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Timed practice · Test 11 of 24

Life in the UK practice test 11: Weak Spots

Paper 11 is a diagnosis. When you submit, the score breaks down by topic, and the two or three weakest lines on that list are worth more of your time than another whole paper.

How to sit this one. Sit it timed and without notes, then read only the explanations for the topics you got wrong. Study those chapters before paper 12.

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 11, 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. What does the law say about discrimination at work?

    • It is unlawful to discriminate on grounds such as sex, race, disability, religion or age — correct answer
    • Employers may set any rules they wish
    • Discrimination is allowed in small businesses
    • Only discrimination by government employers is unlawful

    Discrimination law protects people from being treated worse because of characteristics such as sex, race, disability, age, religion or sexual orientation. Handbook section 5.17.

  2. 2. What kind of pictures was Thomas Gainsborough best known for painting?

    • Portraits — correct answer
    • Abstract sculpture
    • Stained glass windows
    • Cartoons for newspapers

    Thomas Gainsborough was an eighteenth-century painter best known for his portraits, often with landscapes behind the sitter. Handbook section 4.8.

  3. 3. Which animals are the most commonly kept pets in the UK?

    • Dogs and cats — correct answer
    • Horses and goats
    • Snakes and lizards
    • Chickens and ducks

    Dogs and cats are the pets most often kept in UK homes, and many families treat them as part of the household. Handbook section 4.14.

  4. 4. Which two countries compete for the Ashes?

    • England and Australia — correct answer
    • England and India
    • Scotland and Ireland
    • England and the West Indies

    The Ashes is a series of cricket Test matches between England and Australia that was first played in 1882. Handbook section 4.5.

  5. 5. What does the law say about religion in the UK?

    • Everyone may follow a religion or none, as they choose — correct answer
    • Everyone must belong to the established church
    • Only Christian worship is allowed in public
    • People must register their religion with the council

    Everyone in the UK has the legal right to follow the religion they choose, or to follow no religion at all. Handbook section 4.2.

  6. 6. What is one benefit of walking or cycling instead of driving?

    • It cuts pollution and congestion and is good for your health — correct answer
    • It removes the need for a driving licence for others
    • It reduces your council tax
    • It is required by law for short journeys

    Leaving the car at home for short trips reduces traffic and air pollution, and the exercise is good for you too. Handbook section 5.20.

  7. 7. How is the BBC paid for?

    • Through the television licence fee — correct answer
    • Through advertising during programmes
    • Through a tax on newspapers
    • Through payments from viewers who subscribe

    The BBC is paid for by the television licence fee that households pay, not by advertising. Handbook section 4.11.

  8. 8. How many wives did King Henry VIII have?

    • Six — correct answer
    • Eight
    • Two
    • Four

    Henry VIII had six wives. He wanted a son to succeed him, and his marriages changed English history. Handbook section 3.8.

  9. 9. Who set up the Women's Franchise League in 1889 to campaign for votes for women?

    • Florence Nightingale
    • Queen Victoria
    • Mary Quant
    • Emmeline Pankhurst — correct answer

    Emmeline Pankhurst set up the Women's Franchise League in 1889. She later led the suffragette campaign for votes for women. Handbook section 3.17.

  10. 10. Which two of these sports began in the UK?

    • Cricket — correct answer
    • Golf — correct answer
    • Basketball
    • Baseball

    Cricket and golf both began in the UK, along with football, rugby and lawn tennis, and are now played all over the world. Handbook section 4.5.

  11. 11. How many questions are asked in the official Life in the UK test?

    • 24 — correct answer
    • 18
    • 30
    • 45

    The official test asks 24 multiple-choice questions and lasts 45 minutes. You must answer at least 18 of them correctly to pass. Handbook section 1.3.

  12. 12. In the 2011 census, about what share of people said they were Christian?

    • Around 59 per cent — correct answer
    • Around 25 per cent
    • Around 80 per cent
    • Around 5 per cent

    Around 59 per cent of people described themselves as Christian in the 2011 census, making it much the largest religion in the UK. Handbook section 4.2.

  13. 13. What does taking part in the life of your community involve?

    • Respecting others, obeying the law and helping to improve the place where you live — correct answer
    • Joining the governing political party
    • Working for the council
    • Owning property in the area

    Being part of a community means respecting your neighbours, keeping to the law and putting something back, whether through volunteering, voting or simply being helpful. Handbook section 5.18.

  14. 14. Who wrote the musicals Cats and The Phantom of the Opera?

    • Andrew Lloyd Webber — correct answer
    • Sir Arthur Sullivan
    • Benjamin Britten
    • Sir Laurence Olivier

    Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote musicals such as Cats and The Phantom of the Opera, which have been performed around the world. Handbook section 4.7.

  15. 15. In which year was the Battle of the Somme fought?

    • 1918
    • 1914
    • 1915
    • 1916 — correct answer

    The Battle of the Somme was fought in 1916. It is remembered as one of the bloodiest battles in British history. Handbook section 3.16.

  16. 16. Which countries did the Vikings come from?

    • France and Belgium
    • Germany and Poland
    • Spain and Portugal
    • Denmark, Norway and Sweden — correct answer

    The Vikings came from Denmark, Norway and Sweden. They crossed the North Sea in longships to reach Britain. Handbook section 3.4.

  17. 17. What did the Diamond Jubilee of 2012 celebrate?

    • Sixty years of Queen Elizabeth II's reign — correct answer
    • Fifty years of the Commonwealth
    • The birth of a royal baby
    • The opening of a new Parliament building

    A Diamond Jubilee marks 60 years on the throne. Queen Elizabeth II's was celebrated across the UK in 2012. Handbook section 5.3.

  18. 18. Which four countries make up the United Kingdom?

    • England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — correct answer
    • England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland
    • England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man
    • England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands

    The United Kingdom is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Republic of Ireland is a separate country. Handbook section 2.1.

  19. 19. Many leading Enlightenment thinkers in Britain came from which country?

    • Ireland
    • Cornwall
    • Scotland — correct answer
    • Wales

    Many of the great thinkers of the Enlightenment were Scottish. Edinburgh and Glasgow were important centres of new ideas. Handbook section 3.12.

  20. 20. Where can you read the official report of what was said in Parliament?

    • Online and in large libraries — correct answer
    • Only in the Palace of Westminster
    • Only in a solicitor's office
    • Only at a police station

    The official report is published online and held in large libraries, so voters can check exactly what their representatives said. Handbook section 5.12.

  21. 21. Which of these remains under the control of the UK government in London?

    • Defence and foreign affairs — correct answer
    • Schools in Scotland
    • Hospitals in Wales
    • Welsh road signs

    Defence, foreign affairs, immigration, taxation and social security are reserved matters, decided for the whole UK by the government in London. Handbook section 5.9.

  22. 22. Which court deals with civil disputes such as debt and breach of contract?

    • The county court — correct answer
    • The Crown Court
    • The magistrates' court
    • The youth court

    County courts handle civil claims, including debt, personal injury and contract disputes. The most serious civil cases go to the High Court. Handbook section 5.15.

  23. 23. What does it mean to say that the UK is a democracy?

    • The people choose the government through elections — correct answer
    • The monarch decides who forms the government
    • The courts choose the Prime Minister
    • Each council makes its own national laws

    In a democracy the people hold power through the representatives they elect. Voters choose Members of Parliament, and Parliament makes the law. Handbook section 1.1.

  24. 24. In which year did the Black Death reach England?

    • 1348 — correct answer
    • 1415
    • 1485
    • 1215

    The Black Death, a form of plague, reached England in 1348. It spread quickly through crowded towns and villages. Handbook section 3.6.

What paper 11 asks about

These 24 questions come from 5 chapters of the official handbook. By the difficulty the questions were written at, that is 14 easy and 10 medium.

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.