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Life in the UK practice test 15: Trust Yourself

Paper 15 is about second-guessing. Changing an answer you knew is one of the quietest ways to lose marks, and a timed paper is the only place to catch yourself doing it.

How to sit this one. Answer each question once and move on. Only revisit a question you deliberately flagged, and only if you have a reason.

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 15, 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 was the Gunpowder Plot of 1605?

    • A plot to burn the Tower of London
    • A plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill King James I — correct answer
    • A plan to invade Scotland
    • A rebellion by Parliament against the Church

    A group of Catholics led by Guy Fawkes plotted to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill James I. The plot failed and is remembered every 5 November. Handbook section 3.10.

  2. 2. What do local authorities, or councils, do?

    • Provide local services such as rubbish collection, libraries and planning — correct answer
    • Decide the UK's foreign policy
    • Run the armed forces
    • Set the national minimum wage

    Councils deliver the services people use day to day, including waste collection, roads, libraries, planning and social care. Handbook section 5.10.

  3. 3. Which part of Britain did the Romans never conquer?

    • Kent
    • Wales
    • Scotland — correct answer
    • Cornwall

    The Romans never conquered Scotland. The tribes of the north resisted them, and the Roman frontier stopped short of the Highlands. Handbook section 3.2.

  4. 4. Select the TWO freedoms the UK offers to the people who live here.

    • Freedom of speech — correct answer
    • Freedom from unfair discrimination — correct answer
    • Freedom from paying tax
    • Freedom to ignore a court order

    The UK offers freedom of speech and freedom from unfair discrimination. Paying tax and obeying the courts are duties that everyone shares. Handbook section 1.2.

  5. 5. What is the capital city of Scotland?

    • Edinburgh — correct answer
    • Glasgow
    • Aberdeen
    • Dundee

    Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and the home of the Scottish Parliament. Glasgow is larger, but it is not the capital. Handbook section 2.3.

  6. 6. Who became Prime Minister of Britain in 1940?

    • Clement Attlee
    • Neville Chamberlain
    • Margaret Thatcher
    • Winston Churchill — correct answer

    Winston Churchill became Prime Minister in 1940 and led Britain through most of the Second World War. Handbook section 3.18.

  7. 7. Which minister is responsible for the economy and the public finances?

    • The Chancellor of the Exchequer — correct answer
    • The Home Secretary
    • The Foreign Secretary
    • The Lord Chancellor

    The Chancellor of the Exchequer is in charge of the economy. The Chancellor sets out taxes and public spending in the Budget. Handbook section 5.6.

  8. 8. In which decade did British bands such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones become world famous?

    • The 1960s — correct answer
    • The 1920s
    • The 1990s
    • The 2010s

    The Beatles and The Rolling Stones became world famous in the 1960s, and British pop music has shaped popular music ever since. Handbook section 4.6.

  9. 9. Who may generally stand for public office in the UK?

    • Most British, Irish and eligible Commonwealth citizens aged 18 or over — correct answer
    • Anyone aged 16 or over
    • Only people who have been party members for ten years
    • Only people who already sit in the House of Lords

    Standing for office is open to most citizens aged 18 or over, though certain groups are barred, including serving members of the armed forces and civil servants. Handbook section 5.8.

  10. 10. Which British actor became famous around the world in silent films?

    • Charlie Chaplin — correct answer
    • Sir Michael Caine
    • Colin Firth
    • Sir Ian McKellen

    Charlie Chaplin became famous in silent films, above all for his character of the little tramp. Handbook section 4.11.

  11. 11. What is a parent-teacher association?

    • A group of parents and staff who support the school and raise funds — correct answer
    • A trade union for teachers
    • A government inspection body
    • A committee that sets exam papers

    A PTA brings parents and staff together to support the school, often organising events and raising money for equipment and trips. Handbook section 5.18.

  12. 12. Where is the Snowdonia National Park?

    • In North Wales — correct answer
    • In the Scottish Borders
    • In south-west England
    • In County Down

    Snowdonia is a national park in North Wales and covers about 838 square miles of mountains and valleys. Handbook section 4.15.

  13. 13. Which freedom does the UK offer to everyone who lives here?

    • Freedom of belief and religion — correct answer
    • Freedom to break laws you disagree with
    • Freedom from all taxation
    • Freedom to enter any building you wish

    Freedom of belief and religion is one of the freedoms the UK offers. You may follow any faith, change your faith, or follow none at all. Handbook section 1.2.

  14. 14. Who organises the annual Brit Awards?

    • The British Phonographic Industry — correct answer
    • The BBC
    • The Arts Council of England
    • The Royal Albert Hall

    The Brit Awards are organised each year by the British Phonographic Industry and include prizes for best British group and best British solo artist. Handbook section 4.6.

  15. 15. What changed for hereditary peers in 1999?

    • They lost the automatic right to attend the House of Lords — correct answer
    • They were all given life peerages instead
    • They were allowed to stand for the House of Commons for the first time
    • They were given the right to appoint bishops

    Until 1999 anyone who inherited a peerage could sit in the Lords. The House of Lords Act of that year ended that automatic right. Handbook section 5.5.

  16. 16. Why are shoppers in the UK encouraged to bring reusable bags?

    • It cuts down on single-use plastic waste — correct answer
    • Shops are not allowed to sell any bags
    • It is a condition of holding a bank account
    • Plastic bags are illegal to own

    A charge applies to single-use carrier bags across the UK, and reusing your own bags is a simple way of reducing plastic waste. Handbook section 5.20.

  17. 17. How do people become members of the House of Commons?

    • They are elected by voters in a constituency — correct answer
    • They are appointed by the Prime Minister
    • They inherit the seat from a parent
    • They are chosen by the House of Lords

    Members of Parliament are elected. Each MP is chosen by the voters of one constituency, which is what makes the Commons the more powerful of the two Houses. Handbook section 5.4.

  18. 18. Who invented the telephone in 1876?

    • Alexander Graham Bell — correct answer
    • John Logie Baird
    • Sir Frank Whittle
    • Sir Tim Berners-Lee

    Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876, changing the way people communicate over long distances. Handbook section 4.16.

  19. 19. In which year was the Good Friday Agreement signed?

    • 1998 — correct answer
    • 2007
    • 1972
    • 1985

    The Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998. It led to the creation of the Northern Ireland Assembly. Handbook section 3.19.

  20. 20. Why were people from the West Indies invited to come and work in Britain from 1948?

    • To replace farmers who had emigrated
    • To help rebuild the country after the war, when workers were needed — correct answer
    • To join the Royal Navy only
    • To settle in Northern Ireland

    Britain needed workers to rebuild after the war. People from the West Indies were invited to come and take jobs here. Handbook section 3.19.

  21. 21. In which year was the Battle of Bosworth Field fought?

    • 1455
    • 1471
    • 1485 — correct answer
    • 1509

    The Battle of Bosworth Field was fought in 1485. It ended the Wars of the Roses and began the Tudor age. Handbook section 3.7.

  22. 22. What does the Turner Prize celebrate?

    • Contemporary art — correct answer
    • Classical music
    • British films
    • New theatre writing

    The Turner Prize was set up in 1984 to celebrate contemporary art and is one of the best-known visual art awards in Europe. Handbook section 4.8.

  23. 23. Who developed the jet engine in the 1930s?

    • Sir Frank Whittle — correct answer
    • Sir Christopher Cockerell
    • Alan Turing
    • Francis Crick

    Sir Frank Whittle, a British engineer in the Royal Air Force, developed the jet engine in the 1930s. Handbook section 4.16.

  24. 24. In which country of the UK is Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park?

    • Scotland — correct answer
    • Wales
    • England
    • Northern Ireland

    Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park is in Scotland and covers about 720 square miles of hills, lochs and forest. Handbook section 4.15.

What paper 15 asks about

These 24 questions come from 5 chapters of the official handbook. By the difficulty the questions were written at, that is 10 easy, 13 medium and 1 harder.

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.