← Life in the UK study appAll practice tests

Life in the UK Practice Test 15 (2026) — free, with answers

24 original practice questions in the official Life in the UK Test formats — multiple choice, select TWO, TRUE or FALSE and “which statement is correct”. The real test has 24 questions in 45 minutes with a 75% pass mark (18 of 24). Every answer below includes an explanation. Written from the official study material; no log-in, completely free.

Take this interactively — timed mocks, audio & progress tracking

1. Which TWO of the following are ways to get into the public galleries at the Palace of Westminster?

  1. Write to your local MP in advance and ask for tickets
  2. Queue on the day at the public entrance
  3. Pay an entrance fee at the public entrance
  4. Book a seat through the Senedd Booking Service
Show answer

Answer: A and B — Write to your local MP in advance and ask for tickets; Queue on the day at the public entrance

There are only two routes in at Westminster: tickets requested in advance from your MP, or queueing on the day.

2. Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? People queueing for the House of Commons public gallery often wait at least one or two hours.

  1. TRUE
  2. FALSE
Show answer

Answer: A — TRUE

Queues for the Commons are frequently long, with waits of an hour or two being common.

3. Which of the following statements is correct?

  1. The Northern Ireland Assembly meets at Stormont in Belfast.
  2. The Northern Ireland Assembly meets at Holyrood in Edinburgh.
Show answer

Answer: A — The Northern Ireland Assembly meets at Stormont in Belfast.

Stormont in Belfast is the home of the Northern Ireland Assembly; Holyrood is in Edinburgh.

4. Which service handles bookings for guided tours and public gallery seats at the Senedd?

  1. The Senedd Booking Service
  2. The Northern Ireland Assembly Education Service
  3. Holyrood visitor services
  4. The House of Lords ticket office
Show answer

Answer: A — The Senedd Booking Service

Tours and gallery seats in Cardiff Bay are booked through the Senedd Booking Service.

5. How many member states does the Commonwealth currently have?

  1. 27
  2. 46
  3. 52
  4. 56
Show answer

Answer: D — 56

The Commonwealth currently has 56 member states spread across every inhabited continent.

6. Who is the ceremonial head of the Commonwealth?

  1. The King
  2. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
  3. The Secretary-General of the United Nations
  4. The President of the Council of Europe
Show answer

Answer: A — The King

The King is the ceremonial head of the Commonwealth, which has no power over its members.

7. How many member countries does the Council of Europe have?

  1. 15
  2. 27
  3. 46
  4. 56
Show answer

Answer: C — 46

The Council of Europe has 46 member countries, including the UK, and works on human rights.

8. Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? The Council of Europe has the power to make laws that bind its member countries.

  1. TRUE
  2. FALSE
Show answer

Answer: B — FALSE

The Council of Europe cannot make laws; it draws up conventions and charters instead.

9. Which TWO of the following statements about the Commonwealth are correct?

  1. Membership of the Commonwealth is voluntary.
  2. The Commonwealth can suspend a member's membership.
  3. The Commonwealth can make laws for its member states.
  4. Every Commonwealth member was once part of the British Empire.
Show answer

Answer: A and B — Membership of the Commonwealth is voluntary.; The Commonwealth can suspend a member's membership.

Membership is voluntary and the only sanction available is suspension, since the Commonwealth has no power over its members.

10. What is the best known of the conventions and charters drawn up by the Council of Europe?

  1. The European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
  2. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
  3. The North Atlantic Treaty
  4. The Bill of Rights
Show answer

Answer: A — The European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms

The Council of Europe's most famous instrument is the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

11. How many members does the UN Security Council have?

  1. 5
  2. 15
  3. 46
  4. 56
Show answer

Answer: B — 15

The Security Council has 15 members and recommends action in international crises and threats to peace.

12. Which of the following statements is correct?

  1. The UK is one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.
  2. The UK is one of the 15 permanent members of the UN Security Council.
Show answer

Answer: A — The UK is one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

The Security Council has 15 members in total, but only five of them, including the UK, are permanent.

13. Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? The United Nations was set up after the First World War.

  1. TRUE
  2. FALSE
Show answer

Answer: B — FALSE

The UN was created after the Second World War to prevent war and promote international peace and security.

14. Roughly how many countries are members of the United Nations?

  1. About 46
  2. About 56
  3. About 100
  4. More than 190
Show answer

Answer: D — More than 190

The UN is an international organisation with more than 190 member countries.

15. Which of the following statements is correct?

  1. NATO members are European and North American countries that have agreed to help each other if attacked.
  2. NATO is the body responsible for the protection and promotion of human rights in its member countries.
Show answer

Answer: A — NATO members are European and North American countries that have agreed to help each other if attacked.

NATO is a mutual defence alliance; human rights protection is the work of the Council of Europe.

16. Which of the following is an example of civil law?

  1. A dispute between a landlord and a tenant about repairs
  2. Carrying a knife for self-defence
  3. Selling cannabis to a neighbour
  4. Causing distress to someone because of their ethnic origin
Show answer

Answer: A — A dispute between a landlord and a tenant about repairs

Housing law, including landlord and tenant disputes over repairs and eviction, is part of civil law.

17. From what age may a person drink alcohol with a meal in a hotel or restaurant?

  1. 14
  2. 15
  3. 16
  4. 18
Show answer

Answer: C — 16

People aged 16 or over may drink alcohol with a meal in a hotel or restaurant, the one exception to the rules on under-18s.

18. It is illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone under what age?

  1. 16
  2. 17
  3. 18
  4. 21
Show answer

Answer: C — 18

Cigarettes, cigars and roll-up tobacco may not be sold to anyone under 18.

19. Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? Carrying a weapon is a criminal offence even if it is carried for self-defence.

  1. TRUE
  2. FALSE
Show answer

Answer: A — TRUE

Carrying a weapon of any kind is an offence regardless of the reason given for carrying it.

20. Which of the following statements is correct?

  1. Police forces in the UK are independent of the government.
  2. Police forces in the UK are controlled directly by the government.
Show answer

Answer: A — Police forces in the UK are independent of the government.

The police are organised into separate forces that are independent of government control.

21. Which of the following statements is correct?

  1. Each separate police force is headed by a Chief Constable.
  2. Each separate police force is headed by a Police and Crime Commissioner.
Show answer

Answer: A — Each separate police force is headed by a Chief Constable.

The police are organised into a number of separate forces, each headed by a Chief Constable. A Police and Crime Commissioner sets local police priorities and the local policing budget and appoints the local Chief Constable, but does not head the force.

22. When did the public first elect Police and Crime Commissioners in England and Wales?

  1. May 2010
  2. November 2011
  3. November 2012
  4. May 2015
Show answer

Answer: C — November 2012

The first Police and Crime Commissioners in England and Wales were elected in November 2012.

23. Which TWO of the following does a Police and Crime Commissioner do?

  1. Sets the local policing budget
  2. Appoints the local Chief Constable
  3. Decides the sentence in minor criminal cases
  4. Investigates complaints made against police officers
Show answer

Answer: A and B — Sets the local policing budget; Appoints the local Chief Constable

A PCC sets local police priorities and the budget and appoints the Chief Constable, but takes no part in sentencing.

24. In England and Wales, which independent body can receive complaints about the police?

  1. The Independent Police Complaints Commission
  2. The Police Ombudsman's Office
  3. The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner
  4. The Law Society
Show answer

Answer: A — The Independent Police Complaints Commission

The handbook names the Independent Police Complaints Commission for England and Wales, and the test marks against the handbook. Its functions passed to the Independent Office for Police Conduct in 2018 — answer the IPCC.

← Test 14 All tests Test 16 →