Skip to the main content
BritWise — Life in the UK Test Practice
Start free test
First sittings · Test 2 of 24

Life in the UK practice test 2: No Clock

Paper 2 is for reading, not racing. The questions are different from paper 1, and the reason to sit it now is to find out whether the facts you looked up last time have actually stuck.

How to sit this one. Keep the timer off again. If a question makes you stop and think for more than a few seconds, treat that topic as one to go and study.

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 2, 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. In which English county is Stonehenge?

    • Yorkshire
    • Kent
    • Wiltshire — correct answer
    • Norfolk

    Stonehenge stands in Wiltshire, in the south west of England. It was built by Stone Age people and is still visited by thousands every year. Handbook section 3.1.

  2. 2. Who formally appoints members of the House of Lords?

    • The monarch, on the advice of the Prime Minister or the Appointments Commission — correct answer
    • The Speaker of the House of Commons
    • The Supreme Court
    • The electorate, in a national ballot

    Peers are appointed by the monarch. Most are nominated by the Prime Minister, while the independent Appointments Commission recommends peers who take no party side. Handbook section 5.5.

  3. 3. How many Members of the Scottish Parliament are there?

    • 129 — correct answer
    • 60
    • 650
    • 90

    There are 129 MSPs, elected by a form of proportional representation so that seats broadly reflect the votes cast. Handbook section 5.9.

  4. 4. Why are political parties important in a democracy?

    • They give voters organised choices between different programmes for government — correct answer
    • They decide court cases between citizens
    • They collect council tax
    • They appoint the monarch

    Parties gather people with similar ideas, put forward candidates and set out programmes, so that voters have a real and understandable choice. Handbook section 5.7.

  5. 5. Which poet is remembered above all for writing about the First World War?

    • Wilfred Owen — correct answer
    • William Wordsworth
    • Robert Burns
    • Alfred Lord Tennyson

    Wilfred Owen wrote about the horror of the trenches during the First World War, in which he was killed. Handbook section 4.17.

  6. 6. What does it mean to say that the UK has an ageing population?

    • More people are living into old age than before — correct answer
    • Fewer babies are born in the UK than anywhere else
    • Older people are leaving the UK to live abroad
    • People must retire at a fixed age

    An ageing population means more people are living into old age, which increases the cost of pensions and of care for older people. Handbook section 4.1.

  7. 7. Why might someone make an affirmation instead of swearing an oath at their ceremony?

    • Because they prefer not to swear by God — correct answer
    • Because they cannot attend in person
    • Because they are under the age of 18
    • Because they hold another nationality

    People who would rather not swear by God make an affirmation of loyalty instead. Both forms of words have exactly the same effect. Handbook section 1.4.

  8. 8. Which two of these were invented in Britain?

    • The jet engine — correct answer
    • The hovercraft — correct answer
    • The printing press
    • The motor car

    The jet engine and the hovercraft were both British inventions, along with radar and the World Wide Web. Handbook section 4.16.

  9. 9. Where is the National Gallery, home to a large collection of Western European paintings?

    • Trafalgar Square in London — correct answer
    • Princes Street in Edinburgh
    • Cardiff Bay
    • Albert Dock in Liverpool

    The National Gallery stands in Trafalgar Square in London and holds more than 2,000 Western European paintings. Handbook section 4.8.

  10. 10. In which year did the English Civil War begin?

    • 1642 — correct answer
    • 1649
    • 1660
    • 1603

    The Civil War between the king and Parliament began in 1642. It divided families and towns across the country. Handbook section 3.10.

  11. 11. Which places are the Crown dependencies?

    • The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man — correct answer
    • The Falkland Islands and St Helena
    • The Isle of Wight and Anglesey
    • Gibraltar and Bermuda

    The Crown dependencies are the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. They are closely linked to the UK but are not part of it. Handbook section 2.2.

  12. 12. Why did Henry VIII break away from the Church of Rome?

    • He wanted to join the Church of Scotland
    • The Pope demanded higher taxes
    • He wished to become a monk
    • The Pope refused to end his marriage to Catherine of Aragon — correct answer

    Henry VIII wanted his marriage to Catherine of Aragon annulled so he could remarry. When the Pope refused, he broke with Rome. Handbook section 3.9.

  13. 13. What work were enslaved people forced to do in the Americas?

    • Serve in the Royal Navy
    • Build canals in England
    • Work on sugar and tobacco plantations — correct answer
    • Work in British coal mines

    Enslaved people were forced to work on plantations growing sugar and tobacco. The profits flowed back to Britain. Handbook section 3.14.

  14. 14. What important principle did Magna Carta establish?

    • That England would have no king
    • That the Church could tax the people
    • That the king was subject to the law, like everyone else — correct answer
    • That everyone could vote

    Magna Carta set out that the king was subject to the law rather than above it. That idea still sits at the heart of British democracy. Handbook section 3.6.

  15. 15. Who wrote Treasure Island and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde?

    • Robert Louis Stevenson — correct answer
    • Thomas Hardy
    • Graham Greene
    • Sir Walter Scott

    Robert Louis Stevenson, a Scottish writer, wrote Treasure Island and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Handbook section 4.10.

  16. 16. Where must you take the official Life in the UK test?

    • At a registered test centre you book in advance — correct answer
    • At home on your own computer
    • At any public library
    • At your local council office

    The test is booked online and taken at a registered test centre. You must bring the same identity document you used to book it. Handbook section 1.3.

  17. 17. For which sport is the Paralympian Ellie Simmonds famous?

    • Swimming — correct answer
    • Wheelchair racing
    • Cycling
    • Rowing

    Ellie Simmonds is a swimmer who won Paralympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012 and has set several world records. Handbook section 4.17.

  18. 18. Where is the Giant's Causeway?

    • On the north-east coast of Northern Ireland — correct answer
    • On the west coast of Wales
    • In the Scottish Highlands
    • On the south coast of England

    The Giant's Causeway is on the north-east coast of Northern Ireland and is one of the country's best-known sights. Handbook section 4.15.

  19. 19. Which country of the UK is home to the largest share of the population?

    • England, with about 84 per cent — correct answer
    • Scotland, with about 40 per cent
    • Wales, with about 25 per cent
    • Northern Ireland, with about 20 per cent

    About 84 per cent of people in the UK live in England, which makes it by far the most populated of the four countries. Handbook section 4.1.

  20. 20. Select the TWO institutions that form part of the British constitution.

    • The monarchy — correct answer
    • The judiciary — correct answer
    • The National Trust
    • The Football Association

    The monarchy, Parliament, the Prime Minister and cabinet, the civil service, the judiciary, the police and local government all form part of the constitution. Charities and sports bodies do not. Handbook section 5.2.

  21. 21. What should you do if you witness a crime?

    • Report it to the police — correct answer
    • Deal with it yourself
    • Report it to your MP
    • Wait for the council to notice

    Crimes should be reported to the police, who investigate them. In an emergency you dial 999; for other matters there is a non-emergency number. Handbook section 5.14.

  22. 22. Which TWO of these were Tudor monarchs?

    • William III
    • Elizabeth I — correct answer
    • Henry VIII — correct answer
    • Charles I

    Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I were both Tudor monarchs. Charles I was a Stuart and William III came later still. Handbook section 3.8.

  23. 23. In many parts of England, local government is arranged in two tiers. What are they?

    • County councils and district councils — correct answer
    • Parliament and the Senedd
    • Magistrates and juries
    • Police forces and fire services

    Outside the big cities, services are often split between a county council covering a wide area and district councils covering smaller areas within it. Handbook section 5.10.

  24. 24. Which statement best describes the monarch's power over day-to-day government?

    • The monarch reigns but does not decide government policy — correct answer
    • The monarch personally runs each government department
    • The monarch can dismiss any MP at will
    • The monarch writes the annual budget

    The monarch's role is symbolic and constitutional rather than political. Policy is made by the elected government and scrutinised by Parliament. Handbook section 5.3.

What paper 2 asks about

These 24 questions come from 5 chapters of the official handbook. By the difficulty the questions were written at, that is 11 easy, 10 medium and 3 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.