Citizenship Guides
How to book the Life in the UK test: the official site, the £50 fee, refunds, which ID to bring, what happens on the day, and how your reference number works.
Most people who are turned away from a Life in the UK test are turned away for paperwork, not knowledge: a name that does not match the booking, the wrong ID, or a booking made on an unofficial site. Knowing how Life in the UK test booking works takes ten minutes and removes all of those risks. This guide covers booking, the fee and refunds, which ID to bring, the test day itself, and how your result is used.
Book online through the official booking service, which GOV.UK links to and describes as the only official way to book, at least 3 days before you want to sit the test. You need an email address, a debit or credit card and an accepted form of ID, and you choose one of more than 30 test centres. The test costs £50 per attempt.
Each person books separately, even couples applying together. The test is taken on a computer at a test centre; there is no online version you can take at home.
Refund claims must be made within 3 months.
This is where most problems happen. Bring the same original ID you used to book. Copies, photos and screenshots are not accepted. The accepted documents are:
If you have an eVisa, you book with a share code, which must begin with "S". Whatever you use, the name on your booking must match your ID exactly. If your last name, nationality or ID type do not match on the day, you cannot sit the test and you do not get a refund. Proof of address is not on the list of required documents.
The free CivicPass UK quiz runs in your browser: real handbook-based questions with explanations, no account.
Take the free Life in the UK quizAll questions come from the official handbook, "Life in the United Kingdom: A Guide for New Residents". For what the questions look like, see Life in the UK test questions and answers, and for a general test-day checklist, what to bring on citizenship test day.
You are told whether you passed at the test centre. Within minutes you also receive an email with a unique reference number, and the result appears in your booking account. There are no pass letters or certificates: the Home Office stopped issuing them in December 2019. Instead, you enter the reference number in your settlement or citizenship application, and the Home Office checks your result with it.
If you fail, you can book again as many times as you need, paying £50 each time. You also receive a reference number after a failed test, so keep every email.
You need to pass the Life in the UK test to apply for indefinite leave to remain (settlement) and for British citizenship. If you passed it for settlement, you do not need to take it again for citizenship. You are exempt if you are under 18, aged 65 or over, or have a long-term physical or mental condition that prevents you from taking it. A medical exemption needs a form completed by a medical professional, and an exemption granted for settlement does not carry over automatically: you request it again when applying for citizenship.
Only serving members of the British Armed Forces and their dependants can take the test outside the UK. The Isle of Man runs its own version of the test, and Guernsey and Jersey use a separate citizenship test.
You can ask for adjustments when you book. The test software lets you change the font size and background colour, and you can listen to the questions through headphones. Wheelchair users can request a height-adjustable desk, and a reader, scribe or private session can be arranged on request. Bring evidence of your need, such as a doctor's letter, or you may not be able to sit the test.
For the full route to citizenship, see how to become a British citizen.
The test costs £50 and you pay again for every attempt. You get a refund if you cancel at least 3 days before your test, and you can change the date or time free of charge up to 72 hours before. There is no refund if you are turned away for the wrong ID, arrive late or are ill.
Online, through the official booking service linked from GOV.UK, at least 3 days in advance. It is the only official way to book. You need an email address, a debit or credit card and an accepted form of ID, and you choose one of more than 30 test centres in the UK.
The same original ID you used to book: a valid passport, a valid EU, Swiss, Icelandic, Liechtenstein or Norwegian ID card, a photo travel document, or a BRP within the permitted period. If you have an eVisa you book with a share code. Your name must match the booking exactly.
No. Pass letters and certificates stopped in December 2019. You are told your result at the test centre and receive a unique reference number by email. You enter that number in your settlement or citizenship application, and the Home Office uses it to check your result.