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Life in the UK Practice Test 26 (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. Who wrote The Bruce, a poem in the Scots language about the Battle of Bannockburn?

  1. John Barbour
  2. Geoffrey Chaucer
  3. Robert Burns
  4. William Caxton
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Answer: A — John Barbour

John Barbour was one of the poets who began to write in the Scots language.

2. Which TWO medieval castles are named as still being in use today?

  1. Windsor
  2. Edinburgh
  3. Conwy
  4. Caernarvon
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Answer: A and B — Windsor; Edinburgh

Many medieval castles are in ruins, but some — such as Windsor and Edinburgh — are still in use.

3. Which building is famous for its medieval stained glass telling stories from the Bible?

  1. York Minster
  2. Westminster Abbey
  3. St Paul's Cathedral
  4. The Tower of London
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Answer: A — York Minster

Several cathedrals had stained glass windows; the glass in York Minster is a famous example.

4. Which product became a very important English export during the Middle Ages?

  1. Wool
  2. Coal
  3. Cotton
  4. Tea
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Answer: A — Wool

England was an important trading nation and English wool became a very important export.

5. Which TWO groups of skilled workers came to medieval England from abroad?

  1. Weavers from France
  2. Engineers from Germany
  3. Weavers from Holland
  4. Engineers from Italy
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Answer: A and B — Weavers from France; Engineers from Germany

Skilled arrivals included weavers from France, engineers from Germany, glass manufacturers from Italy and canal builders from Holland.

6. In which year did the Wars of the Roses begin?

  1. 1455
  2. 1348
  3. 1485
  4. 1215
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Answer: A — 1455

The civil war to decide who should be king of England began in 1455 and ended at Bosworth Field in 1485.

7. Which rose was the symbol of the House of York?

  1. A white rose
  2. A red rose
  3. A red rose with a white rose inside it
  4. A yellow rose
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Answer: A — A white rose

Lancaster's symbol was a red rose and York's a white rose; the Tudor rose was a red rose with a white rose inside it.

8. Which king of the House of York was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field?

  1. Richard III
  2. Henry VII
  3. Edward I
  4. John
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Answer: A — Richard III

Richard III was killed at Bosworth in 1485, and Henry Tudor of the House of Lancaster became King Henry VII.

9. Whom did Henry VII marry in order to unite the Houses of Lancaster and York?

  1. Elizabeth of York, Richard III's niece
  2. Anne Boleyn
  3. Mary of Guise
  4. Catherine of Aragon
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Answer: A — Elizabeth of York, Richard III's niece

Henry married King Richard's niece, Elizabeth of York, uniting the two families; he was the first king of the House of Tudor.

10. How long did the Hundred Years' War between England and France actually last?

  1. 116 years
  2. 100 years
  3. 86 years
  4. 150 years
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Answer: A — 116 years

Despite its name, the Hundred Years' War lasted 116 years.

11. At the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, which English king's outnumbered army defeated the French?

  1. Henry V
  2. Henry VII
  3. Edward I
  4. Richard III
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Answer: A — Henry V

King Henry V's vastly outnumbered English army defeated the French at Agincourt; the English largely left France in the 1450s.

12. In the Crusades, European Christians fought for control of what?

  1. The Holy Land
  2. France
  3. Ireland
  4. Scotland
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Answer: A — The Holy Land

Many English knights took part in the Crusades, in which European Christians fought for control of the Holy Land.

13. Local leaders in Tudor Ireland were expected to follow the instructions of whom?

  1. The Lord Lieutenants in Dublin
  2. The Scottish Parliament
  3. The Pope
  4. The Lord Protector
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Answer: A — The Lord Lieutenants in Dublin

English laws were introduced in Ireland and local leaders had to follow the instructions of the Lord Lieutenants in Dublin.

14. In which Irish province were the plantations of English and Scottish Protestants concentrated?

  1. Ulster
  2. Munster
  3. Leinster
  4. Connacht
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Answer: A — Ulster

The English government encouraged Scottish and English Protestants to settle in Ulster, the northern province, taking land from Catholic landholders.

15. Many of the new Ulster settlers came from which region?

  1. South-west Scotland
  2. Northern England
  3. Cornwall
  4. The Netherlands
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Answer: A — South-west Scotland

Many came from south-west Scotland, and other land was given to companies based in London.

16. Which of the following statements is correct?

  1. Elizabeth I was very skilled at managing Parliament.
  2. Elizabeth I refused to summon Parliament throughout her reign.
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Answer: A — Elizabeth I was very skilled at managing Parliament.

She balanced her own wishes against those of the Lords and of the Commons, which was increasingly Protestant in its views.

17. For how many years did Charles I find ways to rule and raise money without Parliament's approval?

  1. 11 years
  2. 3 years
  3. 20 years
  4. 1 year
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Answer: A — 11 years

He ruled without Parliament for 11 years, until trouble in Scotland forced him to recall it.

18. Charles I tried to impose a revised Prayer Book on which Church?

  1. The Presbyterian Church in Scotland
  2. The Roman Catholic Church in Ireland
  3. The Church of Wales
  4. The Church of England
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Answer: A — The Presbyterian Church in Scotland

He wanted more ceremony in worship and tried to impose the revised Prayer Book on the Presbyterian Church in Scotland, which led to serious unrest.

19. In which year did Charles I recall Parliament to ask for funds?

  1. 1640
  2. 1642
  3. 1649
  4. 1660
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Answer: A — 1640

He recalled Parliament in 1640 because he could not fund an army against the Scots without it.

20. Who were the Puritans?

  1. Protestants who advocated strict and simple religious doctrine and worship
  2. Roman Catholic supporters of the king
  3. Scottish clan leaders
  4. Members of the House of Lords
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Answer: A — Protestants who advocated strict and simple religious doctrine and worship

Many in Parliament were Puritans, who disagreed with the king's religious views and disliked his reforms of the Church of England.

21. How many parliamentary leaders did Charles I try to arrest when he entered the House of Commons?

  1. Five
  2. Three
  3. Ten
  4. One
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Answer: A — Five

He tried to arrest five parliamentary leaders, but they had been warned and were not there. No monarch has set foot in the Commons since.

22. In the English Civil War, which TWO names were given to the opposing sides?

  1. The Cavaliers, who supported the king
  2. The Roundheads, who supported Parliament
  3. The Jacobites, who supported the king
  4. The Puritans, who supported the Crown
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Answer: A and B — The Cavaliers, who supported the king; The Roundheads, who supported Parliament

The country split into Cavaliers (for the king) and Roundheads (for Parliament).

23. At which TWO battles was Charles I's army defeated?

  1. Marston Moor
  2. Naseby
  3. Dunbar
  4. Worcester
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Answer: A and B — Marston Moor; Naseby

The king's army was defeated at Marston Moor and Naseby; Dunbar and Worcester were Cromwell's later victories over Charles II's Scottish army.

24. By which year was it clear that Parliament had won the Civil War?

  1. 1646
  2. 1642
  3. 1649
  4. 1660
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Answer: A — 1646

By 1646 Parliament had won; Charles was held prisoner and, still unwilling to reach agreement, was executed in 1649.

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