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BritWise — Life in the UK Test Practice
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First sittings · Test 4 of 24

Life in the UK practice test 4: Notes Away

Paper 4 asks you to work from memory. Up to now you may have had the handbook open beside you — this is the sitting where you close it and find out what is left.

How to sit this one. No notes and no searching. Where you have to guess, flag the question for review so you can come back to it before you submit.

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 4, 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. Which Scottish inventor made the first television transmission?

    • John Logie Baird — correct answer
    • Alexander Graham Bell
    • Sir Robert Watson-Watt
    • Sir Christopher Cockerell

    John Logie Baird made the first television transmission in the 1920s, sending a moving image from one place to another. Handbook section 4.16.

  2. 2. Who is the spiritual leader of the Church of England?

    • The Archbishop of Canterbury — correct answer
    • The Moderator of the General Assembly
    • The Bishop of London
    • The Archbishop of Wales

    The Archbishop of Canterbury is the spiritual leader of the Church of England and its most senior clergyman. Handbook section 4.2.

  3. 3. In which year did England win the football World Cup?

    • 1966 — correct answer
    • 1948
    • 1982
    • 2012

    England won the football World Cup in 1966, when the tournament was held in the UK. Handbook section 4.5.

  4. 4. How did the first people reach Britain in the Stone Age?

    • They were brought by Roman ships
    • They crossed the Channel in iron boats
    • They arrived from Ireland by bridge
    • They walked across a land bridge that joined Britain to the continent — correct answer

    For most of the Stone Age, Britain was joined to the continent by a land bridge. The first people simply walked across it. Handbook section 3.1.

  5. 5. What is penicillin used for?

    • Treating infections caused by bacteria — correct answer
    • Preventing broken bones
    • Testing eyesight
    • Cleaning drinking water

    Penicillin is used to treat bacterial infections, and its discovery has saved many millions of lives. Handbook section 4.16.

  6. 6. Select the TWO correct statements about the official Life in the UK test.

    • It contains 24 questions — correct answer
    • It lasts 45 minutes — correct answer
    • It is marked by hand and returned after a month
    • It can be taken at home

    The test has 24 multiple-choice questions and lasts 45 minutes. It is taken and marked at a registered test centre, and you get the result the same day. Handbook section 1.3.

  7. 7. Which of these is a civil housing dispute?

    • A landlord refusing to carry out repairs the tenancy requires — correct answer
    • A burglary at a rented flat
    • Driving without a licence
    • Selling alcohol to a child

    Disagreements between landlords and tenants, such as repairs or unpaid rent, are civil matters and can be taken to a civil court. Handbook section 5.17.

  8. 8. What does it usually cost to see the permanent collection of a major UK museum?

    • Nothing, because entry is free — correct answer
    • A small charge set by the council
    • The same as a cinema ticket
    • It depends on where you live

    Many museums and galleries in the UK let visitors see their permanent collections free of charge, although special exhibitions may cost money. Handbook section 4.12.

  9. 9. What is the UK's position on the United Nations Security Council?

    • It is one of the five permanent members — correct answer
    • It has no seat on the Security Council
    • It holds a seat that rotates each year
    • It chairs the Council permanently

    The Security Council has 15 members, five of them permanent. The UK is one of those five and helps decide how the UN responds to threats to peace. Handbook section 5.13.

  10. 10. How can you arrange in advance to sit in the public gallery of the House of Commons?

    • By asking your MP for tickets — correct answer
    • By writing to the monarch
    • By applying to the Supreme Court
    • By paying a fee at the door

    Your MP can supply tickets for the public gallery. You can also queue on the day, and there is no charge for either route. Handbook section 5.4.

  11. 11. How many capital cities do the four countries of the UK have between them?

    • Four — correct answer
    • One
    • Two
    • Three

    Each of the four countries has its own capital: London for England, Edinburgh for Scotland, Cardiff for Wales and Belfast for Northern Ireland. Handbook section 2.3.

  12. 12. Which engineer built the Great Western Railway?

    • James Watt
    • Richard Arkwright
    • Isambard Kingdom Brunel — correct answer
    • George Stephenson

    Isambard Kingdom Brunel built the Great Western Railway, the first railway to link London with the west of England and Wales. Handbook section 3.13.

  13. 13. What is a member of the Scottish Parliament called?

    • A Member of the Scottish Parliament, or MSP — correct answer
    • A Member of Parliament, or MP
    • A Member of the Legislative Assembly, or MLA
    • A councillor

    Members of the Scottish Parliament use the initials MSP. MPs sit at Westminster and MLAs sit in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Handbook section 5.9.

  14. 14. Why is recycling encouraged in the UK?

    • It reduces waste and saves the natural resources used to make new products — correct answer
    • It increases the amount sent to landfill
    • It removes the need for rubbish collections
    • It is required to vote in elections

    Recycling turns used materials into new products, cutting both the waste that goes to landfill and the raw materials that have to be dug up or grown. Handbook section 5.20.

  15. 15. What is Sir Steve Redgrave famous for achieving?

    • Rowing gold medals at five Olympic Games in a row — correct answer
    • Winning the Tour de France
    • Running a mile in under four minutes
    • Winning Wimbledon twice

    Sir Steve Redgrave won gold medals for rowing at five Olympic Games in a row, a rare achievement in any sport. Handbook section 4.5.

  16. 16. Taking part in community life is best described as which of these?

    • A responsibility that people in the UK are encouraged to take on — correct answer
    • A legal duty that carries a fine if you do not do it
    • Something only British citizens are allowed to do
    • A requirement for keeping a driving licence

    Taking part in community life is a responsibility, not a legal duty. People are encouraged to volunteer, vote and help their neighbours. Handbook section 1.2.

  17. 17. Which tribes invaded Britain after the Romans left?

    • The Vikings and the Danes
    • The Jutes, Angles and Saxons — correct answer
    • The Normans and the Franks
    • The Picts and the Scots

    After the Romans left, tribes from northern Europe called the Jutes, Angles and Saxons invaded and settled in Britain. Handbook section 3.3.

  18. 18. Before the Industrial Revolution, how did most people in Britain earn a living?

    • By working at sea
    • By working on the land — correct answer
    • By working in factories
    • By working in offices

    Before the Industrial Revolution most people worked on the land. Farming was the main way of earning a living. Handbook section 3.13.

  19. 19. Which modern language is based on the language the Anglo-Saxons spoke?

    • English — correct answer
    • Welsh
    • Gaelic
    • Cornish

    The language the Anglo-Saxons spoke is the basis of modern English. Many everyday English words come directly from it. Handbook section 3.3.

  20. 20. Which languages may be used in debates in the Welsh Parliament?

    • Welsh and English — correct answer
    • English only
    • Welsh only
    • Any language a member chooses

    Members may speak in Welsh or in English, and official publications are produced in both languages. Handbook section 5.9.

  21. 21. Which Charles Dickens novel follows the life of an orphan boy in London?

    • Oliver Twist — correct answer
    • Ivanhoe
    • Lucky Jim
    • Under Milk Wood

    Charles Dickens wrote Oliver Twist, the story of an orphan boy, as well as Great Expectations and many other novels. Handbook section 4.10.

  22. 22. What do people in the UK remember on 11 November each year?

    • Those who died fighting for the UK and its allies — correct answer
    • The birth of the monarch
    • The end of rationing
    • The founding of the National Health Service

    Remembrance Day on 11 November honours those who died fighting for the UK and its allies; people wear poppies and keep a two-minute silence at 11am. Handbook section 4.4.

  23. 23. In which year was Charles I executed?

    • 1649 — correct answer
    • 1660
    • 1642
    • 1645

    Charles I was executed in 1649 after being defeated and tried by his opponents. No English king had ever been put to death in this way. Handbook section 3.10.

  24. 24. Select the TWO values that Commonwealth members agree to uphold.

    • Democracy — correct answer
    • The rule of law — correct answer
    • A single currency
    • A shared army

    Members sign up to shared principles including democracy, good government and the rule of law. The Commonwealth has no common currency or armed force. Handbook section 5.13.

What paper 4 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, 9 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.