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Life in the UK Test: British History Practice Questions

UK citizenship test

The test

24 questions from a bank of 563, or pick one of the 18 numbered mock tests below. Answer, then move on; you can go back and change answers before you finish. Your result, and every answer explained, the moment you finish.

Study mode: practise one topic at a time and see the answer straight after each question. No clock.

Mock tests

Life in the UK mock tests 1 to 18

Each mock is a full 24-question test with a 45-minute clock and a pass mark of 18, in the same mix of topics as the real thing. Every mock has different questions, so you can work through them in order and keep track of your best score on each one. Your scores are saved on this device only.

The mocks draw on all 563 of Altto’s practice questions across the five topics of the official handbook. They are unofficial practice, written by Altto, and not the Home Office’s questions. If you would rather practise one topic at a time, use Study mode above, or go to British history, government and the law, a modern society, what is the UK or values and principles.

How to

How the Life in the UK test works

  1. 24 multiple-choice questions. Most have four possible answers and one is right. Some are true or false.
  2. 45 minutes. That’s nearly two minutes a question, so most people finish with time to spare.
  3. 18 right to pass. The pass mark is 75%. Get 17 or fewer and you fail.
  4. Five topics. British values and principles, what the UK is, its history, a modern society (traditions, sport, the arts) and government, the law and your role.
  5. Every answer explained. On this practice test you see which ones you got wrong, the right answer and why, straight after you finish.
At a glance

The real Life in the UK test: quick facts

What the official test that people take to settle in the UK or become British citizens involves.

Checked on GOV.UK

Questions
24 multiple-choice questions on British traditions and customs.
Time
45 minutes.
Pass mark
75%: at least 18 of the 24 answers right.
Cost
£50 each time you take it. Book online at least 3 days ahead.
Where
At one of more than 30 test centres around the UK, on a computer.
Who takes it
Most people applying for British citizenship or to settle in the UK (indefinite leave to remain). You don’t need it if you are under 18, 65 or over, or have passed it before.
What to study
The official handbook, Life in the United Kingdom: A Guide for New Residents (3rd edition). Only what is in the handbook is tested.
This practice test
Free, unofficial, with Altto’s own questions on the same topics. Not affiliated with the Home Office.
About the test

Could you pass the citizenship test if you were born here?

Most British people have never seen the questions, and many are surprised how hard they are. The test expects you to know things like the year of the Battle of Bannockburn, which saint’s day falls on 1 March, how many people sit on a jury in Scotland and who founded modern nursing. None of that comes up much in everyday life, which is why it makes such a good challenge to send to friends and family.

Historically about 7 in 10 people taking the real test have passed it. People who sit it usually study the handbook for weeks first.

What the questions cover

TopicExamples
Values and principlesDemocracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, tolerance, and the responsibilities and freedoms of living in the UK.
What is the UKThe four nations, capitals, patron saints and their days, the flags, Crown dependencies and overseas territories.
A long and illustrious historyFrom Stonehenge and the Romans to the Normans, the Tudors, the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution and the two world wars.
A modern, thriving societyReligion and festivals, sport, music, theatre, literature, food and famous places.
Government, the law and your roleParliament, elections, the courts, the police, devolved governments and how to take part in your community.

Is the test changing?

The government’s May 2025 Immigration White Paper proposed replacing the test with one focused more on British values and democratic principles, with a new handbook. As of late 2026 no new test or handbook has been published, so the real test is still based on the 3rd edition handbook. Check GOV.UK before you book.

Sources

Practice

Sample questions: British history

12 of the 175 questions in this topic, with answers. Use Study mode above for the rest.

British history

Where is Stonehenge?

  • Cornwall
  • Kent
  • Orkney
  • Wiltshire

Answer: Wiltshire. Stonehenge, built in the Stone Age, still stands in Wiltshire.

British history

In which year did the Norman Conquest take place?

  • 1066
  • 1215
  • 1314
  • 1485

Answer: 1066. In 1066 William, Duke of Normandy, defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hastings.

British history

What were the Wars of the Roses fought between?

  • England and France
  • England and Scotland
  • The Catholics and the Protestants
  • The House of Lancaster and the House of York

Answer: The House of Lancaster and the House of York. In 1455 a civil war began between the House of Lancaster (red rose) and the House of York (white rose).

British history

Where was William Shakespeare born?

  • Canterbury
  • London
  • Oxford
  • Stratford-upon-Avon

Answer: Stratford-upon-Avon. Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England.

British history

Which famous diarist recorded the Great Fire of London?

  • Charles Dickens
  • Geoffrey Chaucer
  • Samuel Johnson
  • Samuel Pepys

Answer: Samuel Pepys. The diarist Samuel Pepys wrote about the Great Fire and the plague that came before it.

British history

Which Scottish Enlightenment thinker’s ideas about human nature continue to influence philosophers?

  • Adam Smith
  • David Hume
  • Isaac Newton
  • Robert Burns

Answer: David Hume. David Hume’s ideas about human nature continue to influence philosophers.

British history

What was the Reform Act of 1832?

  • A law that created the NHS
  • A law that ended the slave trade
  • A law that gave women the vote
  • A law that increased the number of people who could vote

Answer: A law that increased the number of people who could vote. The Reform Act of 1832 greatly increased the number of people with the vote and abolished many "rotten boroughs".

British history

In which year did the Second World War begin?

  • 1914
  • 1933
  • 1939
  • 1945

Answer: 1939. Britain went to war with Germany in 1939 after Hitler invaded Poland.

British history

In which year did India gain independence from Britain?

  • 1857
  • 1918
  • 1947
  • 1960

Answer: 1947. India became independent in 1947, along with Pakistan.

British history

Which monk wrote the first history of the English Church and people, finished in AD 731?

  • King Alfred
  • St Augustine
  • St Columba
  • The Venerable Bede

Answer: The Venerable Bede. Bede, a monk at Jarrow in Northumbria, wrote the Ecclesiastical History of the English People.

British history

Which royal house followed the Tudors when James I became king?

  • The Hanoverians
  • The Plantagenets
  • The Stuarts
  • The Windsors

Answer: The Stuarts. The Stuart family ruled after the Tudors, beginning with James VI of Scotland, who became James I of England.

British history

Which king abdicated in 1936 so that he could marry Wallis Simpson?

  • Edward VII
  • Edward VIII
  • George V
  • George VI

Answer: Edward VIII. Edward VIII gave up the throne after less than a year and his brother became George VI.

More topics: full mock test · Government and the law · Modern society · What is the UK · Values and principles

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Are these the real Life in the UK “British history” questions?
No. They are Altto’s own unofficial practice questions on the topics of the official handbook, not the Home Office’s questions. To sit the real test, book it on GOV.UK.
What does the “British history” part of the Life in the UK test cover?
This practice topic covers the long sweep of the nation’s story, from early Britain and the Romans to the modern era.
How many “British history” practice questions are there?
There are 175 free questions on this topic, each with an explanation. Study mode shows the answer straight after each one, with no clock.
Is it free?
Yes. No sign-up, no email and nothing to pay.
How do I practise the whole test?
Use the full mock test on the Life in the UK practice test page: 24 questions in 45 minutes with a pass mark of 18, like the real test.
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