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Final rehearsal · Test 19 of 24

Life in the UK practice test 19: Final Stretch

Paper 19 begins the final block. These last six papers are deliberately harder work than the official test, so that the real thing feels like a lighter version of what you have been doing.

How to sit this one. Timed, no notes, and no looking at the answer key until you have submitted. Six papers to go.

24 questions in 45 minutes, with 18 correct to pass — the same 75% the official test asks for. Nothing is saved to an account: your progress stays in this browser, so you can close the tab and pick the paper up where you left it.

Questions
24
Time limit
45 minutes
Pass mark
18 of 24 (75%)
How do you want to practise?

Answers and explanations

Every question in paper 19, with the right answer and the handbook section it comes from. Open it after you have had a go.

Show all 24 answers and explanations

  1. 1. Select the TWO ways most people in the UK follow political news.

    • Television — correct answer
    • The internet — correct answer
    • Parliamentary committee minutes
    • Court transcripts

    Television and the internet are the main sources of political news for most people, together with newspapers and radio. Official records exist, but few people read them directly. Handbook section 5.12.

  2. 2. For which sport is the Paralympian Ellie Simmonds famous?

    • Swimming — correct answer
    • Wheelchair racing
    • Cycling
    • Rowing

    Ellie Simmonds is a swimmer who won Paralympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012 and has set several world records. Handbook section 4.17.

  3. 3. How can you arrange in advance to sit in the public gallery of the House of Commons?

    • By asking your MP for tickets — correct answer
    • By writing to the monarch
    • By applying to the Supreme Court
    • By paying a fee at the door

    Your MP can supply tickets for the public gallery. You can also queue on the day, and there is no charge for either route. Handbook section 5.4.

  4. 4. Where is the Giant's Causeway?

    • On the north-east coast of Northern Ireland — correct answer
    • On the west coast of Wales
    • In the Scottish Highlands
    • On the south coast of England

    The Giant's Causeway is on the north-east coast of Northern Ireland and is one of the country's best-known sights. Handbook section 4.15.

  5. 5. Where is the National Gallery, home to a large collection of Western European paintings?

    • Trafalgar Square in London — correct answer
    • Princes Street in Edinburgh
    • Cardiff Bay
    • Albert Dock in Liverpool

    The National Gallery stands in Trafalgar Square in London and holds more than 2,000 Western European paintings. Handbook section 4.8.

  6. 6. Which TWO of these were Tudor monarchs?

    • William III
    • Elizabeth I — correct answer
    • Henry VIII — correct answer
    • Charles I

    Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I were both Tudor monarchs. Charles I was a Stuart and William III came later still. Handbook section 3.8.

  7. 7. Select the TWO values that Commonwealth members agree to uphold.

    • Democracy — correct answer
    • The rule of law — correct answer
    • A single currency
    • A shared army

    Members sign up to shared principles including democracy, good government and the rule of law. The Commonwealth has no common currency or armed force. Handbook section 5.13.

  8. 8. In which year was the Bill of Rights passed?

    • 1707
    • 1660
    • 1679
    • 1689 — correct answer

    The Bill of Rights was passed in 1689, after the Glorious Revolution. It confirmed the rights of Parliament and the limits on royal power. Handbook section 3.11.

  9. 9. Which country of the UK is home to the largest share of the population?

    • England, with about 84 per cent — correct answer
    • Scotland, with about 40 per cent
    • Wales, with about 25 per cent
    • Northern Ireland, with about 20 per cent

    About 84 per cent of people in the UK live in England, which makes it by far the most populated of the four countries. Handbook section 4.1.

  10. 10. What score do you need to pass the official Life in the UK test?

    • 75 per cent, which is 18 correct answers out of 24 — correct answer
    • 50 per cent, which is 12 correct answers out of 24
    • 60 per cent, which is 15 correct answers out of 24
    • 100 per cent, with no wrong answers allowed

    The pass mark is 75 per cent. That means 18 correct answers out of the 24 questions asked. Handbook section 1.3.

  11. 11. Which famous detective was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?

    • Sherlock Holmes — correct answer
    • Oliver Twist
    • Robinson Crusoe
    • James Bond

    Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes, the detective whose stories are still read and filmed all over the world. Handbook section 4.10.

  12. 12. Taking part in community life is best described as which of these?

    • A responsibility that people in the UK are encouraged to take on — correct answer
    • A legal duty that carries a fine if you do not do it
    • Something only British citizens are allowed to do
    • A requirement for keeping a driving licence

    Taking part in community life is a responsibility, not a legal duty. People are encouraged to volunteer, vote and help their neighbours. Handbook section 1.2.

  13. 13. In which year did the English Civil War begin?

    • 1642 — correct answer
    • 1649
    • 1660
    • 1603

    The Civil War between the king and Parliament began in 1642. It divided families and towns across the country. Handbook section 3.10.

  14. 14. Which day directly after Christmas Day is also a public holiday?

    • Boxing Day, 26 December — correct answer
    • New Year's Eve, 31 December
    • Twelfth Night, 5 January
    • Advent Sunday

    Boxing Day on 26 December is a public holiday, so most people have both it and Christmas Day off work. Handbook section 4.4.

  15. 15. What is the UK's position on the United Nations Security Council?

    • It is one of the five permanent members — correct answer
    • It has no seat on the Security Council
    • It holds a seat that rotates each year
    • It chairs the Council permanently

    The Security Council has 15 members, five of them permanent. The UK is one of those five and helps decide how the UN responds to threats to peace. Handbook section 5.13.

  16. 16. Select the TWO Crown dependencies.

    • The Isle of Man — correct answer
    • The Channel Islands — correct answer
    • The Falkland Islands
    • Northern Ireland

    The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are the Crown dependencies. The Falkland Islands are an overseas territory, and Northern Ireland is part of the UK itself. Handbook section 2.2.

  17. 17. Which of these is a civil housing dispute?

    • A landlord refusing to carry out repairs the tenancy requires — correct answer
    • A burglary at a rented flat
    • Driving without a licence
    • Selling alcohol to a child

    Disagreements between landlords and tenants, such as repairs or unpaid rent, are civil matters and can be taken to a civil court. Handbook section 5.17.

  18. 18. What is a member of the Scottish Parliament called?

    • A Member of the Scottish Parliament, or MSP — correct answer
    • A Member of Parliament, or MP
    • A Member of the Legislative Assembly, or MLA
    • A councillor

    Members of the Scottish Parliament use the initials MSP. MPs sit at Westminster and MLAs sit in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Handbook section 5.9.

  19. 19. In which English county is Stonehenge?

    • Yorkshire
    • Kent
    • Wiltshire — correct answer
    • Norfolk

    Stonehenge stands in Wiltshire, in the south west of England. It was built by Stone Age people and is still visited by thousands every year. Handbook section 3.1.

  20. 20. What work were enslaved people forced to do in the Americas?

    • Serve in the Royal Navy
    • Build canals in England
    • Work on sugar and tobacco plantations — correct answer
    • Work in British coal mines

    Enslaved people were forced to work on plantations growing sugar and tobacco. The profits flowed back to Britain. Handbook section 3.14.

  21. 21. What important principle did Magna Carta establish?

    • That England would have no king
    • That the Church could tax the people
    • That the king was subject to the law, like everyone else — correct answer
    • That everyone could vote

    Magna Carta set out that the king was subject to the law rather than above it. That idea still sits at the heart of British democracy. Handbook section 3.6.

  22. 22. What is the national anthem of the UK?

    • God Save the King — correct answer
    • Land of Hope and Glory
    • Flower of Scotland
    • Rule, Britannia!

    God Save the King is the national anthem of the UK and is played at important national occasions and when the monarch is present. Handbook section 4.3.

  23. 23. Who wrote Treasure Island and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde?

    • Robert Louis Stevenson — correct answer
    • Thomas Hardy
    • Graham Greene
    • Sir Walter Scott

    Robert Louis Stevenson, a Scottish writer, wrote Treasure Island and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Handbook section 4.10.

  24. 24. Which languages may be used in debates in the Welsh Parliament?

    • Welsh and English — correct answer
    • English only
    • Welsh only
    • Any language a member chooses

    Members may speak in Welsh or in English, and official publications are produced in both languages. Handbook section 5.9.

What paper 19 asks about

These 24 questions come from 5 chapters of the official handbook. By the difficulty the questions were written at, that is 13 easy, 10 medium and 1 harder.

Chapters in this paper

The topics it leans on most

Revise before the next paper

A mock test tells you where you stand. These pages are where you close the gaps.