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Those seeking British nationality must take a citizenship test. It is not an arduous burden because most people who have been in the UK long enough to acquire citizenship would have been exposed to the material in the course of living here. The test also serves as evidence that the applicant meets the required English language ability.
The test is multiple choice and geared to require about 45 minutes, although many applicants need less time. It is administered at testing centres (usually sited at a school or local authority). There is a GBP 34 fee, and the method of payment varies from centre to centre.
To help applicants prepare for the test, the Home Office publication Life in the United Kingdom: A Journey to Citizenship can be especially useful. It costs GBP 9.99 and is distributed by The Stationery Office. Click the picture above to go to the TSO site. To book a test, complete the on-line form at Life in the UK.
Here are some sample questions collected from various sources on the internet...
1. What is the population of the United Kingdom (2001)?
A) just under 59 million people
B) just above 46 million people
C) around 70 million people
D) just under 34 million people
2. Why did the British Government encourage immigration in the late 1940s?
A) because of the decolonisation
B) to help with the reconstruction after the World War II
C) to give refuge to people from communist countries
D) none of the above - the British Government did not encourage immigration in that period.
3. How does the British Government attempt to prevent unauthorized immigration?
A) by examining closely the claims of those seeking asylum
B) by prohibiting immigration from certain countries
C) by establishing an Iron Curtain, in the late 1980s
D) none of the above, the British Government does not attempt to prevent unauthorized immigration
4. Since when did women receive voting right at the same age as men?
A) 1882
B) 1918
C) 1928
D) 1948
5. Women in Britain make up
A) 35% of the workforce
B) 51% of the workforce
C) 45% of the workforce
D) 50% of the workforce
6. The average hourly pay for women is about
A) 10% lower than it is for men
B) 20% lower than it is for men
C) 30% lower than it is for men
D) the same as it is for men
7. People under 19 represent
A) almost a third of the UK population
B) almost a quarter of the UK population
C) about 10% of the UK population
D) almost half of the UK population
8. Is child molestation by strangers an increasing danger?
A) yes, because children play more often outside
B) only in Northern Ireland
C) yes, there is a strong increasing pattern
D) no, there is no evidence to support that claim
9. How many children live with a single parent?
A) 15% of all children
B) 25% of all children
C) 35% of all children
D) 45% of all children
10. In the area of education, what happens at the ages of 7, 11 and 14 in both England and Scotland, but not in Wales?
A) children must change schools
B) children must do unpaid community work
C) compulsory testing
D) meetings with parents
11. What is GCSE?
A) Generalized Common Sense Examination
B) Grant for Community Sponsored Education
C) General Certificate of Secondary Education
D) Geometry & Chemistry Simplified Exam
12. Tobacco should not be sold to anyone under the age of
A) 14
B) 16
C) 18
D) 21
13. It is illegal to...
A) possess
B) possess and produce
C) possess, produce, or supply
D) supply and produce
...substances such as heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamines, and cannabis.
14. What is mugging?
A) stealing in the street by threat or violence
B) sitting in the street with a mug and begging for money
C) stealing from children
D) any drug-related crime
15. What is the largest (in population) part of the UK after England?
A) Wales
B) Scotland
C) Northern Ireland
D) Australia
16. Census records are confidential and anonymous, and can be consulted freely only after
A) 10 years
B) 50 years
C) 100 years
D) never
17. What percentage of the UK population is white? (2001)
A) 68%
B) 74%
C) 85%
D) 92%
18. In London area, ethnic minorities comprise
A) 19% of all residents
B) 29% of all residents
C) almost 40% of all residents
D) 4.75% of all residents
19. When did the Anglican Church come into existence?
A) 1534
B) 1723
C) 1299
D) 1699
20. Who appoints the Archbishop of Canterbury?
A) the people of Canterbury
B) the Pope
C) the Head of State of the United Kingdom
D) the Prime Minister
21. Nowhere in Britain is more than...
A) 75 miles
B) 125 miles
C) 25 miles
D) 150 miles
...from the coast.
22. In which area is Gaelic spoken?
A) in Wales
B) in Highlands and Islands of Scotland
C) in Greater London
D) nowhere, it's a dead language
23. How was the abolition of fox hunting regarded by most country dwellers?
A) as long overdue
B) as necessary
C) as something unimportant
D) as a denial of their values and traditions
24. What is the name of the major tennis championship in the UK?
A) Roland Garros
B) Cup Final
C) Grand National Tennis Championship
D) Wimbledon Tennis Championship
25. What are the name and the date of the National Day of Wales?
A) St George's Day, 23 April
B) St Andrew's Day, 30 November
C) St Francis' Day, 19 June
D) St David's Day, 1 March
26. According to some theories, on what folklore is the Father Christmas based?
A) Dutch, German and Swedish settlers' folklore
B) Irish folklore
C) Welsh folklore
D) Russian folklore
27. Why do children do when they expect presents from Father Christmas?
A) they leave an open cardboard box next to the door
B) they hang up a long sock, stocking or pillowcase at the foot of their bed or around the fireplace
C) they leave an empty bucket in the fireplace
D) nothing, Father Christmas is supposed to leave the presents under the Christmas tree
28. What do couples traditionally do under the mistletoe?
A) they kiss
B) they hug
C) they exchange gifts
D) they leave gifts for their children there
29. What is the origin of the Boxing Day?
A) it refers to a time when people used to leave boxes with food in the streets, for the poor
B) it refers to a time when servants, gardeners, and other trades people used to
receive money (a Christmas box) in appreciation for the work they had done
throughout the year
C) it refers to the fact that many people send each other Christmas gifts in boxes, and sometimes they arrive late, which is why Boxing Day was created
D) it is connected to major boxing competitions that took place at the end of December, in the 19th century
30. What is the "first footing" tradition?
A) the first visitor of the New Year has to step into the house with his (her) right foot
B) the first visitor of the New Year brings in particular items such as coal, bread and whisky
C) whoever enters the house during the New Year's Eve has to take his (or her) shoes off
D) the person with the largest feet at a given New Year's party must drink a toast for good luck and prosperity
31. What is done in Wales at the beginning and at the end of the midnight strokes?
A) on the stroke of midnight, the front door is opened to let the New Year in; at the last stroke, the front door is closed to keep the luck in.
B) On the stroke of midnight, the back door is opened to release the Old Year. It is then locked to keep the luck in, and at the last stroke, the front door is opened to let in the New Year.
C) At the first stroke, people must bring in coal, bread and whisky; at the last stroke, the front door is closed to keep the luck in.
D) At the first stroke, people exchange gifts; at the last stroke, the back door is locked to keep the Old Year out.
32. Until what time do people play jokes on one another on the April Fool's Day?
A) until midnight
B) until noon
C) until 5 PM
D) until 9 PM
33. What date in November commemorates an event from 1605?
A) Remembrance Day, November 11
B) Mothering Sunday
C) Guy Fawkes Night, November 5
D) Great Victory Day, November 20
34. Why do many people wear artificial poppies in the period before Remembrance? Day?
A) because poppy is a symbol of victory
B) because its red colour attracts attention
C) poppy was one of the first plants to regrow on the battlefields of Northern France and Flanders; this blood-red flower symbolizes the sacrifice of those who fall in war
D) money from purchase of these poppies goes to charity
35. How often are the elections held in Britain?
A) At least every 5 years
B) every 7 years
C) every 4 years
D) every 3 years
36. Who resides at 10, Downing Street, in London?
A) the Archbishop of Canterbury
B) the London's MP
C) The Chancellor of the Exchequer
D) The Prime Minister
37. What is the title of the Minister responsible for law, order and immigration?
A) The Chancellor of the Exchequer
B) The Home Secretary
C) The Secretary of Law
D) Minister of Interior
38. Who wrote the United Kingdom's constitution?
A) King George III
B) Queen Victoria
C) Winston Churchill
D) Nobody, it's an unwritten constitution
39. What is the third largest party at Westminster?
A) Liberal-Democrats
B) Christian-Democrats
C) Communists
D) Tories
40. How is the second largest party in the House of Commons referred to?
A) Her Majesty's Second Largest Party
B) Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition
C) Whitehall's Cenotaph
D) Hansard
41. Who defends the debating rights of the Opposition in the Parliament?
A) The Hansard
B) The Speaker
C) The Prime Minister
D) The Queen
42. What is the Shadow Cabinet?
A) senior members of the main opposition party who "shadow" Government ministers in different departments
B) the cabinet that is in trouble
C) the cabinet where the Prime Minister had to resign
D) the name of the office of the Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament
43. When do Members of Parliament may ask question of government ministers?
A) during the Interrogation Time
B) during the Question Period
C) during the Question Time
D) during the Answer Time
44. What is the name of the official report of Parliament's Proceedings?
A) Hansard
B) Gansard
C) Cenotaph
D) Westminster's Herald
45. The party in power is entitled to more time on TV, radio, and to more coverage in the press.
A) True
B) True, but only on state owned channels
C) True, but only on working days
D) False, the law states that political reporting on radio and TV must be balanced.
46. The Queen or the King can only, in a famous phrase,
A) revise, warn, and observe
B) rule, govern, and reign
C) advise, warn and encourage
D) encourage, observe and advise
47. What is the "Queen's Speech"?
A) the speech that the Queen reads every year at the beginning of a new parliamentary session, stating Government's policies for the next session
B) the speech that the Queen reads from the Throne in the Buckingham Palace, stating her views and opinions on current political and economical matters
C) the speech written by the Prime Minister, but read by the Queen, at the beginning of every year, containing the best wishes to the British people
D) the name of the British Constitution
48. Who is the heir to the throne?
A) The Queen's oldest grand-son
B) The Queen's husband
C) The Queen's oldest son
D) The Prime Minister
49. Why is the House of Commons sometimes referred to as The Lower House?
A) because it occupies the lower floors of the Palace of Westminster
B) because it is less powerful than the Upper House (The House of Lords)
C) because in medieval times, the House of Lords was more powerful, and since then called Upper House, therefore the House of Commons was called Lower House, although it is no longer true
D) it is the nickname given by Winston Churchill
50. If you visit the House of Commons you may find few MPs in the main debating chamber. That is because
A) there is much absenteeism in the Parliament
B) many MPs do not consider it important to debate
C) most work is done in committees
D) the work of MPs is very hard and many of them are often ill
51. Who are the Whips?
A) leaders of parliamentary committees
B) Speaker's assistants
C) People who hold the Queen's speech while she is reading it
D) A small group of MPs, appointed by their party leaders, to ensure discipline and attendance of MPs at voting time
52. What is the main role of the House of Lords today?
A) to examine the work of the Prime Minister
B) to examine the work of the Queen
C) to examine in detail new laws proposed by the House of Commons and to suggest amendments or changes
D) to examine the political situation in the Kingdom and propose new laws
53. In the elections, what is the "first past the post" system?
A) the candidate who has the majority of the total votes cast, is elected
B) the candidate who gains more votes than any other is elected, even if he or she does not have a majority of the total votes cast
C) the candidate that gets more than 50% of all votes is elected
D) the candidate that gets more than 3/4 of all votes is elected
54. What does the "first past the post" system favour?
A) stability, a strong and stable government
B) coalitions, alliances, instability
C) more people participate in the elections
D) a proportional representation in the Parliament
55. Judges are appointed by
A) The Home Secretary
B) The Prime Minister
C) The Queen
D) The Lord Chancellor
56. Where are the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police?
A) 10 Downing Street
B) New Scotland Yard
C) Oxford Circus
D) Regent Street
57. What are the key features of the civil service?
A) political partisanship and efficiency
B) political neutrality and professionalism
C) corruption and favouritism
D) independence and efficiency
58. If a civil servant finds that a certain government policy is against public interest:
A) (s)he must resign
B) (s)he can warn ministers, but ultimately must find a way of putting into practice the policies of the elected Government
C) (s)he must change the policy in question
D) (s)he must inform the media
59. What are the local governments responsible for? (example)
A) fire service
B) defence
C) relations with other countries
D) the exchange rate of the Pound Sterling
60. Some issues may be debated in the Welsh Assembly and the Scottish Parliament, but remain under the control of the UK Government in London. They are:
A) Education, environment, police
B) environment, education, taxation
C) defence, foreign affairs, taxation, social security
D) transport, defence
61. Unlike the Welsh Assembly, the Scottish Parliament...
A) may pass legislation on anything not specifically reserved to Westminster
B) may pass laws on defence and foreign affairs
C) may pass laws on general economic policy
D) is not elected by a form of proportional representation
62. How is the Northern Ireland Parliament often called?
A) Eiregrhagg
B) Stormont
C) Reichstag
D) Senate
63. What is an example of a Statutory Advisory Body to Ministers?
A) Forestry Commission
B) National Savings Bank
C) Gaming Board
D) Arts Council
64. How many countries are members of the European Union?
A) 13
B) 15
C) 20
D) 25
65. When did Britain join the European Economic Community?
A) in 1968
B) in 1973
C) in 1982
D) in 1988
66. The European Convention on Human Rights is a convention drawn up by
A) the European Union
B) the European Economic Community
C) The Council of Europe
D) The European Commission
67. Where does the European Parliament meet?
A) in Brussels
B) in Berlin
C) in Strasbourg
D) in Luxembourg
68. What organisation takes care of the day to day running of the European Union?
A) The Council of Europe
B) The European Government
C) The European Bureau
D) The European Commission
69. How many countries are members of the Commonwealth?
A) 36
B) 49
C) 54
D) 62
70. Which country is part of the Commonwealth?
A) USA
B) Norway
C) Canada
D) Panama
71. What international organisation is working to prevent war and to maintain international peace?
A) UNESCO
B) UNICEF
C) United Nations Organization
D) Red Cross
72. Permanent Residents of the United Kingdom, who are not citizens,
A) have all civil and welfare rights except the right to hold a British Passport
B) have all civil and welfare rights except a general right to vote
C) have all civil and welfare rights except the right to hold a British Passport and a general right to vote
D) have the same rights as citizens
73. If resident in the UK, citizens of Australia and Portugal can vote in national parliamentary elections in the UK.
A) Citizens of Australia, but not Portugal
B) Citizens of Portugal, but not Australia
C) True
D) False; only British citizens can elect National Parliament
74. How much is the deposit for candidates standing as a Member of the European Parliament?
A) ?500
B) ?100
C) ?300
D) ?500
75. Can the monarch express her or his views on the government matters?
A) no, never
B) yes, whenever (s)he wants
C) yes, but only privately, to the Prime Minister
D) yes, to the Parliament and the Government
76. Elections for local government councillors are held each year in
A) February
B) March
C) April
D) May
77. What does Easter commemorate?
A) the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, but not his Resurrection
B) the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, but not his Crucifixion
C) The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
D) The spring equinox and the Saxon goddess of Spring
78. In Britain, there are
A) three local parliaments: Assembly of Wales, Scottish Parliament and English Parliament
B) two local parliaments: Assembly of Wales and the Scottish Parliament
C) no local parliaments, there is only one British Parliament
D) no local parliaments, except the Scottish Parliament, created in 1999.
79. Who is the head of the Church of England?
A) The King
B) The Queen
C) The Prime Minister
D) The Archbishop of Canterbury
80. What is the largest ethnical minority in Britain?
A) people of Caribbean descent
B) people of Pakistani descent
C) people of Indian descent
D) people of American descent
81. How many lives did the Nazi Holocaust claim?
A) 600 000
B) 1 million
C) 3 million
D) 6 million
82. In the 16th and 17th centuries, who came to Britain from France to escape political persecution?
A) hungry labourers
B) Jews escaping violence
C) Protestant Huguenots
D) French Royal Family
83. Since when are women allowed to vote?
A) 1882
B) 1918
C) 1928
D) 1948
84. Where did most immigrants come from in the 1950s?
A) France, Italy and Spain
B) Russia and Scandinavia
C) United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa
D) West Indies, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh
85. What is a quango?
A) an African dish, very popular with the immigrants from that continent
B) the official language of the Isle of Man
C) a semi-independent agency set up by the government; they are officially called Non-Departmental Public Bodies
D) an independent agency, sponsored by the government; they are officially called Non-Public Departmental Bodies.
86. What is the traditional Christmas meal?
A) meat sausages with mashed potatoes and fruit salad
B) oatmeal with blueberries and apple pudding
C) roast turkey and pudding made from suet, dried fruit and spices
D) fish and chips, followed by tea
87. What is celebrated on February 14th?
A) St Patrick's Day (Republic of Ireland and Northern Irelan
D)
B) St Valentine's Day
C) February's Fool Day
D) Remembrance Day
88. What is the Kirk?
A) the main church in Northern Ireland
B) the other name of the Church of Scotland
C) a protestant denomination based in Wales
D) the name often given to Roman Catholics in Britain
89. When will the next census take place?
A) 2007
B) 2008
C) 2011
D) 2012
90. During what period laws were passed against sex-based discrimination in the workplace?
A) 1960 - 1970
B) 1940 - 1950
C) 1930 - 1940
D) 1990 - 2000
91. What are EU Regulations?
A) rules that can be followed by EU members if their governments agree
B) rules that automatically have the force of law in all EU member states
C) general requirements that must be introduced within a set time, but the way in which they are implemented is left to each member state
D) EU law proposals
92. Alcohol should not be sold to anyone under the age of
A) 14
B) 16
C) 18
D) 21
93. What are the allowed religions in Britain?
A) Christianity, Islam and Buddhism
B) Only Christianity
C) Everyone has right to religious freedom
D) Christianity and Islam
94. Does the UK population grow as fast as the population of the USA?
A) No, it grows faster
B) Yes
C) No, it grows a little lower
D) No, it grows much slower
95. Who is automatically a member of the House of Lords?
A) Senior Bishops of the Church of England and some senior judges.
B) The children and the Queen
C) The richest people of the UK
D) The MPs who have not been re-elected
96. What are "pressure groups"?
A) organisations that try to influence the Queen's position on some issues
B) organisations that try to influence government policy
C) organisations that try to sabotage elections
D) organisations that promote political parties
97. In what situation can judges create or change the law?
A) in circumstances that have never arisen before, or when the existing judgements do not reflect modern society
B) when the judge feels that the law is unfair
C) when the judge is approached by a pressure group
D) when a judge is a member of the House of Lords
98. Members of the British civil service today...
A) are permanent servants of the state, working for whatever party is in power
B) change if a new party comes to power
C) change every 5 years
D) are only allowed to work for a party if they are members of that party
99. The Speaker of the House of Commons is
A) an ordinary MP
B) is an MP that has been re-elected at least 3 times
C) is an MP that has been Chief Whip for at least 3 years
D) is an MP selected by the Queen
100. The present Queen has reigned since
A) 1952
B) 1962
C) 1972
D) 1982
Answers
1 A
2 B
3 A
4 C
5 C
6 B
7 B
8 D
9 B
10 C
11 C
12 B
13 C
14 A
15 B
16 C
17 D
18 B
19 A
20 C
21 A
22 B
23 D
24 D
25 D
26 A
27 B
28 A
29 B
30 B
31 B
32 B
33 C
34 C
35 A
36 D
37 B
38 D
39 A
40 B
41 B
42 A
43 C
44 A
45 D
46 C
47 A
48 C
49 C
50 C
51 D
52 C
53 B
54 A
55 D
56 B
57 B
58 B
59 A
60 C
61 A
62 B
63 C
64 D
65 B
66 C
67 C
68 D
69 C
70 C
71 C
72 C
73 A
74 D
75 C
76 D
77 C
78 B
79 D
80 C
81 D
82 C
83 B
84 D
85 C
86 C
87 B
88 B
89 C
90 A
91 B
92 C
93 C
94 D
95 A
96 B
97 A
98 A
99 A
100 A
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