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Life in the UK Test Chapter 3 questions · Part 4 — the 20th century and Britain since 1945

Updated 26 August 2026

Every question in our 969-question bank that comes from this chapter of the official study material — all 127 of them, grouped by topic, each with the answer and an explanation. Read the chapter first in the free plain-English study guide, or practise in the official 24-question format with the 40 mixed practice tests. The real test has 24 questions in 45 minutes with a 75% pass mark. No sign-up.

The 20th Century

1. Which of the following statements is correct?

  1. Winston Churchill was the British Prime Minister during the Second World War.
  2. Winston Churchill was the British Prime Minister during the First World War.
Show answer

Answer: A — Winston Churchill was the British Prime Minister during the Second World War.

Churchill became Prime Minister in 1940, at the crisis point of the Second World War, and led Britain through it.

2. Whose assassination on 28 June 1914 set off the chain of events that led to the First World War?

  1. Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
  2. Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany
  3. Tsar Nicholas II of Russia
  4. King Albert I of Belgium
Show answer

Answer: A — Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria

The killing of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was the trigger for a war whose deeper causes had been building for years.

3. Roughly how many of the Indians who fought on Britain's behalf in the First World War were killed?

  1. 4,000
  2. 40,000
  3. 400,000
  4. 4 million
Show answer

Answer: B — 40,000

More than a million Indians fought for Britain in the First World War and around 40,000 of them were killed.

4. Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? The First World War ended at 11.00 am on 11 November 1918.

  1. TRUE
  2. FALSE
Show answer

Answer: A — TRUE

TRUE. The fighting stopped at 11.00 am on 11 November 1918, ending a war that had begun in 1914 with victory for Britain and its allies. More than 2 million of the war's millions of casualties were British.

5. Where and in which year did Irish Nationalists rise against the British in the Easter Rising?

  1. Dublin, in 1916
  2. Belfast, in 1916
  3. Dublin, in 1921
  4. Cork, in 1913
Show answer

Answer: A — Dublin, in 1916

Irish Nationalists rose against the British in Dublin in 1916, and the leaders of the uprising were executed under military law.

6. Which of the following statements is correct?

  1. In 1922 the six mainly Protestant counties of the north of Ireland stayed in the UK as Northern Ireland.
  2. In 1922 the six mainly Catholic counties of the north of Ireland stayed in the UK as Northern Ireland.
Show answer

Answer: A — In 1922 the six mainly Protestant counties of the north of Ireland stayed in the UK as Northern Ireland.

It was Protestants in the north who had opposed Home Rule, and when Ireland was divided in 1922 the six mainly Protestant northern counties remained in the UK as Northern Ireland, while the rest became the Irish Free State.

7. Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? The depression that began in 1929 badly damaged Britain's newer industries, such as cars and aviation, while traditional heavy industries such as shipbuilding grew.

  1. TRUE
  2. FALSE
Show answer

Answer: B — FALSE

FALSE — it was the OTHER WAY ROUND. The 1930s depression hit Britain unevenly: traditional HEAVY industries such as shipbuilding were badly DAMAGED, while NEWER industries such as cars and aviation GREW. Because prices generally fell, people who kept their jobs actually had more money to spend.

8. In which year did the BBC launch the world's first regular television service?

  1. 1922
  2. 1929
  3. 1936
  4. 1945
Show answer

Answer: C — 1936

The BBC began radio broadcasts in 1922 and went on to launch the world's first regular television service in 1936.

9. Hitler's invasion of which country in 1939 led Britain and France to declare war on Germany?

  1. Poland
  2. Austria
  3. Czechoslovakia
  4. Belgium
Show answer

Answer: A — Poland

Hitler had already taken Austria and Czechoslovakia, but it was his invasion of Poland in 1939 that brought Britain and France into the war.

10. Which of the following statements is correct?

  1. Winston Churchill lost the 1945 General Election but returned as Prime Minister in 1951.
  2. Winston Churchill lost the 1951 General Election but returned as Prime Minister in 1964.
Show answer

Answer: A — Winston Churchill lost the 1945 General Election but returned as Prime Minister in 1951.

Churchill was defeated at the 1945 General Election and came back as Prime Minister in 1951, remaining an MP until 1964.

11. Which TWO aircraft were the Royal Air Force's most important planes in the Battle of Britain?

  1. The Spitfire
  2. The Hurricane
  3. The Lancaster
  4. The Harrier
Show answer

Answer: A and B — The Spitfire; The Hurricane

The Spitfire and the Hurricane, both designed and built in Britain, were the RAF's key fighters in the Battle of Britain.

12. How many men were lifted off the beaches around Dunkirk by the Navy and civilian volunteers?

  1. More than 30,000
  2. More than 100,000
  3. More than 300,000
  4. More than 3 million
Show answer

Answer: C — More than 300,000

Small pleasure and fishing boats helped the Navy evacuate more than 300,000 British and French soldiers from Dunkirk.

13. What was Alexander Fleming researching in 1928 when he discovered penicillin?

  1. Influenza
  2. Tuberculosis
  3. Diabetes
  4. Malaria
Show answer

Answer: A — Influenza

Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 while researching influenza, and Florey and Chain later developed it into a usable drug.

14. Which TWO reforms were introduced in Britain in the early 20th century?

  1. Old-age pensions
  2. Free school meals
  3. Universal suffrage for women
  4. The National Health Service
Show answer

Answer: A and B — Old-age pensions; Free school meals

Governments brought in financial help for the unemployed, old-age pensions and free school meals, and passed laws to make workplaces safer.

15. What change opened public life to people who could not otherwise have afforded it?

  1. MPs were paid a salary for the first time
  2. The property qualification for voting was abolished
  3. Local government was abolished
  4. Peerages were made hereditary
Show answer

Answer: A — MPs were paid a salary for the first time

MPs were paid a salary for the first time, and local government became more democratic.

16. Which TWO conditions had been building for years before the First World War?

  1. Rising nationalism in many European states
  2. The division of the major European powers into two rival camps
  3. The collapse of the British Empire
  4. The spread of universal suffrage
Show answer

Answer: A and B — Rising nationalism in many European states; The division of the major European powers into two rival camps

The assassination was only the trigger; nationalism, militarism, imperialism and the two rival camps had been building for years.

17. Which TWO countries were among the Central Powers in the First World War?

  1. Germany
  2. The Ottoman Empire
  3. France
  4. Serbia
Show answer

Answer: A and B — Germany; The Ottoman Empire

The Central Powers were mainly Germany, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Ottoman Empire, with Bulgaria joining later. France and Serbia were Allied Powers.

18. Roughly how many Indians fought on Britain's behalf in the First World War?

  1. More than a million
  2. About 40,000
  3. About 100,000
  4. About 2 million
Show answer

Answer: A — More than a million

More than a million Indians fought in many different countries, and around 40,000 of them were killed.

19. Roughly how many British casualties were there on the first day of the attack on the Somme in July 1916?

  1. About 60,000
  2. About 6,000
  3. About 300,000
  4. About 2 million
Show answer

Answer: A — About 60,000

The British attack on the Somme in July 1916 produced about 60,000 British casualties on its first day alone.

20. In which year did the British government promise Ireland 'Home Rule'?

  1. 1913
  2. 1916
  3. 1921
  4. 1922
Show answer

Answer: A — 1913

A Home Rule Bill went before Parliament in 1913, but Protestants in the north opposed it and the war shelved the question.

21. In which year was the peace treaty signed that led to the partition of Ireland?

  1. 1921
  2. 1916
  3. 1922
  4. 1949
Show answer

Answer: A — 1921

A peace treaty was signed in 1921 and in 1922 Ireland became two countries.

22. How many counties of the north of Ireland stayed in the UK as Northern Ireland?

  1. Six
  2. Four
  3. Nine
  4. Twelve
Show answer

Answer: A — Six

The six mainly Protestant counties of the north stayed in the UK; the rest became the Irish Free State.

23. In which year did the Irish Free State become a republic?

  1. 1949
  2. 1922
  3. 1921
  4. 1916
Show answer

Answer: A — 1949

The Irish Free State gained its own government in 1922 and became a republic in 1949.

24. What name is often given to the conflict between those wanting full Irish independence and those loyal to the British government?

  1. The Troubles
  2. The Easter Rising
  3. The Home Rule crisis
  4. The Partition
Show answer

Answer: A — The Troubles

Years of disagreement hardened into a terror campaign in Northern Ireland and elsewhere, often called 'the Troubles'.

25. During the depression of the 1930s, which TWO industries grew rather than declined?

  1. Cars
  2. Aviation
  3. Shipbuilding
  4. Coal mining
Show answer

Answer: A and B — Cars; Aviation

Traditional heavy industries such as shipbuilding were badly damaged, while newer industries such as cars and aviation grew.

26. Between 1930 and 1939, car ownership in Britain rose from how many to how many?

  1. From 1 million to 2 million
  2. From 100,000 to 1 million
  3. From 2 million to 5 million
  4. From 500,000 to 750,000
Show answer

Answer: A — From 1 million to 2 million

Because prices generally fell, people who kept their jobs had more to spend, and car ownership doubled from 1 million to 2 million.

27. Which economist published influential new theories during the inter-war period?

  1. John Maynard Keynes
  2. Adam Smith
  3. David Hume
  4. Ernest Rutherford
Show answer

Answer: A — John Maynard Keynes

Culture flourished too, with writers such as Graham Greene and Evelyn Waugh prominent and Keynes publishing influential new theories.

28. In which year did the BBC begin radio broadcasts?

  1. 1922
  2. 1936
  3. 1914
  4. 1945
Show answer

Answer: A — 1922

The BBC began radio broadcasts in 1922 and launched the world's first regular television service in 1936.

29. In which year did Adolf Hitler come to power in Germany?

  1. 1933
  2. 1929
  3. 1939
  4. 1936
Show answer

Answer: A — 1933

Hitler came to power in 1933, convinced the post-war conditions imposed on Germany were unfair, and set on winning more land.

30. Besides Germany, which TWO countries made up the main Axis powers?

  1. Italy
  2. Japan
  3. Poland
  4. Canada
Show answer

Answer: A and B — Italy; Japan

The Axis were fascist Germany and Italy with the Empire of Japan; Poland and Canada were Allies.

31. Which TWO countries were among the main Allies alongside the UK in the Second World War?

  1. Australia
  2. The Union of South Africa
  3. Italy
  4. Japan
Show answer

Answer: A and B — Australia; The Union of South Africa

The main Allies were the UK, France, Poland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the Union of South Africa.

32. Before invading Poland, Hitler had already occupied Austria and invaded which country?

  1. Czechoslovakia
  2. Norway
  3. Spain
  4. Greece
Show answer

Answer: A — Czechoslovakia

He had occupied Austria and invaded Czechoslovakia; after Poland he took control of Belgium and the Netherlands.

33. What work did Winston Churchill do before entering Parliament as a Conservative MP in 1900?

  1. He was a soldier and a journalist
  2. He was a lawyer and a banker
  3. He was a scientist
  4. He was a naval architect
Show answer

Answer: A — He was a soldier and a journalist

The son of a politician, Churchill worked as a soldier and a journalist before entering Parliament in 1900.

34. In which month and year did Winston Churchill become Prime Minister?

  1. May 1940
  2. September 1939
  3. June 1944
  4. May 1945
Show answer

Answer: A — May 1940

He became Prime Minister in May 1940, refused to surrender to the Nazis, and inspired the British people through great hardship.

35. Which TWO statements about Churchill's later career are correct?

  1. He lost the 1945 General Election
  2. He returned as Prime Minister in 1951
  3. He remained Prime Minister until his death
  4. He never stood for Parliament again after 1945
Show answer

Answer: A and B — He lost the 1945 General Election; He returned as Prime Minister in 1951

He lost in 1945, returned as Prime Minister in 1951, and stayed an MP until standing down at the 1964 General Election.

36. In 2002, what did the British public vote Winston Churchill?

  1. The greatest Briton of all time
  2. The best wartime speaker
  3. The most popular Prime Minister since 1945
  4. The greatest Conservative
Show answer

Answer: A — The greatest Briton of all time

On his death in 1965 he was honoured with a state funeral, and in 2002 the public voted him the greatest Briton of all time.

37. Which Churchill line comes from his first speech to the House of Commons as Prime Minister in 1940?

  1. 'I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat'
  2. 'We shall fight on the beaches'
  3. 'Never in the field of human conflict…'
  4. 'This was their finest hour'
Show answer

Answer: A — 'I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat'

'Blood, toil, tears and sweat' was his first speech as Prime Minister; 'we shall fight on the beaches' followed Dunkirk, and 'so much owed by so many to so few' came during the Battle of Britain.

38. Which phrase did the evacuation from Dunkirk give the English language?

  1. 'The Dunkirk spirit'
  2. 'The Blitz spirit'
  3. 'Their finest hour'
  4. 'The few'
Show answer

Answer: A — 'The Dunkirk spirit'

Civilian volunteers sailed small boats to help the Navy lift more than 300,000 men off the beaches, giving English 'the Dunkirk spirit'.

39. Britain and its Empire stood almost alone against Nazi Germany between which dates?

  1. From the end of June 1940 until Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941
  2. From September 1939 until May 1940
  3. From December 1941 until June 1944
  4. From June 1944 until May 1945
Show answer

Answer: A — From the end of June 1940 until Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941

Britain and the Empire stood almost alone from the end of June 1940 until the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941.

40. Which British city was almost totally destroyed during the Blitz?

  1. Coventry
  2. York
  3. Bath
  4. Norwich
Show answer

Answer: A — Coventry

London and other cities were bombed by night, Coventry was almost totally destroyed, and the East End of London suffered terribly.

41. Which phrase did Britain's defiance during the night bombing give the English language?

  1. 'The Blitz spirit'
  2. 'The Dunkirk spirit'
  3. 'The home front'
  4. 'Keep calm and carry on'
Show answer

Answer: A — 'The Blitz spirit'

The country's defiance through the Blitz gave English the phrase 'the Blitz spirit'.

42. After defeating the British in Singapore, which country did the Japanese go on to occupy, threatening India?

  1. Burma
  2. Malaya
  3. Ceylon
  4. Siam
Show answer

Answer: A — Burma

In Singapore the Japanese defeated the British and went on to occupy Burma, threatening India.

43. What brought the United States into the Second World War, and when?

  1. Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbour, in December 1941
  2. The invasion of Poland, in September 1939
  3. D-Day, in June 1944
  4. The Blitz, in 1940
Show answer

Answer: A — Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbour, in December 1941

The United States entered the war after Japan bombed its naval base at Pearl Harbour in December 1941.

44. Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? Hitler's 1941 attack on the Soviet Union was the largest invasion in history, and the damage Germany sustained proved a pivotal point in the war.

  1. TRUE
  2. FALSE
Show answer

Answer: A — TRUE

The Soviets ultimately repelled the German forces, and Germany's losses there were pivotal.

45. Before the landings in western Europe, the Allies won significant victories in which TWO places?

  1. North Africa
  2. Italy
  3. Norway
  4. Spain
Show answer

Answer: A and B — North Africa; Italy

The allied forces gradually gained the upper hand, winning significant victories in North Africa and Italy.

46. Where did allied forces land on D-Day, 6 June 1944?

  1. Normandy
  2. Dunkirk
  3. Sicily
  4. The Netherlands
Show answer

Answer: A — Normandy

Allied forces landed in Normandy on 6 June 1944, then pressed on through France into Germany, defeating Germany in May 1945.

47. The war against Japan ended in August 1945 when atom bombs were dropped on which TWO cities?

  1. Hiroshima
  2. Nagasaki
  3. Tokyo
  4. Osaka
Show answer

Answer: A and B — Hiroshima; Nagasaki

The United States dropped its newly developed atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.

48. Who led the first team ever to 'split the atom'?

  1. Ernest Rutherford, born in New Zealand
  2. Alexander Fleming, born in Scotland
  3. Ernst Chain, born in Germany
  4. Isaac Newton, born in Lincolnshire
Show answer

Answer: A — Ernest Rutherford, born in New Zealand

Rutherford led the first team to split the atom, working at Manchester and then Cambridge University; some British scientists later joined the Manhattan Project.

49. Where was Alexander Fleming born?

  1. Scotland
  2. Ireland
  3. Wales
  4. New Zealand
Show answer

Answer: A — Scotland

Fleming was born in Scotland, moved to London as a teenager and later qualified as a doctor.

50. Which TWO scientists developed penicillin into a usable drug?

  1. Howard Florey
  2. Ernst Chain
  3. Alexander Fleming
  4. Ernest Rutherford
Show answer

Answer: A and B — Howard Florey; Ernst Chain

Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928; Florey and Chain developed it into a usable drug, in mass production by the 1940s.

51. In which year did Alexander Fleming win the Nobel Prize in Medicine?

  1. 1945
  2. 1928
  3. 1936
  4. 1955
Show answer

Answer: A — 1945

Fleming won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1945, and penicillin is still used to treat bacterial infections today.

Britain Since 1945

52. Who was the Minister for Health who led the creation of the National Health Service in 1948?

  1. Aneurin (Nye) Bevan
  2. Clement Attlee
  3. William Beveridge
  4. R A Butler
Show answer

Answer: A — Aneurin (Nye) Bevan

Aneurin Bevan, as Minister for Health, led the creation of the NHS in 1948, guaranteeing health care free at the point of use.

53. Which of the following statements is correct?

  1. The five 'Giant Evils' named in the Beveridge Report were Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness.
  2. The five 'Giant Evils' named in the Beveridge Report were Want, Crime, Illiteracy, Hunger and Disorder.
Show answer

Answer: A — The five 'Giant Evils' named in the Beveridge Report were Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness.

Beveridge urged the government to fight Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness, providing the basis of the modern welfare state.

54. What did the Education Act 1944, often called 'The Butler Act', introduce?

  1. Free secondary education in England and Wales
  2. Free school meals for all pupils
  3. Free university tuition across the UK
  4. A single national curriculum for all schools
Show answer

Answer: A — Free secondary education in England and Wales

R A Butler's Education Act 1944 introduced free secondary education in England and Wales and set the primary–secondary division still used in most areas.

55. In which year were nine countries, including India and Pakistan, granted independence from Britain?

  1. 1945
  2. 1947
  3. 1951
  4. 1957
Show answer

Answer: B — 1947

Nine countries were granted independence in 1947, among them India and Pakistan, and other colonies in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific followed over the next 20 years.

56. Which TWO of the following were taken into public ownership by the post-war Labour government?

  1. The railways
  2. The coal mines
  3. The car industry
  4. The high-street banks
Show answer

Answer: A and B — The railways; The coal mines

Nationalisation brought the railways, the coal mines and the gas, water and electricity supplies into public ownership.

57. Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? Clement Attlee served as Winston Churchill's Foreign Secretary in the wartime coalition government.

  1. TRUE
  2. FALSE
Show answer

Answer: B — FALSE

FALSE — Attlee was Churchill's wartime DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, before becoming Prime Minister himself after Labour's 1945 victory.

58. Why did migration from the West Indies, India and Pakistan to Britain fall in the late 1960s?

  1. New laws restricted immigration, requiring a strong connection to Britain by birth or ancestry
  2. The post-war labour shortage had ended, so industries stopped advertising overseas for workers
  3. Britain joined the European Economic Community and recruited its workers from Europe instead
  4. New laws required British employers to offer every job to British-born workers first
Show answer

Answer: A — New laws restricted immigration, requiring a strong connection to Britain by birth or ancestry

The fall followed new laws restricting immigration to Britain: from the late 1960s an immigrant needed a strong connection to the country through birth or ancestry. Even so, Britain admitted 28,000 people of Indian origin forced to leave Uganda in the early 1970s.

59. Which British overseas territory did Argentina invade in 1982, prompting a naval taskforce to be sent from the UK?

  1. The Falkland Islands
  2. Gibraltar
  3. The Isle of Man
  4. The Channel Islands
Show answer

Answer: A — The Falkland Islands

Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic in 1982, and British military action recovered them.

60. Which TWO British scientists led the first team ever to clone a mammal?

  1. Sir Ian Wilmut
  2. Keith Campbell
  3. Francis Crick
  4. Sir Peter Mansfield
Show answer

Answer: A and B — Sir Ian Wilmut; Keith Campbell

Ian Wilmut and Keith Campbell led the team that cloned Dolly the sheep in 1996.

61. In which year was Concorde retired from service?

  1. 1969
  2. 1976
  3. 1993
  4. 2003
Show answer

Answer: D — 2003

The Anglo-French supersonic airliner first flew in 1969, began carrying passengers in 1976 and was retired in 2003.

62. Which of the following statements is correct?

  1. The Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998 and the Northern Ireland Assembly was elected in 1999.
  2. The Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1988 and the Northern Ireland Assembly was elected in 1990.
Show answer

Answer: A — The Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998 and the Northern Ireland Assembly was elected in 1999.

The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 was followed by the election of the Northern Ireland Assembly in 1999.

63. On what date did the UK formally leave the European Union?

  1. 23 June 2016
  2. 13 July 2016
  3. 24 July 2019
  4. 31 January 2020
Show answer

Answer: D — 31 January 2020

The referendum was held on 23 June 2016, but the UK formally left the European Union on 31 January 2020.

64. Which 1942 report provided the basis of the modern welfare state?

  1. Social Insurance and Allied Services, the Beveridge Report
  2. The Butler Report
  3. The Attlee Report
  4. The Macmillan Report
Show answer

Answer: A — Social Insurance and Allied Services, the Beveridge Report

Commissioned by the wartime government in 1941, the Beveridge Report urged the government to fight the five 'Giant Evils'.

65. Which TWO of the following were among Beveridge's five 'Giant Evils'?

  1. Want
  2. Squalor
  3. Poverty
  4. Crime
Show answer

Answer: A and B — Want; Squalor

The five Giant Evils were Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness.

66. The national system of benefits introduced after the war was intended to protect people from what?

  1. The 'cradle to the grave'
  2. Unemployment only
  3. Ill health only
  4. Old age only
Show answer

Answer: A — The 'cradle to the grave'

A national system of benefits — 'social security' — was introduced so people would be protected from the cradle to the grave.

67. What was William Beveridge's profession?

  1. An economist and social reformer
  2. A doctor
  3. A barrister
  4. A soldier
Show answer

Answer: A — An economist and social reformer

Beveridge, later Lord Beveridge, was a British economist and social reformer who served briefly as a Liberal MP and later led the Liberals in the Lords.

68. Where was Clement Attlee born, and in which year?

  1. London, in 1883
  2. Manchester, in 1902
  3. Grantham, in 1925
  4. Oxford, in 1879
Show answer

Answer: A — London, in 1883

Attlee was born in London in 1883, the son of a solicitor.

69. What did Clement Attlee do after Oxford University, before entering politics?

  1. He became a barrister, then gave it up for social work in East London
  2. He trained as a chemist
  3. He served as a naval officer
  4. He worked as a journalist
Show answer

Answer: A — He became a barrister, then gave it up for social work in East London

He became a barrister but gave it up to do social work in East London, and eventually became a Labour MP.

70. For how long did Clement Attlee lead the Labour Party?

  1. 20 years
  2. 6 years
  3. 11 years
  4. 30 years
Show answer

Answer: A — 20 years

Attlee served as Prime Minister from 1945 to 1951 and led the Labour Party for 20 years.

71. In which year did R A Butler become a Conservative MP?

  1. 1923
  2. 1902
  3. 1941
  4. 1944
Show answer

Answer: A — 1923

Richard Austen Butler was born in 1902 and became a Conservative MP in 1923; he was given responsibility for education in 1941.

72. Which division enforced by the Education Act 1944 still remains in most areas of Britain?

  1. The division between primary and secondary schools
  2. The division between grammar and technical schools
  3. The division between church and state schools
  4. The division between English and Welsh schools
Show answer

Answer: A — The division between primary and secondary schools

The education system has changed a great deal since, but the primary/secondary division remains.

73. Which radio play is Dylan Thomas best known for?

  1. Under Milk Wood
  2. Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night
  3. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
  4. The Jungle Book
Show answer

Answer: A — Under Milk Wood

Under Milk Wood was first performed in 1954, after his death.

74. For whom did Dylan Thomas write the poem Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night?

  1. His dying father
  2. His wife
  3. A wartime friend
  4. The BBC
Show answer

Answer: A — His dying father

He wrote it for his dying father in 1952.

75. In which city is Dylan Thomas remembered with a statue and a centre named after him?

  1. Swansea
  2. Cardiff
  3. Newport
  4. Aberystwyth
Show answer

Answer: A — Swansea

He died at just 39 in New York; his birthplace, Swansea, remembers him with several memorials including the Dylan Thomas Centre.

76. Besides India and Pakistan, which country was among the nine granted independence in 1947?

  1. Ceylon, now Sri Lanka
  2. Uganda
  3. Kenya
  4. Nigeria
Show answer

Answer: A — Ceylon, now Sri Lanka

In 1947 nine countries were granted independence, including India, Pakistan and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka); other colonies in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific followed over the next 20 years.

77. Why was NATO formed?

  1. To resist the perceived threat of invasion by the Soviet Union and its allies
  2. To rebuild Europe's economy
  3. To govern the former colonies
  4. To regulate world trade
Show answer

Answer: A — To resist the perceived threat of invasion by the Soviet Union and its allies

The UK developed its own atomic bomb and joined the new North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

78. Which Prime Minister became famous for his 'wind of change' speech about decolonisation?

  1. Harold Macmillan
  2. Clement Attlee
  3. Winston Churchill
  4. John Major
Show answer

Answer: A — Harold Macmillan

A Conservative government held office from 1951 to 1964, and Macmillan's 'wind of change' speech addressed independence for the countries of the Empire.

79. In which year were people from the West Indies invited to come to Britain to work?

  1. 1948
  2. 1945
  3. 1957
  4. 1962
Show answer

Answer: A — 1948

The government first encouraged workers from Ireland and other parts of Europe, and in 1948 invited people from the West Indies.

80. Which TWO recruitment methods did British employers use in the 1950s?

  1. Recruitment centres in the West Indies to find bus drivers
  2. Agents sent to India and Pakistan by textile and engineering firms
  3. Advertising in Australia for farm workers
  4. Recruitment offices in the United States
Show answer

Answer: A and B — Recruitment centres in the West Indies to find bus drivers; Agents sent to India and Pakistan by textile and engineering firms

The labour shortage continued, so many industries advertised overseas for workers.

81. For roughly how long did people from the West Indies, India, Pakistan and later Bangladesh travel to Britain to work and settle?

  1. About 25 years
  2. About 5 years
  3. About 50 years
  4. About 10 years
Show answer

Answer: A — About 25 years

For about 25 years people came from those countries to work and settle in Britain.

82. On which TWO subjects were social laws liberalised in the 1960s?

  1. Divorce
  2. Abortion in England, Wales and Scotland
  3. Capital punishment
  4. Immigration
Show answer

Answer: A and B — Divorce; Abortion in England, Wales and Scotland

The 1960s liberalised the law on divorce and on abortion in England, Wales and Scotland.

83. Which TWO changes did Parliament make to improve the position of women at work in the 1960s?

  1. The right to equal pay
  2. Making it illegal to discriminate against women because of their gender
  3. A guaranteed right to part-time work
  4. Compulsory maternity pay
Show answer

Answer: A and B — The right to equal pay; Making it illegal to discriminate against women because of their gender

Employers commonly expected women to leave their jobs when they married; new laws gave women the right to equal pay and outlawed discrimination on grounds of gender.

84. In which year did Concorde first fly?

  1. 1969
  2. 1976
  3. 2003
  4. 1957
Show answer

Answer: A — 1969

Britain and France developed Concorde: it first flew in 1969, carried passengers from 1976 and was retired in 2003.

85. From which year did Concorde carry passengers?

  1. 1976
  2. 1969
  3. 1980
  4. 2003
Show answer

Answer: A — 1976

Concorde first flew in 1969 and began carrying passengers in 1976.

86. Under the immigration laws passed in the late 1960s, what did immigrants now need?

  1. A strong connection to Britain through birth or ancestry
  2. A job offer from a British employer
  3. A minimum level of savings
  4. A sponsor in Parliament
Show answer

Answer: A — A strong connection to Britain through birth or ancestry

Migration fell in the late 1960s when new laws required a strong connection to Britain through birth or ancestry.

87. In the early 1970s Britain admitted 28,000 people of Indian origin who had been forced to leave which country?

  1. Uganda
  2. Kenya
  3. South Africa
  4. Bangladesh
Show answer

Answer: A — Uganda

Despite the new restrictions, Britain admitted 28,000 people of Indian origin forced to leave Uganda.

88. Who developed the television in the 1920s?

  1. John Logie Baird, a Scotsman
  2. Sir Robert Watson-Watt, a Scotsman
  3. Sir Frank Whittle
  4. Alan Turing
Show answer

Answer: A — John Logie Baird, a Scotsman

John Logie Baird developed the television in the 1920s and made the first television broadcast between London and Glasgow in 1932.

89. Between which two cities did John Logie Baird make the first television broadcast in 1932?

  1. London and Glasgow
  2. London and Manchester
  3. Glasgow and Edinburgh
  4. London and Cardiff
Show answer

Answer: A — London and Glasgow

The first television broadcast ran between London and Glasgow in 1932.

90. Who proposed that enemy aircraft could be detected by radio waves, leading to radar?

  1. Sir Robert Watson-Watt
  2. Sir Bernard Lovell
  3. Sir Frank Whittle
  4. Sir Christopher Cockerell
Show answer

Answer: A — Sir Robert Watson-Watt

Watson-Watt, a Scot, proposed the idea and the first successful radar test took place in 1935.

91. Where did Sir Bernard Lovell build the radio telescope that was for many years the biggest in the world?

  1. Jodrell Bank, in Cheshire
  2. Greenwich, in London
  3. Cambridge
  4. Edinburgh
Show answer

Answer: A — Jodrell Bank, in Cheshire

Radar work led Lovell into astronomy, and his telescope at Jodrell Bank is still operating today.

92. What did the British mathematician Alan Turing invent in the 1930s?

  1. The Turing machine, a theoretical device that shaped computer science
  2. The jet engine
  3. The hovercraft
  4. The cash machine
Show answer

Answer: A — The Turing machine, a theoretical device that shaped computer science

The theory behind the Turing machine shaped computer science and the modern computer.

93. The Scottish physician John Macleod was co-discoverer of which treatment?

  1. Insulin, used to treat diabetes
  2. Penicillin
  3. Radar
  4. The MRI scanner
Show answer

Answer: A — Insulin, used to treat diabetes

John Macleod was co-discoverer of insulin, used to treat diabetes.

94. In which year was the structure of the DNA molecule discovered?

  1. 1953
  2. 1928
  3. 1969
  4. 1996
Show answer

Answer: A — 1953

It was discovered in 1953 through work at British universities in London and Cambridge; Francis Crick, one of the Nobel Prize winners, was British.

95. Who developed the jet engine in Britain in the 1930s?

  1. Sir Frank Whittle, a Royal Air Force engineer officer
  2. Sir Christopher Cockerell
  3. Sir Bernard Lovell
  4. James Goodfellow
Show answer

Answer: A — Sir Frank Whittle, a Royal Air Force engineer officer

Sir Frank Whittle, an RAF engineer officer, developed the jet engine in the 1930s.

96. Who invented the hovercraft, and when?

  1. Sir Christopher Cockerell, in the 1950s
  2. Sir Frank Whittle, in the 1930s
  3. James Goodfellow, in the 1960s
  4. Sir Tim Berners-Lee, in the 1990s
Show answer

Answer: A — Sir Christopher Cockerell, in the 1950s

Sir Christopher Cockerell invented the hovercraft in the 1950s.

97. Which UK-designed aircraft can take off vertically?

  1. The Harrier jump jet
  2. Concorde
  3. The Spitfire
  4. The Hurricane
Show answer

Answer: A — The Harrier jump jet

The Harrier jump jet was designed and developed in the UK.

98. Where and in which year did the first cash-dispensing ATM go into use?

  1. Barclays Bank in Enfield, north London, in 1967
  2. The Bank of England, in 1960
  3. Barclays Bank in Manchester, in 1978
  4. Lloyds Bank in Glasgow, in 1970
Show answer

Answer: A — Barclays Bank in Enfield, north London, in 1967

James Goodfellow invented the ATM, or 'cashpoint', in the 1960s; the first went into use at Barclays Bank in Enfield in 1967.

99. Which TWO Britons pioneered IVF therapy for treating infertility?

  1. Sir Robert Edwards
  2. Patrick Steptoe
  3. Sir Ian Wilmut
  4. Keith Campbell
Show answer

Answer: A and B — Sir Robert Edwards; Patrick Steptoe

The physiologist Sir Robert Edwards and the gynaecologist Patrick Steptoe pioneered IVF; Wilmut and Campbell cloned Dolly the sheep.

100. Where and in which year was the world's first 'test-tube baby' born?

  1. Oldham, Lancashire, in 1978
  2. London, in 1967
  3. Cambridge, in 1953
  4. Manchester, in 1996
Show answer

Answer: A — Oldham, Lancashire, in 1978

The world's first test-tube baby was born in Oldham, Lancashire, in 1978.

101. In which year did British scientists lead the first team to clone a mammal?

  1. 1996
  2. 1978
  3. 1953
  4. 1990
Show answer

Answer: A — 1996

In 1996 Sir Ian Wilmut and Keith Campbell led the first team to clone a mammal — Dolly the sheep.

102. Which British scientist co-invented the MRI scanner?

  1. Sir Peter Mansfield
  2. Sir Tim Berners-Lee
  3. Francis Crick
  4. Sir Robert Edwards
Show answer

Answer: A — Sir Peter Mansfield

Sir Peter Mansfield co-invented the MRI scanner, which lets doctors see non-invasive images of internal organs.

103. On what date was information first successfully transferred via the World Wide Web?

  1. 25 December 1990
  2. 31 January 2020
  3. 23 June 2016
  4. 6 June 1944
Show answer

Answer: A — 25 December 1990

The World Wide Web was invented by a Briton, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, and information was first transferred via the web on 25 December 1990.

104. What is meant by a problem with the 'balance of payments'?

  1. Imports of goods were valued at more than the price paid for exports
  2. The government spent more than it raised in tax
  3. Wages rose faster than prices
  4. The pound was fixed to the dollar
Show answer

Answer: A — Imports of goods were valued at more than the price paid for exports

In the late 1970s prices rose sharply and the exchange rate became unstable, causing balance of payments problems.

105. In which year was the Northern Ireland Parliament suspended, bringing direct rule from the UK government?

  1. 1972
  2. 1969
  3. 1998
  4. 2007
Show answer

Answer: A — 1972

In 1972 the Northern Ireland Parliament was suspended and Northern Ireland came under direct rule.

106. Roughly how many people lost their lives in the violence in Northern Ireland in the decades after 1969?

  1. Some 3,000
  2. Some 300
  3. Some 30,000
  4. Some 300,000
Show answer

Answer: A — Some 3,000

Some 3,000 people lost their lives in the violence in Northern Ireland in the decades after 1969.

107. In which event did Mary Peters win an Olympic gold medal in 1972?

  1. The pentathlon
  2. The heptathlon
  3. The marathon
  4. Swimming
Show answer

Answer: A — The pentathlon

Born in Manchester, Mary Peters moved to Northern Ireland as a child and won pentathlon gold in 1972; she was made a Dame in 2000.

108. In which year was the European Economic Community formed?

  1. 1957
  2. 1973
  3. 1993
  4. 2020
Show answer

Answer: A — 1957

West Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands formed the EEC in 1957; it became part of the EU when the EU was formed in 1993.

109. Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? The UK was a full member of the European Union and adopted the Euro as its currency.

  1. TRUE
  2. FALSE
Show answer

Answer: B — FALSE

FALSE — the UK was a full member but NEVER adopted the Euro, keeping the pound throughout. It formally left the EU on 31 January 2020.

110. Which TWO policies did Margaret Thatcher's government pursue?

  1. Privatising the nationalised industries
  2. Putting legal controls on trade union powers
  3. Nationalising the coal industry
  4. Joining the Euro
Show answer

Answer: A and B — Privatising the nationalised industries; Putting legal controls on trade union powers

Her government restructured the economy, and deregulation greatly expanded the City of London's role in international finance.

111. Where was Margaret Thatcher from, and what was her father's trade?

  1. Grantham in Lincolnshire; her father was a grocer
  2. Manchester; her father was a solicitor
  3. London; her father was a politician
  4. Oxford; her father was a barrister
Show answer

Answer: A — Grantham in Lincolnshire; her father was a grocer

She was the daughter of a grocer from Grantham in Lincolnshire, and trained as a chemist and as a lawyer.

112. In which year was Margaret Thatcher elected Leader of the Conservative Party?

  1. 1975
  2. 1959
  3. 1970
  4. 1979
Show answer

Answer: A — 1975

Elected a Conservative MP in 1959, she entered the cabinet in 1970 and became party leader — and Leader of the Opposition — in 1975.

113. Which United States President did Margaret Thatcher work closely with?

  1. Ronald Reagan
  2. John F Kennedy
  3. Bill Clinton
  4. Franklin D Roosevelt
Show answer

Answer: A — Ronald Reagan

She worked closely with Ronald Reagan and was one of the first Western leaders to welcome the changes in the Soviet leadership that led to the end of the Cold War.

114. Which Prime Minister followed Margaret Thatcher and helped establish the Northern Ireland peace process?

  1. John Major
  2. Tony Blair
  3. Gordon Brown
  4. Harold Macmillan
Show answer

Answer: A — John Major

John Major became Prime Minister after Mrs Thatcher and helped establish the Northern Ireland peace process.

115. Where was Roald Dahl born, and to parents of what nationality?

  1. Wales, to Norwegian parents
  2. Norway, to Welsh parents
  3. England, to Norwegian parents
  4. Wales, to Danish parents
Show answer

Answer: A — Wales, to Norwegian parents

Roald Dahl was born in Wales to Norwegian parents and served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

116. Which TWO children's books were written by Roald Dahl?

  1. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
  2. George's Marvellous Medicine
  3. The Jungle Book
  4. Under Milk Wood
Show answer

Answer: A and B — Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; George's Marvellous Medicine

Dahl began publishing in the 1940s and is best known for his children's books; several have been made into films.

117. Which of the following statements is correct?

  1. The Blair government gave the Scottish Parliament substantial powers to make laws, and the Welsh Assembly fewer legislative powers.
  2. The Blair government gave the Welsh Assembly substantial powers to make laws, and the Scottish Parliament fewer.
Show answer

Answer: A — The Blair government gave the Scottish Parliament substantial powers to make laws, and the Welsh Assembly fewer legislative powers.

The Welsh Assembly was given fewer legislative powers but considerable control over public services.

118. The Northern Ireland Assembly was suspended in which year, and reinstated in which year?

  1. Suspended 2002, reinstated 2007
  2. Suspended 1998, reinstated 1999
  3. Suspended 1972, reinstated 1998
  4. Suspended 2007, reinstated 2010
Show answer

Answer: A — Suspended 2002, reinstated 2007

Elected in 1999, the Assembly was suspended in 2002 and not reinstated until 2007.

119. Who took over as Prime Minister in 2007?

  1. Gordon Brown
  2. Tony Blair
  3. David Cameron
  4. John Major
Show answer

Answer: A — Gordon Brown

Gordon Brown took over as Prime Minister in 2007.

120. In the 1990s Britain played a leading role in coalition forces in which TWO conflicts?

  1. The liberation of Kuwait after the Iraqi invasion of 1990
  2. The conflict in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia
  3. The Falklands War
  4. The Suez crisis
Show answer

Answer: A and B — The liberation of Kuwait after the Iraqi invasion of 1990; The conflict in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia

Britain led in coalition forces in Kuwait and in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia.

121. In which year did British combat troops leave Iraq?

  1. 2009
  2. 2003
  3. 2014
  4. 2010
Show answer

Answer: A — 2009

British combat troops left Iraq in 2009.

122. How many nations made up the UN-mandated ISAF coalition in Afghanistan?

  1. 50
  2. 28
  3. 9
  4. 15
Show answer

Answer: A — 50

The UK operated in Afghanistan as part of the UN-mandated 50-nation International Security Assistance Force, at the invitation of the Afghan government.

123. In May 2010 no party won an overall majority — the first time since when?

  1. February 1974
  2. 1945
  3. 1997
  4. 1979
Show answer

Answer: A — February 1974

It was the first time since February 1974; the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats formed a coalition and David Cameron became Prime Minister.

124. On what date was the referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union held?

  1. 23 June 2016
  2. 13 July 2016
  3. 7 May 2015
  4. 31 January 2020
Show answer

Answer: A — 23 June 2016

The referendum was held on 23 June 2016 and the UK voted by 51.9% to 48.1% to leave.

125. By what margin did the UK vote to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum?

  1. 51.9% to 48.1%
  2. 60% to 40%
  3. 55% to 45%
  4. 50.1% to 49.9%
Show answer

Answer: A — 51.9% to 48.1%

The UK voted by 51.9% to 48.1% to leave the European Union.

126. 'The Swinging Sixties' is a name given to which decade?

  1. The 1960s
  2. The 1950s
  3. The 1970s
  4. The 1940s
Show answer

Answer: A — The 1960s

The 1960s became known as 'the Swinging Sixties' — a decade of real social change, with British fashion, cinema and popular music booming.

127. Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? During the Swinging Sixties, British fashion, cinema and popular music were booming.

  1. TRUE
  2. FALSE
Show answer

Answer: A — TRUE

The Swinging Sixties was a decade of significant social change in which British fashion, cinema and popular music all boomed.

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