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Final rehearsal · Test 21 of 24

Life in the UK practice test 21: Full Simulation

Paper 21 is a straight simulation. Nothing about it is meant to be novel any more — the format, the clock and the pass mark should all feel completely familiar by now.

How to sit this one. Full conditions with no allowances. A score below 18 this late means revising a chapter, not sitting another paper.

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 21, 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. Before the Industrial Revolution, how did most people in Britain earn a living?

    • By working at sea
    • By working on the land — correct answer
    • By working in factories
    • By working in offices

    Before the Industrial Revolution most people worked on the land. Farming was the main way of earning a living. Handbook section 3.13.

  2. 2. What is the equivalent of a magistrates' court in Scotland?

    • The Justice of the Peace court — correct answer
    • The Crown Court
    • The county court
    • The High Court

    In Scotland minor criminal cases are heard in a Justice of the Peace court, with a Justice of the Peace sitting as the judge. Handbook section 5.15.

  3. 3. How do members of the House of Lords take their seats?

    • They are appointed or hold a seat by right, rather than being elected — correct answer
    • They are elected by voters in every county
    • They are chosen by the Supreme Court
    • They are elected by members of the House of Commons

    Members of the House of Lords, known as peers, are not elected by the public. Most are appointed, so the Lords does not represent constituencies. Handbook section 5.5.

  4. 4. What is Sir Steve Redgrave famous for achieving?

    • Rowing gold medals at five Olympic Games in a row — correct answer
    • Winning the Tour de France
    • Running a mile in under four minutes
    • Winning Wimbledon twice

    Sir Steve Redgrave won gold medals for rowing at five Olympic Games in a row, a rare achievement in any sport. Handbook section 4.5.

  5. 5. What must a dog wear when it is in a public place?

    • A collar — correct answer
    • A muzzle at all times
    • A coat in winter
    • Nothing is required

    A dog in a public place must wear a collar, so that anyone who finds it can contact the owner. Handbook section 4.14.

  6. 6. Which tribes invaded Britain after the Romans left?

    • The Vikings and the Danes
    • The Jutes, Angles and Saxons — correct answer
    • The Normans and the Franks
    • The Picts and the Scots

    After the Romans left, tribes from northern Europe called the Jutes, Angles and Saxons invaded and settled in Britain. Handbook section 3.3.

  7. 7. Select the TWO fundamental principles of British life shown here.

    • Democracy — correct answer
    • Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs — correct answer
    • Compulsory national service
    • A duty to speak only English at home

    Democracy and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs are two of the five fundamental principles. There is no national service in the UK and no rule about the language you speak at home. Handbook section 1.1.

  8. 8. Where in the world are the British overseas territories found?

    • In many different parts of the world — correct answer
    • All within Europe
    • All in the Irish Sea
    • All in the English Channel

    There are several British overseas territories scattered around the world, from the South Atlantic to the Caribbean. Handbook section 2.4.

  9. 9. What is meant by universal suffrage?

    • That all adult citizens have the right to vote, whatever their wealth or sex — correct answer
    • That everyone must vote or pay a fine
    • That voting is open to people of any age
    • That every vote is counted twice for accuracy

    Universal suffrage means the vote belongs to all adult citizens rather than to a privileged few. Britain reached it in stages between 1832 and 1928. Handbook section 5.1.

  10. 10. Which prize did the contemporary artist Damien Hirst win?

    • The Turner Prize — correct answer
    • The Booker Prize
    • The Mercury Music Prize
    • A Laurence Olivier Award

    Damien Hirst won the Turner Prize, the award that celebrates contemporary art in Britain. Handbook section 4.17.

  11. 11. Which Charles Dickens novel follows the life of an orphan boy in London?

    • Oliver Twist — correct answer
    • Ivanhoe
    • Lucky Jim
    • Under Milk Wood

    Charles Dickens wrote Oliver Twist, the story of an orphan boy, as well as Great Expectations and many other novels. Handbook section 4.10.

  12. 12. What is penicillin used for?

    • Treating infections caused by bacteria — correct answer
    • Preventing broken bones
    • Testing eyesight
    • Cleaning drinking water

    Penicillin is used to treat bacterial infections, and its discovery has saved many millions of lives. Handbook section 4.16.

  13. 13. Which of these is a responsibility that people living in the UK are expected to accept?

    • Looking after the area you live in and the environment — correct answer
    • Flying a flag on national holidays
    • Giving a set share of your income to charity
    • Attending a religious service each week

    Looking after your local area and the environment is one of the responsibilities set out for people living in the UK. The others are personal choices. Handbook section 1.2.

  14. 14. Who carries government policy into practice once ministers have decided it?

    • The civil service — correct answer
    • The House of Lords
    • The judiciary
    • Political party members

    Ministers set the direction and the civil service puts it into effect, running the departments and services that deliver it. Handbook section 5.11.

  15. 15. Which country was the first to industrialise on a large scale?

    • France
    • Germany
    • The United States
    • Britain — correct answer

    Britain was the first country to industrialise on a large scale. Machines, coal and steam power changed how goods were made. Handbook section 3.13.

  16. 16. How is the Speaker of the House of Commons chosen?

    • MPs elect the Speaker in a secret ballot — correct answer
    • The monarch appoints the Speaker
    • The Prime Minister appoints the Speaker
    • The House of Lords chooses the Speaker

    The Speaker is an MP chosen by fellow MPs in a secret ballot. Voting in secret means colleagues can choose freely without party pressure. Handbook section 5.4.

  17. 17. Which words open the UK national anthem?

    • God save our gracious King — correct answer
    • Land of my fathers
    • Britons never shall be slaves
    • Long may our land be bright

    The anthem begins 'God save our gracious King, long live our noble King'. The words change between King and Queen with the monarch. Handbook section 5.3.

  18. 18. Which engineer built the Great Western Railway?

    • James Watt
    • Richard Arkwright
    • Isambard Kingdom Brunel — correct answer
    • George Stephenson

    Isambard Kingdom Brunel built the Great Western Railway, the first railway to link London with the west of England and Wales. Handbook section 3.13.

  19. 19. Which Scottish inventor made the first television transmission?

    • John Logie Baird — correct answer
    • Alexander Graham Bell
    • Sir Robert Watson-Watt
    • Sir Christopher Cockerell

    John Logie Baird made the first television transmission in the 1920s, sending a moving image from one place to another. Handbook section 4.16.

  20. 20. In which year was Charles I executed?

    • 1649 — correct answer
    • 1660
    • 1642
    • 1645

    Charles I was executed in 1649 after being defeated and tried by his opponents. No English king had ever been put to death in this way. Handbook section 3.10.

  21. 21. Which modern language is based on the language the Anglo-Saxons spoke?

    • English — correct answer
    • Welsh
    • Gaelic
    • Cornish

    The language the Anglo-Saxons spoke is the basis of modern English. Many everyday English words come directly from it. Handbook section 3.3.

  22. 22. Which famous composer was born in Germany but became a British citizen?

    • George Frideric Handel — correct answer
    • Gustav Holst
    • Sir Edward Elgar
    • Henry Purcell

    George Frideric Handel was born in Germany, spent most of his life in Britain and became a British citizen; his Messiah is still sung by choirs at Easter. Handbook section 4.6.

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

    • The Archbishop of Canterbury — correct answer
    • The Moderator of the General Assembly
    • The Bishop of London
    • The Archbishop of Wales

    The Archbishop of Canterbury is the spiritual leader of the Church of England and its most senior clergyman. Handbook section 4.2.

  24. 24. What does parliamentary sovereignty mean?

    • Parliament is the supreme law-making body and can make or unmake any law — correct answer
    • The monarch may overrule any Act of Parliament
    • Local councils may ignore laws they disagree with
    • The courts may cancel any law they think is unwise

    Parliamentary sovereignty is the idea that Parliament has the final say on the law. Judges apply and interpret the law, but they cannot simply set aside an Act of Parliament. Handbook section 5.2.

What paper 21 asks about

These 24 questions come from 5 chapters of the official handbook. By the difficulty the questions were written at, that is 11 easy, 9 medium and 4 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.