Life in the UK Test practice test 7
24 questions, no clock, with the answer explained as you go. Use the timed exams when you want to know if you are ready.
Free to read, always
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.What was the area of Ireland ruled by the English around Dublin called?
- AThe Danelaw
- BUlster
- CThe Pale
- DThe Marches
Around Dublin lay the Pale, English-ruled by 1200. (The Middle Ages: war at home and abroad)
2.Whose ideas about human nature continue to influence philosophers?
- ADavid Hume
- BJames Watt
- CAdam Smith
- DSir Isaac Newton
David Hume's ideas about human nature continue to influence philosophers. (The rebellion of the clans and the Enlightenment)
3.Which TWO are Crown dependencies?
Choose two
- AThe Channel Islands
- BSt Helena
- CThe Isle of Man
- DThe Falkland Islands
The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are Crown dependencies and are not part of the UK. (The countries of the UK)
4.In which year was the Battle of Hastings?
- A1215
- B1066
- C1485
- D1415
In 1066 William, Duke of Normandy, defeated Harold, the Saxon king of England, at the Battle of Hastings. (The Norman Conquest)
5.Which Church is officially established as the Church of the state?
- AThe Roman Catholic Church
- BThe Church of Scotland
- CThe Church of England
- DThe Methodist Church
The official Church of the state in England is the Church of England. (Religion in the UK)
6.Which supersonic airliner did Britain and France develop?
- AThe Harrier
- BThe Comet
- CThe Spitfire
- DConcorde
Britain and France developed the supersonic commercial airliner Concorde. (Decolonisation, migration and the 1960s)
7.What proportion of England’s population died in the Black Death?
- AOne third
- BTwo thirds
- COne tenth
- DOne half
One third of the population of England died in the Black Death, and a similar proportion in Scotland and Wales. (Feudalism and the Black Death)
8.What did the UK produce more than half of the world’s supply of in the 19th century?
- AShips, railways and machinery
- BSugar, tobacco and tea
- CIron, coal and cotton cloth
- DSteel, wool and grain
Over half the world's iron, coal and cotton cloth came from the 19th-century UK. (Victorian trade, industry and the Crimean War)
9.What were the Protestant settlements in Ulster known as?
- APlantations
- BThe Pale
- CBoroughs
- DEstates
The settlements of Protestants in Ulster were known as plantations. (Ireland under Elizabeth I and James I)
10.How many questions are in the Life in the UK test?
- A30
- B20
- C24
- D45
Candidates sitting together in one session each receive a different set of 24 questions. (Taking the Life in the UK test)
11.What can people see at the Tower of London?
- AThe Books of Remembrance
- BThe Domesday Book
- CThe Crown Jewels
- DThe Bayeux Tapestry
The Crown Jewels can be seen at the Tower of London. (Landmarks and places of interest)
12.What were most peasants under feudalism?
- AGentry
- BLandowners
- CSerfs
- DFreemen
Most peasants were serfs, who had a small area of their lord's land and had to work for their lord and could not move away. (Feudalism and the Black Death)
13.Who is the patron saint of Scotland?
- ASt Patrick
- BSt George
- CSt David
- DSt Andrew
St Andrew's Day, for Scotland, is 30 November. (Patron saints)
14.What is preventing disturbances also known as?
- APublic order duty
- BCommunity policing
- CKeeping the peace
- DDetecting crime
Preventing disturbances is also known as keeping the peace. (The police and their duties)
15.What happens if no party wins a majority at a General Election?
- AA second election is held immediately
- BThe largest party governs automatically
- CThe monarch chooses the government
- DTwo parties may join together to form a coalition
A General Election, at which MPs are chosen, comes at least once every five years. (The Speaker and elections)
16.In which year did the English defeat the Spanish Armada?
- A1588
- B1666
- C1485
- D1605
In 1588 the English defeated the Spanish Armada, a large fleet of ships sent by Spain to conquer England and restore Catholicism. (Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I)
17.What happened in Ireland in the middle of the 19th century?
- AThe potato crop failed and Ireland suffered a famine
- BIreland was granted Home Rule and its own parliament
- CIreland was partitioned into North and South
- DThe Irish Parliament in Dublin was abolished
In the middle of the 19th century the potato crop failed and Ireland suffered a famine. (Ireland in the 19th century and the right to vote)
18.In which year was the world’s first test-tube baby born?
- A1967
- B1990
- C1996
- D1978
Oldham in Lancashire was the birthplace of the world's first test-tube baby, in 1978. (British inventions of the 20th century)
19.What power does the Commonwealth have over its members?
- ANo power over its members, although it can suspend membership
- BIt can make laws that bind all of its members
- CIt can impose economic sanctions upon a member
- DIt can deploy peacekeeping forces to a member
Empire membership lies behind most Commonwealth states, though a few that were never part of it have joined. (The UK and international institutions)
20.Which group favoured complete independence for Ireland?
- AThe Fenians
- BThe suffragettes
- CThe Home Rulers
- DThe Chartists
The Fenians favoured complete independence for Ireland. (Ireland in the 19th century and the right to vote)
21.Where was the Great Exhibition of 1851 held?
- AAt the Royal Albert Hall
- BAt the Tower of London
- CIn Trafalgar Square
- DIn the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park
Hyde Park held the Great Exhibition of 1851, staged inside the Crystal Palace — iron and glass on a huge scale. (Victorian trade, industry and the Crimean War)
22.What do National Insurance Contributions pay for?
- AEducation, policing and the fire service
- BLocal authority services such as refuse collection
- CState benefits and services such as the state pension and the NHS
- DRoads, the armed forces and foreign affairs
State benefits and services — the NHS, the state retirement pension — are funded from National Insurance Contributions. (Taxation, driving and your role in the community)
23.What had the Corn Laws prevented?
- AThe import of cotton cloth
- BThe sale of grain to Ireland
- CThe export of British wool
- DThe import of cheap grain
The Corn Laws, which had prevented the import of cheap grain, were repealed in 1846. (Victorian trade, industry and the Crimean War)
24.What did Elizabeth I re-establish?
- AThe Church of England as the official Church
- BThe monasteries dissolved during her father’s reign
- CThe authority of the Pope over the English Church
- DThe Book of Common Prayer written under Edward VI
Elizabeth I was a Protestant who re-established the Church of England as the official Church in England. (Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I)