Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

I failed my life in Britain mock test

417 replies

Britishfailure · 04/10/2025 21:24

So I am a European citizen who has lived in London for 3 decades married to a Brit and raised 2 children. I have been toying with the idea of citizenship I light
of the Reform “we want to deport you all” rhetoric.

I took the mock citizenship test tonight and scored 71% which was not enough to pass. However, I made my British DH and children take it too and I actually scored way higher than they did.

The test is honestly crazy. Questions about roast beef. Honestly so weird. I think I won’t bother becoming a British citizen as I really don’t like roast beef 😂

OP posts:
Lifeiscraprightnow · 04/10/2025 21:29

I have a European colleague who has been in the UK for a number of years. She contributes significantly to the Uk economy and probably more so than many but yet has failed her citizenship test because she couldn’t remember how many people are on a Scottish jury. I mean ffs I am British and don’t know that and most of the other questions she mentioned.

InSpainTheRain · 04/10/2025 21:31

Dh and I also tried a mock test a few years ago and failed (I was born in the UK and lived here all my life, so has he).

I guess its hard to encapsulate "Britishness" in a few.questions, so that is their attempt to do so. Just approach like any other exam, study for it and you'll be fine if you want the documentation. If you don't though I'd be prepared for potential life changes.

CherieBabySpliffUp · 04/10/2025 21:32

I dare say most Brits (born and bred) would fail the test.

Halloweengaul · 04/10/2025 21:33

I took one of those mock test and failed scored 45% I was born and raised here and didn't have a clue on most the question guessed alot of the answers.

Britishfailure · 04/10/2025 21:35

the questions are so random. I think I did quite well with 71%, but kept thinking you have to be quite educated to pass this and you definitely hold foreigners to higher standard ms than you hold yourself.

OP posts:
LivingOnCoffee567 · 04/10/2025 21:36

It's a tiny book you have to learn for FFS. I read it a couple of times during my commute and reserved a couple of hours on a Sunday morning for revision before the test on a Monday.

If you can read and write reasonably well in English, it's very very easy.

It's a challenge if you don't but then again, you really shouldn't be a citizen of a country if you're not fluent in the language.

InfoSecInTheCity · 04/10/2025 21:36

just to check, are you doing practice tests using the official content for the Life in the UK test, linked to from the government website not the random ones that spring up to fleece people?

https://www.gov.uk/life-in-the-uk-test

https://www.officiallifeintheuk.co.uk/shop

Like with the theory test for driving, there are lots of sites that will charge admin fees to book the test and provide content that doesn’t actually exist in the official handbook, so the questions are just random U.K. general knowledge questions rather than things that might actually come up on the test.

Life in the UK Test

Use this official service for booking a Life in the UK Test as part of your application for citizenship or settlement

https://www.gov.uk/life-in-the-uk-test

Thaimonstera · 04/10/2025 21:36

I just did it and got 60%. I’m Scottish, millionth generation born and bred.

Namechangedforthis25 · 04/10/2025 21:36

Some mock tests

very difficult

britizen.uk/practice/life-in-the-uk-test/1

MrsFantastic · 04/10/2025 21:37

I think people learn the answers before the test like any other test.

CoralPombear · 04/10/2025 21:37

It’s an exam like any other I suppose. If you care enough then you’ll find a way to pass it. If it was too easy, it’d be pointless.

LivingOnCoffee567 · 04/10/2025 21:38

Britishfailure · 04/10/2025 21:35

the questions are so random. I think I did quite well with 71%, but kept thinking you have to be quite educated to pass this and you definitely hold foreigners to higher standard ms than you hold yourself.

As a foreigner myself, of course you keep foreigners to a higher standard! Why should you become a British citizen if you can't be bothered to read through a tiny easy book and take a silly test?

We looked into what it would take for my DH to get citizenship in my home country (Eastern Europe) and it's actually a lot, lot harder!!!

Britishfailure · 04/10/2025 21:39

My point is British people themselves can’t pass this test unless they study for it which is a bit strange isn’t it. I have lived here for 30 years without any major issues and all of a sudden I can’t get citizenship because I cannot answer questions on roast beef 😂

OP posts:
Chesticov · 04/10/2025 21:40

I’m sorry to hear this, it sounds ridiculous. Maybe all born and bred Brits should take the test at say age 30 to show how pointless it is. I wonder
how it compares to tests in other countries.

KitchenSinkLlama · 04/10/2025 21:40

I’ve just taken a mock test and got 83%. What a ridiculous set of questions.

Thaimonstera · 04/10/2025 21:41

LivingOnCoffee567 · 04/10/2025 21:36

It's a tiny book you have to learn for FFS. I read it a couple of times during my commute and reserved a couple of hours on a Sunday morning for revision before the test on a Monday.

If you can read and write reasonably well in English, it's very very easy.

It's a challenge if you don't but then again, you really shouldn't be a citizen of a country if you're not fluent in the language.

Good for you. But shame you have no empathy or understanding of other peoples difficulties (including taking into account learning difficulties ?!) just because you found it ‘very very easy’ doesn’t mean everyone does.

OnTheBoardwalk · 04/10/2025 21:44

Namechangedforthis25 · 04/10/2025 21:36

Some mock tests

very difficult

britizen.uk/practice/life-in-the-uk-test/1

42% for me

i find it difficult to understand how most of these questions are relevant to being a good citizen, well unless you want to know where to go for a gig in London

As PP said these can be learnt stats but are not relevant to everyday life, I mean who knows, apart from a chaser when the 1st PM was in power

Britishfailure · 04/10/2025 21:45

I can easily study for it and pass it. That’s not my point. My point is most British people cannot pass it without studying for it, so it’s all a bit weird.

OP posts:
RavenPie · 04/10/2025 21:46

I’ve gone through a lot of these when colleagues have been swotting. They are very random questions but I don’t disagree with the test in principle. I would probably fail my driving theory if I sat it without a bit of reading up and I’ve been driving decades without issue.

TheNightingalesStarling · 04/10/2025 21:48

75%.
Some stuff is rite learning. Some stuff isn't really even British... like who Hitler invaded. Thats World History.
Other stuff is religion.

petitpasta · 04/10/2025 21:49

My son took it a few years ago along with the whole Y12 of a high performing grammar school. Two thirds of them failed it. A friend's south American born wife had to learn the wrong answers because they live in Northern Ireland and if you answer some of the questions in the right way for NI they are marked wrong.

The whole thing is bonkers. I might take it now and see if I pass. My MIL is staying with is and it's definitely preferable to her inane prattling...

stuckdownahole · 04/10/2025 21:49

LivingOnCoffee567 · 04/10/2025 21:36

It's a tiny book you have to learn for FFS. I read it a couple of times during my commute and reserved a couple of hours on a Sunday morning for revision before the test on a Monday.

If you can read and write reasonably well in English, it's very very easy.

It's a challenge if you don't but then again, you really shouldn't be a citizen of a country if you're not fluent in the language.

I think you're right. It's basically an English proficiency test in disguise.

And the main thing that the whinging OP has missed is that YOU CAN TAKE THIS TEST UNLIMITED TIMES until you pass.

mindutopia · 04/10/2025 21:50

It’s really weird, but the actual test is very easy. It’s basically just to make sure you can read and understand British culture. I had a question about April Fool’s Day on mine. 😂 I think I only got one question wrong. (I mean, on the official test, I got my ILR and then citizenship about 8 years ago now).

Britishfailure · 04/10/2025 21:50

I think at the very least you should expect these to be questions British citizens could answer, mais non?

OP posts:
Oblahdeeoblahdoe · 04/10/2025 21:52

You'll be great in a quiz team @Britishfailure

Swipe left for the next trending thread