How to be a good British person !

[Lico]

I wonder how many British people can pass these tests?
Name one Gilbert and Sullivan opera
Who designed grounds around country houses?
Can you name two words from the Viking language ? Etc, etc

lifeintheuktests.co.uk/tests/

[AuntieStella]

First easy: do they really ask only for one?

That second question is a bit as it's not as if there has one ever been one garden designer over the centuries....

Viking rather than Anglo-Saxon? Though anyone who's watched Horrible Histories shoukd be able to do both.

[Lico]

I am having fun going through the multiple choice tests. Over 40 of them in the link.
Some questions are incredible
Lancelot Capability Brown designed grounds around country houses.
Grimsby and Scunthorpe come from the Viking language
HMS Pinafore and Mikado is the the Gilbert & Sullivan opera.
Was surprised to see Halloween date as part of the Home Office requirements..

[PattyPenguin]

Name a G&S opera? I've been in one (amateur operatics). Does that make me extra specially British?

There are millions of UK born people who couldn't answer that question. Is there a book you can mug up from?

[Lico]

Yes, www.tsoshop.co.uk/bookstore.asp?FO=1240167&ProductID=9780113413409&Action=Book&TRACKID=002353

date of first film shown in public in UK?

[Lico]

Patty, indeed it makes you specially British!
Here are some tests:

www.lifeintheuktestweb.co.uk/test-24/

[PattyPenguin]

I should remember the date of the first film shown in public in the UK - the history of film was part of my first year drama course at university.

I can't, though, because it's a very long time and very many pints ago.

[Lillagroda]

I passed this recently. Not a single one of my British colleagues could pass the mocks. The only person I encountered who could pass a mock was a Mexican-born, naturalised colleague of mine

[Lico]

One question made me laugh .

What nationality were the first engineers who came to UK?
Guess: German

Also from where did the first UK farmers come from:
Answer: South East Europe!!!!!

Some questions are ridiculous:
How many elected members in the Northern Assembly?
How many National Parks in Britain? Etc..

Who , in the Home Office, devised those tests? Unbelievable.

[TheElementsSong]

Aren't G&S operettas, strictly speaking?

I can answer all the OP questions (and can sing a lot of G&S).

But given TM's speech the other day, shouldn't answering these questions mark you out as a bad British person? I mean, they positively reek of education, "high" culture and elitism. Perhaps if you answer all the questions correctly they drag you round the back of the building and duff you up before chucking you on the first cargo plane to Timbuktu.

[Lico]

The Element: you are probably right.

Some of the questions and answers as set by the Home Office are not strictly correct. However in order to pass the tests one has to abide by their superior knowledge.