The Life in the United Kingdom test is a computer-based test for individuals seeking Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK or naturalisation as a British citizen. Indefinite Leave to Remain or ILR, is an immigration status granted to a person who does not hold right of abode in the United Kingdom, but who has been admitted to the UK without any time limit on his stay and who is free to take up employment, without restriction. ... British nationality law is the law of the United Kingdom concerning British citizenship and other categories of British nationality. ...

Purpose of the test

A pass in the test fulfils the requirements for "sufficient knowledge of life in the United Kingdom" which were introduced for naturalisation on 1 November 2005 ^[1] and which were introduced for settlement on 2 April 2007 ^[2]. It simultaneously fulfils the language requirement by demonstrating "a sufficient knowledge" of the English language. is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Legally, sufficient knowledge of Welsh and Scottish Gaelic can also be used to fulfil the language requirement. Home Office guidance states that if anyone wishes to take the test in these languages (for instance Gaelic‐speaking Canadians or Welsh‐speaking Argentinians) arrangements will be made for them to do so. Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... // Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. ... The modern concept of Small Office and Home Office or SoHo , or Small or Home Office deals with the category of business which can be from 1 to 10 workers. ... Canadian Gaelic (Gaelic: Gàidhlig Canadanach, locally just Gaelic or The Gaelic) is the dialect of Scots Gaelic that has been spoken continuously for more than 200 years on Cape Breton Island and in isolated enclaves on the Nova Scotia mainland. ... The Welsh settlement in Argentina began in the 19th century. ...

An alternative method of satisfying the language and life in the UK requirements is to complete a course of "language-with-civic-content" based on a set of published materials. These courses are often referred to as "ESOL with Citizenship" and lead to a nationally-accredited ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) certificate. It is the certificate which fulfils the requirement for sufficient language and knowledge of life in the UK. ESL redirects here. ...

The concept was recommended in 2003 by the "Life in the UK" advisory group, chaired by Sir Bernard Crick, and was endorsed by the then United Kingdom Home Secretary David Blunkett. Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sir Bernard Crick (born 16 December 1929) is a British political theorist whose views are often summarised as politics is ethics done in public. He seeks to arrive at a politics of action, as opposed to a politics of thought or of ideology. ... The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the United Kingdom Home Office and is responsible for internal affairs in England and Wales, and for immigration and citizenship for the whole United Kingdom (including Scotland and Northern Ireland). ... David Blunkett (born 6 June 1947) is a British Labour Party politician and has been Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside since 1987. ...

Content of the test

The test lasts for 45 minutes during which time the entrants have to answer 24 multiple choice questions.

From November 2005 to March 2007, the questions for the test were based on chapters 2 to 4 of the book "Life in the United Kingdom: A Journey to Citizenship". However from 2 April 2007 a new version of the test is based on chapters 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 of a revised handbook, published on 27 March 2007. The additional chapters cover knowledge and understanding of employment matters and everyday needs such as housing, money, health and education. The testable materials within the revised second edition handbook total 21,400 words, which is nearly 10,000 words longer than the original materials.

The official test website includes a section describing What you need to know for each chapter, but the questions are not in the multiple choice format of the real test.

At the time of the initial introduction the materials were primarily about England, but the second edition of the handbook contains more detail about aspects of life in the United Kingdom which differ in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Applicants taking the test receive a version tailored to where they live; for example, candidates in Scotland will be asked about the Scottish parliament, but not about the Welsh Assembly. For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article is about the country. ... Northern Ireland (Irish: , Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a constituent country of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... This article is about the country. ... For the national legislative body up to 1707, see Parliament of Scotland. ... The National Assembly for Wales (or NAW) (Welsh: Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru) was established in 1998, following a 1997 referendum in which a small majority of voters (but not the electorate) voted in favour of the Labour Governments plans for devolution. ...

Speculation about the test

Discussion about the test on or before its launch produced a lot of speculation about possible questions in the British media. Most of these were not based on factual information about what the test required, and in particular a semi-serious BBC-devised test ^[3] was often quoted as being the real thing.

Another report in the Guardian suggested questions such as: ^[4]

• Who is the prime minister?
  • As of July, 2007, the answer is 'The Right Honourable James Gordon Brown, member of Parliament'
• How do you pay a phone bill?
  • In the UK, you pay your landline phone bill by either direct debit or filling the slip at the bottom with the payment at a post office (through Girobank) or bank.
• What does it mean to be a good neighbour?
• How did the United Kingdom come about?
  • Through the Acts of Union in 1707 (to form the Kingdom of Great Britain) and in 1800 (to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland).
• When was Britain last invaded?
  • 1066, although, there was a failed invasion in 1797 in Fishguard by French forces.

A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ... This article is about the Chancellor of the Exchequer. ... A landline or main line is a telephone line which travels through a solid medium, either metal wire or optical fibre. ... Direct debit is a payment method that allows an organisation to instruct their bank to collect varying amounts directly from customers accounts. ... Small-town post office and town hall in Lockhart, Alabama A post office is a facility (in most countries, a government one) where the public can purchase postage stamps for mailing correspondence or merchandise, and also drop off or pick up packages or other special-delivery items. ... Girobank was founded in 1968 and originally was known as National Girobank. ... For other uses, see Bank (disambiguation). ... Act of Union can mean: United Kingdom The Act of Union is a name given to several acts passed by the English, Scottish and British Parliaments from 1536 onwards. ... Events January 1 - John V is crowned King of Portugal March 26 - The Acts of Union becomes law, making the separate Kingdoms of England and Scotland into one country, the Kingdom of Great Britain. ... For an explanation of terms such as Scotland, Wales, England, (Great) Britain and United Kingdom, see British Isles (terminology). ... // ON MAY 5 1853 MR.FADER HAD SEX WITH A MAN NAME MR WIEN THEN THEY HAD SON NAMEDMRS COTURE AND MR MANOOGIAN WENT INTO MRS HASKELLS OFFICE NAKED AND DANCED AROUND AND MASTERBATED ON HER CHEST AND SHE LICKED IT OFF THEN THEY HAD ORAL SEEX WITH NAPLOEAN OF... This article is about the historical state called the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801–1927). ... For the book, see 1066 And All That. ... 1797 (MDCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 11-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Lower Fishguard Fishguard (Welsh: = Mouth of the River Gwaun) is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, with a population of 3,300 (est. ...

Test Errors and Inaccuracies

There were many critics of the first edition study materials for the test. Some of the claims in the handbook were factually incorrect ^[5] A revised handbook was published in April 2007.

• Claim: Describing the fighter pilots in the Second World War, Winston Churchill said: "Never in the course of human conflict have so many owed so much to so few."
  • Fact: He actually said: "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."
• Claim: Queen Mary "came to the throne with Spanish support".
  • Fact: Mary defeated Lady Jane Grey's bid to usurp the throne with a huge wave of English support
• Claim: Great Britain includes Northern Ireland
  • Fact: The United Kingdom includes Northern Ireland. Great Britain is made up of England, Wales and Scotland.
• Claim: Charles II was recalled from exile in France
  • Fact: He was recalled from Holland
• Claim: The European Union was founded by five members Belgium, France, West Germany, Luxembourg and Netherlands
  • Fact: There were six founding members. Italy is missing as a founding member state of the European Union (then known as the European Economic Community).

The current edition still contains inaccuracies, however.

• Claim: The law states that children between the ages of 5 and 16 must attend school.
  • Fact: Children between the ages of 5 and 16 must be educated. This education may be provided at school or otherwise (for example, home education or private tutoring). Many questions state or suggest that school attendance is compulsory, which is untrue.

See also

• British nationality law
• Immigration to the United Kingdom

British nationality law is the law of the United Kingdom concerning British citizenship and other categories of British nationality. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Highly Skilled Migrant Programme. ...

Further reading

• Crick, Bernard (2004). Life in the United Kingdom: A Journey to Citizenship. The Stationery Office. ISBN 0-11-341302-5.  - Now out of print
• Home Office (2007). Life in the United Kingdom: A Journey to Citizenship (Second Edition). The Stationery Office. ISBN 978-0-11-341313-3. 

References

BBC News is the department within the BBC responsible for the corporations news-gathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ... is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) is part of the Home Office, a department of the United Kingdom government. ... is the 338th day of the year (339th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC, also known as the Beeb or Auntie) is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world,[citation needed] founded in 1922. ... is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Guardian. ... is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Guardian. ... is the 119th day of the year (120th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Life in the UK test Official Site
• Changes with effect from 1 November 2005 - the need to demonstrate knowledge of life in the United Kingdom as well as language ability
• Introduction of new rules for people applying for settlement my name is taylor hubley and my number is 939 4024