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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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:
IceLollyMolly · 04/10/2025 22:22

childofthe607080s · 04/10/2025 22:18

No idea as I am not bothered by sport - is that now compulsory? I must toe the line ?

edit - isn’t the essence of Britishness eccentricity , going your own way and such a huge range of hobbies and interest?

Edited
Show quote history

No, NOBODY wants eccentric immigrants. 😂

ILikeBigBookssandIcannotlie · 04/10/2025 22:22

DS (14 ) just did it and got 84%.

11811B · 04/10/2025 22:22

I just did it and got 75% which is a pass but didn't feel great. Lots of it felt like a history test I did for sponsorship in y6 where we had to revise facts over a wknd. My DH had to do it but other than testing ability to read English and memorise facts I don't see what it tests, certainly not a priority for me that those seeking naturalisation have a working knowledge of primary school history. Some of the questions do seem to reflect useful things to know about British life but it's mostly random shit

CakeKiller · 04/10/2025 22:25

NautilusLionfish · 04/10/2025 22:12

I took it and passed but had studied for 10 days straight, and was doing at least a mock test a day the last week and more than once the last 3 days with a pass rate between 95% and 100%. Thats how much i didnt want to fail it. It's ridiculous. I want to naturalise and have to do it again. Not sure what it is that will make me more deserving of the naturalisation just because I take it twice in 1.5 years. Why can't they use my 2024 results. How will that make me uphold British values?

You don't have to do it again as the results of your first test will still be valid. See the bottom of this page.
https://www.gov.uk/life-in-the-uk-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

eggandonion · 04/10/2025 22:25

I got 83 percent and am very smug. I'm not British but did live half my life in the UK.
.

BIossomtoes · 04/10/2025 22:27

I just got 71%, born in the UK and lived here for 72 years. Some of those questions are insane - how does knowing Hitler invaded Poland prove Britishness ffs?

Okiedokie123 · 04/10/2025 22:28

Namechangedforthis25 · 04/10/2025 21:36

Some mock tests

very difficult

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

I agree that was tricky!
I am chuffed however cos I got 20/24. History being my favourite subject helped a lot

IceLollyMolly · 04/10/2025 22:28

I did think the Bayeux tapestry and Sutton Hoo questions were really fascinating. That was a gap in my knowledge.

I am looking forward to seeing the tapestry when it comes to London.

Idontpostmuch · 04/10/2025 22:29

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.

I'm scottish, have been on a jury in Glasgow, and I couldn't tell you how many.

MajesticWhine · 04/10/2025 22:29

Namechangedforthis25 · 04/10/2025 21:36

Some mock tests

very difficult

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

I got 75% but I thought it was quite tricky.
But it’s not asking too much to study for it if you need to.

ReadingSoManyThreads · 04/10/2025 22:30

Oh I've failed that test myself and I'm Northern Irish / British. Some of the questions are ridiculous, I struggled with the historical questions particularly, what they were asking wasn't taught on our curriculum when I was at school in NI. I've never much been into history anyway either. But yeah, generally the whole test is just ridiculous. Given that so many born & bred Britons couldn't pass it, YANBU!

burrito · 04/10/2025 22:31

I did it years ago, you definitely need to learn the answers. Consider it an English test for those who don’t do the English classes.

Algen · 04/10/2025 22:31

Oh, I got the roast beef question! Most disappointing, it is just “roast beef is a traditional food of which country”

Ifeellikeateenageragain · 04/10/2025 22:31

stuckdownahole · 04/10/2025 21:49

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.

Show quote history

It's not English language proficiency to memorise what time pubs open in England and who was the inventor of the ball point pen.

It's hurdle setting for the sake of hurdle setting.

And don't get me started on the British "values" section (as though only Britain has "democracy" etc amongst all the countries of the world 🤦‍♀️)

cardibach · 04/10/2025 22:34

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 😂

I’ve just done 2 and got 88% in both, as a British Citizen by birth. I haven’t studied. I do have pretty good general knowledge though, because I read a lot and talk to people.

IceLollyMolly · 04/10/2025 22:35

You have to pay £50 each time you take the test
That's why I was determined to pass first go.

Anyway OP I started a similar thread in July worrying about the test, but I neednt have worried. You will pass too next time.

burrito · 04/10/2025 22:35

I did it while living in London so often the questions didn’t match my experience/exposure to life. So you just had to learn the percentages and dates…

Original poster
Britishfailure · 04/10/2025 22:35

Kelticgold · 04/10/2025 22:20

I am curious, what was the roast beef question?

I am not a whinging OP. I simply don’t understand why knowing they roast beef is eaten in Englaaaand
makes me a good citizen. It’s bonkers 😆

OP posts:
IsLarryFromSomething · 04/10/2025 22:36

I took it a few years ago when I got ILR. I had to study beforehand because I didn't know the square miles of Loch Lomond or all of the British Olympic medalists from the 70s and 80s. For about a month before the test, I did practice tests on the app on the bus to work, so about an hour a day. It only took me about 2 minutes to take the test and get a perfect score after that. It's mostly not questions related to actually living in the UK!

cardibach · 04/10/2025 22:37

IceLollyMolly · 04/10/2025 22:07

You have to study for it with the booklet and materials
My family and I passed with perfect scores in August.
But then we are brown. We will need those scores to convince Reform we are good immigrants.

It won’t convince them. Nothing you can do will convince them. They’re racist.

zippydeedoo · 04/10/2025 22:37

I'm 48, born and raised in England. Just did the mock test, just to see what id get ...63% 🙈

TitsInAbsentia · 04/10/2025 22:37

71% but what a load of useless questions! Why would you learn half of that stuff or use it?

sonjadog · 04/10/2025 22:38

I am not sure why Hitler invading Poland in 1939 is on a British citizenship test...

I got 75%, which I think is quite good for someone who has never lived an adult life in the UK.

Northquit · 04/10/2025 22:38

Ki assume a certain amount of it is to ensure you can understand English and are prepared to put a bit of effort in.

The Wolverhampton taxi lot don't have to speak English and I have met one driver who doesn't speak any English.
Why?

ILikeBigBookssandIcannotlie · 04/10/2025 22:39

BIossomtoes · 04/10/2025 22:27

I just got 71%, born in the UK and lived here for 72 years. Some of those questions are insane - how does knowing Hitler invaded Poland prove Britishness ffs?

How does anyone not know that Hitler invaded Poland. I think my 8 year old would know answers like that . It only takes the tiniest bit of curiosity or interest to know the very basics of history