First, what the exam is. Then, three learning paths so you can pick the one that fits your time, your English level, and your goal.
The Life in the UK Test is the citizenship and permanent-residence exam every applicant aged 18–64 has to pass before getting Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or British citizenship. The Home Office introduced it in November 2005 — the idea was to make sure new residents understand UK history, values, government and daily life before settling permanently. Around 160,000 people sit it each year, and the national first-time pass rate sits around 70%.
Every question comes from one source: the official Home Office handbook *Life in the United Kingdom: A Guide for New Residents* (3rd edition, in use since 25 March 2013). Topics span British history from prehistory to today, values and principles, parliament and the legal system, holidays and traditions, sport, the arts, and geography. The exam is run by PSI Services for the Home Office at 30+ centres across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The whole test is in English — questions, answers, all options — and there is no translation in the exam room. Once you pass, the certificate is valid for life.
Get 6 wrong and you have failed — £50 gone, book again. Most failures are not because the material is hard, but because the English wording trips up the test-taker.
Tens of thousands of legitimate applicants — older parents, refugees, spouses, people on the disability route — have to pass this test without strong English. Most prep sites assume you can read a Home Office paragraph and just need practice. We do not.
Every question has a breakdown in your language. Understand why an answer is right first, then memorise the English version.
Turn on the keyword-pairing toggle while you practise. The cue in the question gets matched to the cue in the correct answer — memorise by shape and colour, not by parsing English.
Strong English speakers can just use the practice + mock exams + cheat sheet. Same question bank, same explanations — you choose how deep to go.
Each path uses the features we already built. Click any step to jump straight into it.
For: exam is soon, English is a barrier, you just need to pass.
For: you have time and want to understand Britain, not just pass.
For: you have studied before, or you failed once and need a second try.
Pick any one — each works on its own, and they all share your progress.
While practising, match the cue in the question to the cue in the correct answer — memorise by shape and colour, not by parsing English sentences.
Try it freeThe official Home Office textbook, with your native-language translation alongside.
Open handbookKnowledge points organised by theme — Monarchs, Parliament, holidays, sports…
Browse topics5 smart-selected questions a day. Native-language explanation on every one.
Start today's 530 full mocks — 24 questions, 45 minutes, real exam conditions.
Take a mockEvery wrong answer auto-saved. Drill until you mark it mastered.
See my mistakes120 cards — every fact the test asks. Read once the night before.
Open cheat sheetEvery recurring English term, with native-language meaning and example use.
Open vocabularyTell us your exam date and daily time — we lay out a day-by-day schedule.
Build my planWork through the material chapter by chapter, with explanations and a quiz at the end.
Start chapter 1Articles on the exam, booking, ILR rules, common confusions.
Read articlesFree to start. £19.99 lifetime, or £2.49/week capped at £19.99.
See pricing120 cards. Every fact the test repeats. Read them once on the train to the test centre. Most students tell us they recognise half the questions just from this.
Open the cheat sheetStart with daily practice if you want an easy on-ramp. Take a mock if you want to know where you stand.
