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Life in the UK Practice Test 23 (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.

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1. Evelyn Waugh, a writer of satirical novels, is best known for which book?

  1. Brideshead Revisited
  2. Lucky Jim
  3. Our Man in Havana
  4. Kidnapped
Show answer

Answer: A — Brideshead Revisited

Waugh wrote satirical novels such as Decline and Fall and Scoop, and is best known for Brideshead Revisited.

2. Sir Kingsley Amis wrote more than 20 novels. Which is the most famous?

  1. Lucky Jim
  2. Brighton Rock
  3. Scoop
  4. Jude the Obscure
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Answer: A — Lucky Jim

Lucky Jim is Sir Kingsley Amis's most famous novel.

3. Which TWO novels were written by Graham Greene?

  1. Brighton Rock
  2. Our Man in Havana
  3. Decline and Fall
  4. Sense and Sensibility
Show answer

Answer: A and B — Brighton Rock; Our Man in Havana

Greene's novels — The Heart of the Matter, Brighton Rock and Our Man in Havana — were often shaped by his religious beliefs.

4. Which medieval poem, alongside Beowulf, is named among the earliest poetry recorded in Britain?

  1. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  2. Paradise Lost
  3. The Canterbury Tales
  4. The Waste Land
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Answer: A — Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

The earliest poetry recorded in Britain includes the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf and the medieval poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

5. John Milton's Paradise Lost, written in the 17th century, was based on what?

  1. The Bible
  2. Norse legend
  3. Roman history
  4. Arthurian romance
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Answer: A — The Bible

Milton wrote Paradise Lost, based on the Bible, in the 17th century.

6. Which TWO of the following are 19th-century poets inspired by nature and emotion?

  1. John Keats
  2. Lord Byron
  3. Wilfred Owen
  4. John Milton
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Answer: A and B — John Keats; Lord Byron

The 19th century brought William Blake, John Keats, Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Robert Browning and William Wordsworth. Owen was a First World War poet and Milton wrote in the 17th century.

7. Which TWO poets wrote about their experiences in the First World War?

  1. Wilfred Owen
  2. Siegfried Sassoon
  3. William Blake
  4. Alfred Lord Tennyson
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Answer: A and B — Wilfred Owen; Siegfried Sassoon

Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon wrote about the First World War in the 20th century.

8. Where are many of the best-known British poets buried or commemorated?

  1. Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey
  2. St Paul's Cathedral
  3. Tate Britain
  4. Canterbury Cathedral
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Answer: A — Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey

Many of the best-known poets are buried or commemorated in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey.

9. What is an allotment?

  1. A piece of land rented to grow fruit and vegetables
  2. A public footpath across farmland
  3. A protected area of countryside
  4. A community museum
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Answer: A — A piece of land rented to grow fruit and vegetables

Many people rent an allotment, where they grow fruit and vegetables.

10. Which TWO of the following are famous gardens to visit in England?

  1. Kew Gardens
  2. Sissinghurst
  3. Bodnant Garden
  4. Mount Stewart
Show answer

Answer: A and B — Kew Gardens; Sissinghurst

Kew Gardens, Sissinghurst and Hidcote are in England; Bodnant Garden is in Wales and Mount Stewart in Northern Ireland.

11. Bodnant Garden is in which country of the UK?

  1. Wales
  2. Scotland
  3. Northern Ireland
  4. England
Show answer

Answer: A — Wales

Bodnant Garden is in Wales; Crathes Castle and Inveraray Castle are in Scotland and Mount Stewart in Northern Ireland.

12. Which flower is associated with Scotland?

  1. The thistle
  2. The rose
  3. The daffodil
  4. The shamrock
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Answer: A — The thistle

The rose is England's, the thistle Scotland's, the daffodil Wales's and the shamrock Northern Ireland's — sometimes worn on the patron saint's day.

13. Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? Most shops in the UK open seven days a week, though Sunday opening hours are usually shorter.

  1. TRUE
  2. FALSE
Show answer

Answer: A — TRUE

Most shops open seven days a week, with shorter hours on Sundays.

14. Which traditional dish is served with Yorkshire pudding?

  1. Roast beef
  2. Haggis
  3. Welsh cakes
  4. The Ulster fry
Show answer

Answer: A — Roast beef

England's traditional dish is roast beef, served with Yorkshire pudding.

15. Welsh cakes are a snack made from which ingredients?

  1. Flour, dried fruits and spices
  2. Oatmeal, offal and suet
  3. Bacon, eggs and soda bread
  4. Potatoes and cabbage
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Answer: A — Flour, dried fruits and spices

Welsh cakes are made from flour, dried fruits and spices, and are eaten hot or cold.

16. Which TWO of the following are part of the traditional Ulster fry?

  1. Soda bread
  2. Potato bread
  3. Yorkshire pudding
  4. Haggis
Show answer

Answer: A and B — Soda bread; Potato bread

The Ulster fry is bacon, eggs, sausage, black and white pudding, tomatoes, mushrooms, soda bread and potato bread.

17. In which year were the first film shows staged in the UK?

  1. 1896
  2. 1935
  3. 1945
  4. 1962
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Answer: A — 1896

The UK's film history reaches back to 1896, when the first film shows were staged.

18. Which British performer became world-famous in silent films?

  1. Charlie Chaplin
  2. Sir Alfred Hitchcock
  3. Sir David Lean
  4. Colin Firth
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Answer: A — Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin became world-famous in silent films.

19. Who directed The 39 Steps in 1935 before moving to Hollywood?

  1. Sir Alfred Hitchcock
  2. Sir David Lean
  3. Nick Park
  4. Ian Fleming
Show answer

Answer: A — Sir Alfred Hitchcock

Sir Alfred Hitchcock directed The 39 Steps in 1935 and became one of the most celebrated directors of all time.

20. Which TWO films were directed by Sir David Lean?

  1. Brief Encounter
  2. Lawrence of Arabia
  3. The 39 Steps
  4. Chariots of Fire
Show answer

Answer: A and B — Brief Encounter; Lawrence of Arabia

Sir David Lean directed Brief Encounter and Lawrence of Arabia.

21. Which studios were known for the comedies made after the Second World War?

  1. Ealing Studios
  2. Pinewood Studios
  3. Shepperton Studios
  4. Bankside Studios
Show answer

Answer: A — Ealing Studios

After the Second World War the comedies made at Ealing Studios won a devoted audience.

22. How many Oscars has Nick Park won for his animated films?

  1. Four
  2. One
  3. Two
  4. Seven
Show answer

Answer: A — Four

Nick Park has won four Oscars for his animated films, including those featuring Wallace and Gromit.

23. Which TWO of the following are named among the most famous British films?

  1. The Third Man (1949)
  2. Chariots of Fire (1981)
  3. Casablanca (1942)
  4. Ben-Hur (1959)
Show answer

Answer: A and B — The Third Man (1949); Chariots of Fire (1981)

The list includes The 39 Steps, Brief Encounter, The Third Man, Lawrence of Arabia, Chariots of Fire, Four Weddings and a Funeral and Touching the Void.

24. Which TWO of the following are long-running UK soap operas?

  1. Coronation Street
  2. EastEnders
  3. Brief Encounter
  4. Touching the Void
Show answer

Answer: A and B — Coronation Street; EastEnders

The most popular UK television programmes include the long-running soaps Coronation Street and EastEnders.

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