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Life in the UK Practice Test 9 (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. Which TWO of the following are major cities in Scotland?

  1. Dundee
  2. Aberdeen
  3. Swansea
  4. Bradford
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Answer: A and B — Dundee; Aberdeen

Dundee and Aberdeen are Scottish cities, while Swansea is in Wales and Bradford is in England.

2. What is the highest-value banknote issued in the UK?

  1. £20
  2. £50
  3. £100
  4. £200
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Answer: B — £50

UK notes come in £5, £10, £20 and £50 denominations.

3. Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? Shops and businesses anywhere in the UK are obliged to accept banknotes issued in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

  1. TRUE
  2. FALSE
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Answer: B — FALSE

Scottish and Northern Irish notes are valid throughout the UK, but no shop or business is required to accept them.

4. Which language, completely different from English, is spoken by many people in Wales and taught in its schools and universities?

  1. Welsh
  2. Gaelic
  3. Irish Gaelic
  4. Cornish
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Answer: A — Welsh

Welsh is a separate language from English and is taught in Welsh schools and universities.

5. Approximately what share of the UK population lives in England?

  1. About 60%
  2. About 70%
  3. About 84%
  4. About 95%
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Answer: C — About 84%

The population is spread unevenly, with England accounting for about 84% of the UK total.

6. In surveys of ethnic origin in the UK, which description is chosen most often?

  1. White
  2. Asian
  3. Black
  4. Mixed
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Answer: A — White

White is the most commonly chosen ethnic description, covering people of European, Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and American descent.

7. Which of the following statements is correct?

  1. On average, girls leave school with better qualifications than boys.
  2. On average, boys leave school with better qualifications than girls.
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Answer: A — On average, girls leave school with better qualifications than boys.

Girls on average leave school with better qualifications than boys, and more women than men study at university.

8. Which of the following statements is correct?

  1. Women in Britain today make up about a quarter of the workforce.
  2. Women in Britain today make up about half of the workforce.
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Answer: B — Women in Britain today make up about half of the workforce.

Women now make up roughly half of the British workforce and work in all sectors of the economy.

9. Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? Nearly half of the UK population has a parent or grandparent who was born outside the UK.

  1. TRUE
  2. FALSE
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Answer: B — FALSE

FALSE — it is nearly ONE PERSON IN TEN, not one in two. Post-war immigration means nearly 10% of the population has a parent or grandparent born abroad.

10. In the 2011 Census, what proportion of people identified themselves as Christian?

  1. 25%
  2. 45%
  3. 59%
  4. 71%
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Answer: C — 59%

The 2011 Census recorded 59% of people describing themselves as Christian, with 25% saying they had no religion.

11. Who is the spiritual leader of the Church of England?

  1. The Archbishop of Canterbury
  2. The Moderator
  3. The Prime Minister
  4. The Archbishop of York
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Answer: A — The Archbishop of Canterbury

The monarch heads the Church of England, but its spiritual leader is the Archbishop of Canterbury.

12. Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? The Archbishop of Canterbury is the head of the Church of England.

  1. TRUE
  2. FALSE
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Answer: B — FALSE

FALSE — the MONARCH is the head of the Church of England; the Archbishop of Canterbury is its SPIRITUAL LEADER. England has a constitutional link between Church and state.

13. Since when has the Church of England existed?

  1. The Norman Conquest of 1066
  2. Magna Carta in 1215
  3. The Reformation in the 1530s
  4. The 1830s
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Answer: C — The Reformation in the 1530s

The Church of England is a Protestant Church dating from the Reformation of the 1530s.

14. Which of the following statements is correct?

  1. The Church of Scotland is a Presbyterian Church governed by ministers and elders.
  2. The Church of Scotland is a Roman Catholic Church governed by bishops.
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Answer: A — The Church of Scotland is a Presbyterian Church governed by ministers and elders.

Scotland's national Church is Presbyterian and is governed by ministers and elders.

15. For how long is the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland appointed?

  1. One year
  2. Three years
  3. Ten years
  4. For life
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Answer: A — One year

The Moderator chairs the General Assembly for one year only and often speaks on behalf of the Church.

16. On which date is St David's Day, the patron saint's day of Wales?

  1. 1 March
  2. 17 March
  3. 23 April
  4. 30 November
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Answer: A — 1 March

St David is the patron saint of Wales and his day falls on 1 March.

17. The patron saint's day celebrated on 23 April belongs to which nation of the UK?

  1. Scotland
  2. Wales
  3. England
  4. Northern Ireland
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Answer: C — England

St George is the patron saint of England and his day is 23 April.

18. In which TWO nations of the UK is the patron saint's day an official holiday?

  1. Scotland
  2. Northern Ireland
  3. England
  4. Wales
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Answer: A and B — Scotland; Northern Ireland

Only Scotland and Northern Ireland treat their patron saint's day as an official holiday, though even in Scotland not all businesses close.

19. Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? There is no established Church in Wales or Northern Ireland.

  1. TRUE
  2. FALSE
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Answer: A — TRUE

England has the Church of England and Scotland the Church of Scotland, but Wales and Northern Ireland have no established Church.

20. Apart from the Protestant Churches, which is the biggest denomination of Christianity in the UK?

  1. Roman Catholic
  2. Methodist
  3. Baptist
  4. Quaker
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Answer: A — Roman Catholic

Roman Catholicism is the largest of the other Christian denominations in the UK.

21. Which of the following statements is correct?

  1. Westminster Abbey has been the coronation church since 1603.
  2. Westminster Abbey has been the coronation church since 1066.
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Answer: B — Westminster Abbey has been the coronation church since 1066.

Westminster Abbey has been the coronation church since 1066 and is the burial place of many monarchs.

22. How many days does Lent, the period of reflection before Easter, last?

  1. 8 days
  2. 12 days
  3. 40 days
  4. 50 days
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Answer: C — 40 days

Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter, when Christians reflect and prepare; traditionally people fasted, and many still give up a favourite food.

23. Which day, the day before Lent begins, is also known as Pancake Day?

  1. Shrove Tuesday
  2. Ash Wednesday
  3. Good Friday
  4. Easter Monday
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Answer: A — Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday is Pancake Day, when pancakes were traditionally made to use up eggs, fat and milk before the fast.

24. How many days does Diwali last?

  1. Three days
  2. Five days
  3. Eight days
  4. Ten days
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Answer: B — Five days

Diwali, the Festival of Lights, normally falls in October or November and lasts five days.

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