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Timed practice · Test 8 of 24

Life in the UK practice test 8: Under Pressure

Paper 8 is about what happens to your answers when you are watching the clock. Careless mistakes under time pressure are the most common reason a well-prepared candidate fails.

How to sit this one. Answer every question in one pass without going back, then use whatever time is left for a single review of the flagged ones.

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 8, 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 king united the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and defeated the Vikings?

    • Edward the Confessor
    • Alfred the Great — correct answer
    • Harold Godwinson
    • Kenneth MacAlpin

    The Anglo-Saxon kingdoms united under King Alfred the Great, who defeated the Vikings in battle. He is the only English king called the Great. Handbook section 3.4.

  2. 2. Many people volunteer for the National Trust. What is the work of this charity?

    • Looks after historic buildings and areas of countryside for the public — correct answer
    • Runs the national museums for the government
    • Provides insurance for homeowners
    • Manages the electoral register

    The National Trust is a charity that preserves historic houses, gardens and coastline. It relies heavily on volunteers. Handbook section 5.19.

  3. 3. In Northern Ireland, who normally hears cases that magistrates would hear in England?

    • A District Judge, who is legally qualified and paid — correct answer
    • A jury of 12 members of the public
    • A Justice of the Peace
    • A Chief Constable

    Northern Ireland uses paid, legally qualified District Judges for these cases rather than the volunteer magistrates found in England and Wales. Handbook section 5.15.

  4. 4. What kind of programmes are Coronation Street and EastEnders?

    • Soap operas — correct answer
    • News programmes
    • Nature documentaries
    • Talent shows

    Coronation Street and EastEnders are soap operas, long-running dramas that follow the lives of people in one place. Handbook section 4.11.

  5. 5. What is a postal vote?

    • A ballot paper sent to you to complete at home and return by post — correct answer
    • A vote cast by telephone
    • A vote cast on behalf of the whole household
    • A vote counted only if the result is close

    If you cannot get to a polling station you can apply for a postal vote and return your completed ballot paper by post before the deadline. Handbook section 5.8.

  6. 6. Which British mathematician is often called the father of modern computing?

    • Alan Turing — correct answer
    • Francis Crick
    • Sir Frank Whittle
    • Sir Robert Watson-Watt

    Alan Turing's work on machines that follow instructions laid the foundations of modern computing. Handbook section 4.16.

  7. 7. In which English county is the Anglo-Saxon burial site of Sutton Hoo?

    • Surrey
    • Suffolk — correct answer
    • Somerset
    • Sussex

    Sutton Hoo is in Suffolk, in the east of England. It is the burial place of one of the kings of East Anglia. Handbook section 3.3.

  8. 8. Which of these is NOT a freedom that the UK offers?

    • Freedom to ignore a tax bill — correct answer
    • Freedom of speech
    • A right to a fair trial
    • Freedom from unfair discrimination

    Paying tax is a duty, not something you may opt out of. Free speech, a fair trial and protection from unfair discrimination are all offered. Handbook section 1.2.

  9. 9. The Chartists were seen as a failure at the time. What happened to their demands later?

    • Almost all of them had become law by 1918 — correct answer
    • They were written into a single written constitution
    • They were rejected permanently by an Act of Parliament
    • They were adopted only in Scotland

    The Chartists won nothing immediately, but by 1918 nearly every reform they had asked for was law. Their campaign shaped the democracy the UK has today. Handbook section 5.1.

  10. 10. Which rose was the symbol of the House of Lancaster?

    • A white rose
    • A yellow rose
    • A pink rose
    • A red rose — correct answer

    The House of Lancaster used a red rose as its symbol. The name Wars of the Roses comes from the badges the two sides wore. Handbook section 3.7.

  11. 11. Which series of children's books was written by J K Rowling?

    • The Harry Potter books — correct answer
    • The Sherlock Holmes stories
    • The Narnia books
    • The Discworld books

    J K Rowling wrote the Harry Potter books, which have sold millions of copies and been made into films. Handbook section 4.10.

  12. 12. When does the Edinburgh Festival take place?

    • Every summer — correct answer
    • Every Christmas
    • Every spring
    • Once every four years

    The Edinburgh Festival takes place every summer and is made up of several festivals running at the same time. Handbook section 4.7.

  13. 13. What is the minimum age for buying alcohol in a UK pub or shop?

    • 18 — correct answer
    • 16
    • 17
    • 21

    It is illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under 18, and also illegal for someone under 18 to buy or try to buy it. Handbook section 5.16.

  14. 14. Select the TWO things you must show to become a permanent resident of the UK.

    • That you can speak and read English — correct answer
    • That you understand life in the UK — correct answer
    • That you own property in the UK
    • That you were born in a Commonwealth country

    Applicants for permanent residence or citizenship must show that they can speak and read English and that they have a good understanding of life in the UK. Handbook section 1.3.

  15. 15. Who was the first Tudor king of England?

    • Henry VII — correct answer
    • Henry VIII
    • Edward VI
    • Richard III

    Henry VII was the first Tudor king. He took the throne in 1485 after the Battle of Bosworth Field. Handbook section 3.8.

  16. 16. What was recorded in the Domesday Book?

    • The trade routes of the Vikings
    • The towns and villages of England, who lived there and what they owned — correct answer
    • The names of every soldier at Hastings
    • The rules of the Church of England

    William sent officials all over England to list the towns and villages, the people who lived in them and the land and animals they owned. Handbook section 3.5.

  17. 17. Which poet wrote 'The Daffodils', a poem inspired by the Lake District?

    • William Wordsworth — correct answer
    • Lord Byron
    • Wilfred Owen
    • William Blake

    William Wordsworth wrote 'The Daffodils', one of the best-loved poems in English, after a walk in the Lake District. Handbook section 4.10.

  18. 18. Which two of these people were British fashion designers?

    • Mary Quant — correct answer
    • Alexander McQueen — correct answer
    • Thomas Chippendale
    • Clarice Cliff

    Mary Quant and Alexander McQueen designed clothes, while Chippendale designed furniture and Cliff designed pottery. Handbook section 4.9.

  19. 19. In which year did the Wars of the Roses begin?

    • 1485
    • 1509
    • 1348
    • 1455 — correct answer

    The Wars of the Roses began in 1455. It was a civil war over who should be king of England. Handbook section 3.7.

  20. 20. What is the status of the Isle of Man?

    • A Crown dependency that is not part of the UK — correct answer
    • A county of England
    • One of the four countries of the UK
    • A British overseas territory

    The Isle of Man is a Crown dependency. It is linked to the UK but has its own government and is not part of the UK. Handbook section 2.2.

  21. 21. What does the law require of television and radio broadcasters in their political coverage?

    • They must be politically balanced and give fair coverage to rival views — correct answer
    • They must support the government of the day
    • They must avoid politics altogether
    • They must charge parties for airtime

    Broadcasters are required to be impartial and to give balanced coverage to opposing parties, a duty that is especially strict during election campaigns. Handbook section 5.12.

  22. 22. Which British scientist invented the World Wide Web?

    • Sir Tim Berners-Lee — correct answer
    • Alan Turing
    • James Goodfellow
    • Sir Frank Whittle

    Sir Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web, the system that lets people share pages and links over the internet. Handbook section 4.16.

  23. 23. What did the Human Rights Act 1998 do?

    • It made the rights in the European Convention on Human Rights part of UK law — correct answer
    • It abolished the House of Lords
    • It created the Scottish Parliament
    • It gave 16-year-olds the vote

    The Human Rights Act 1998 brought the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law, so a person can rely on those rights in a British court instead of going abroad. Handbook section 5.2.

  24. 24. Which two statements about Bonfire Night are correct?

    • It is held on 5 November — correct answer
    • It remembers a failed plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament — correct answer
    • It is a public holiday across the UK
    • It marks the end of the First World War

    Bonfire Night on 5 November remembers the failure of a plot in 1605 to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill the king. Handbook section 4.4.

What paper 8 asks about

These 24 questions come from 5 chapters of the official handbook. By the difficulty the questions were written at, that is 12 easy, 9 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.