How many questions are in the Life in the UK test?
The Life in the UK test has 24 questions. You have 45 minutes. The pass mark is 75%, which is 18 correct answers. Those figures come from GOV.UK, not from PassBritain. If you score 17, you have not passed. You can book again on GOV.UK and pay the fee again.
The numbers, in one place
Write this on a card: 24 questions. 45 minutes. 18 correct to pass. Fee £50 on GOV.UK. That is the whole public format. PassBritain did not invent it. We cite GOV.UK because that is where the rules live, and because we are not the Home Office.
A little under two minutes per question if you spread the clock evenly. Many people finish faster. Finishing in twenty minutes does not add marks. Leaving blanks does cost you: an unanswered item cannot help you reach 18.
What a score of 17 means
Seventeen correct is below the published pass mark of 18. One more right answer would have changed the result; one more wrong answer would not have. In practice that usually means a cluster — dates, or institutions, or saints’ days — not a mysterious extra question type.
Treat 17 on a mock as information. Name the topic of each miss. Drill that cluster. Sit another timed paper on a different day. Do not retake the same 24 items until you have memorised the sequence. The Home Office will not ask these exact sentences.
If you need to sit the test again
GOV.UK is the place that describes retakes. In plain terms: you book another appointment and you pay the fee again. We will not add extra rules on top of that. Check the government page for the current fee, notice period and what to bring. PassBritain does not book tests and does not give immigration advice.
After a fail, people often double the length of the next study session. Shorten it instead. Three facts you can explain in your own words beat thirty you clicked through. Keep a miss log. Book only when timed mocks are stably at or above 18 — and even then, a mock is not a promise.
Format on the day
The test is computer-based at a test centre. GOV.UK covers identity documents, arrival and what happens if you are late. Read that page, not a forum summary. On the paper itself, read the stem once, glance at the options, then reread. Many misses come from answering a slightly different question than the one asked.
True/false items are not easier. A statement with one wrong date is false even if the rest sounds familiar. If two options look right, look for “only”, “all”, “must”, “never”. Skip a stubborn item and come back. There is no extra mark for speed.
5 sample questions
Original PassBritain items from the public practice set — not Home Office questions. Choose an answer to reveal the explanation.
Sample 1 of 5
How many Members of Parliament sit in the House of Commons?
Sample 2 of 5
A UK general election must be held at least every:
Sample 3 of 5
From what age can most UK citizens vote in a general election?
Sample 4 of 5
Who is the head of government in the UK?
Sample 5 of 5
In the UK constitutional system, who is the head of state?
Questions people ask
- How many questions do I need to pass?
- 18 out of 24, which is 75%. That pass mark is published on GOV.UK (“What happens at the test”).
- What happens if I score 17?
- 17 is below the pass mark, so the sitting is a fail. GOV.UK explains that you can book another test. You pay the fee again. PassBritain cannot record or change a Home Office result.
- Are the questions multiple choice?
- GOV.UK describes a computer-based test. In practice materials the items are multiple choice or true/false. Expect one fact per stem and plausible wrong options.
- How much does the real test cost?
- The booking fee listed on GOV.UK is £50. Check that page when you book; fees can change. PassBritain’s practice prices are separate and are listed on our pricing page.
Related guides
Last reviewed 19 October 2026.
PassBritain is independent practice and is not affiliated with the Home Office. Questions are original, not the real test. Check GOV.UK for booking, eligibility and exemptions. We do not give immigration advice.