The official UK citizenship test consists of 24 questions, and applicants need 18 correct answers to pass. The questions are drawn from the official Life in the United Kingdom: A Guide for New Residents handbook, which is approved by the Home Office.
Test structure and requirements
People taking the test are given 45 minutes to answer the questions. The Life in the UK test is generally required when an adult applies for indefinite leave to remain in the UK or naturalisation as a British citizen. Some people are exempt from the test, for example, those under 18.
The test was introduced for citizenship applications in 2005 and for settlement applications in 2007. It costs £50, and people can take the test at one of 30 centres across the UK.
Question topics and difficulty
The questions cover a wide range of topics, from devolution to the English Civil War and from food to popular sports played in Britain. British citizens do not have to take the test, but that does not mean they would find the questions easy, as there are some very tricky ones included.
Many countries around the world make passing a citizenship test a requirement of staying in the country, but what sets the British one apart is the level of criticism it has attracted, the University of Essex said after completing research on the test.
Research findings and criticism
According to the research in 2021, two-thirds of British nationals would not pass the UK citizenship test, and many support revising the test after completing it themselves.
"Criticisms on the content include factual errors, the inclusion of trivia questions, such as who started the first curry house in Britain, the absence of practical information, such as how to access vital services, and the amount of work needed to pass the test, which has a 160-page study guide for those preparing to take it," said the university.
Dr Wijnand Van Tilburg, from the university, led the study. He said: "This is a potentially life-changing test which sets those who pass it on the path to acquiring rights equal to those who hold citizenship already. While on the surface our findings may seem pessimistic, after all, our results suggest that the Life in the UK Test may be flawed in its purpose and cause unnecessary distress among applicants, we believe there is in fact reason for optimism.
"People agree the test is too hard, an attitude we found across the political spectrum. Thus, policy makers can likely advocate and pursue improvement of this test without being too concerned about negative public opinion."
