotland is Gaelic spoken?

    • AIn some parts of the Highlands and Islands
    • BIn Edinburgh and Glasgow, but not elsewhere
    • COnly in the Borders, next to England
    • DThroughout Scotland, in every town and city

    Parts of the Scottish Highlands and Islands speak Gaelic. (Money, languages and traditional food)

  13. 13.In which year did Julius Caesar invade Britain?

    • AAD 43
    • B55 BC
    • CAD 410
    • DAD 122

    Julius Caesar led a Roman invasion of Britain in 55 BC, which was unsuccessful. (The Romans)

  14. 14.What may members of the House of Lords not stand for election to?

    • AThe Scottish Parliament
    • BA local council
    • CThe House of Commons
    • DAny public office

    Public office is open to most citizens of the UK, Ireland or the Commonwealth from the age of 18. (Voting, standing for office and visiting Parliament)

  15. 15.What developed in the towns as their wealth grew?

    • AA new nobility
    • BThe clan system
    • CThe feudal system
    • DA strong middle class

    Growing wealth in the towns led to the development of a strong middle class. (Feudalism and the Black Death)

  16. 16.What proportion of the UK population lives in Scotland?

    • ALess than 3%
    • BJust over 8%
    • CAround 5%
    • DAround 15%

    Wales makes up around 5% of the UK population and Scotland just over 8%. (Population and diversity)

  17. 17.Which is the biggest of the other denominations of Christianity in the UK?

    • ABaptist
    • BQuaker
    • CRoman Catholic
    • DMethodist

    The biggest of the other denominations of Christianity in the UK is Roman Catholic. (Religion in the UK)

  18. 18.Which festival is often called the Festival of Lights?

    • ADiwali
    • BEid al-Fitr
    • CVaisakhi
    • DHannukah

    Diwali normally falls in October or November and lasts for five days. (Other religious festivals)

  19. 19.Which chamber is regarded as the more important, and why?

    • AThe House of Lords, because it can overrule the Commons
    • BThe House of Commons, because its members are democratically elected
    • CNeither — they have equal status
    • DThe House of Lords, because its members are more experienced

    Members of the House of Lords are known as peers and are not elected by the people. (The House of Commons and the House of Lords)

  20. 20.What do successful applicants do at a citizenship ceremony?

    • AMake a pledge to uphold the values of the UK
    • BSurrender their previous passport
    • CRegister with their local council
    • DSit a second written test

    At a citizenship ceremony new citizens pledge to uphold the values of the UK. (Becoming a permanent resident)

  21. 21.What is Florence Nightingale often regarded as?

    • AThe first woman MP
    • BThe founder of modern nursing
    • CThe founder of the Victoria Cross
    • DThe first female doctor in Britain

    Florence Nightingale is often regarded as the founder of modern nursing. (Victorian trade, industry and the Crimean War)

  22. 22.At what age did Edward VI die?

    • A25
    • B35
    • C15
    • D45

    Just over six years of rule ended with Edward VI's death at 15. (Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I)

  23. 23.What is Richard Arkwright particularly remembered for?

    • ABuilding the Great Western Railway out of London
    • BDeveloping the Bessemer process for making steel
    • CThe efficient and profitable way he ran his factories
    • DInventing the steam engine used in the mills

    Children worked during the Industrial Revolution and were treated in the same way as adults, and sometimes even more harshly. (The Industrial Revolution)

  24. 24.Who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury?

    • ASt Columba
    • BSt Patrick
    • CSt Augustine
    • DSt George

    St Augustine led missionaries from Rome and spread Christianity in the south. (The Anglo-Saxons)

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