Booking takes about ten minutes. What people get wrong is the detail: the ID has to be the one you booked with, a refund needs 3 days' notice, and what your application needs afterwards is a reference number, not a certificate. Everything here is checked against gov.uk.
Last reviewed
Fee
£50
every attempt
Questions
24
in 45 minutes
Pass mark
18/24
75%
Book ahead
3 days
at the latest
You need a pass to apply for settlement (indefinite leave to remain) or British citizenship. You don't need to take it if:
You only ever pass it once. A pass you used for settlement also counts when you apply for citizenship.
Nothing ties the test to your visa dates, so take it when you're ready rather than at the last minute. We'd book it a few months before you can apply for settlement. That leaves time to resit if the first go doesn't work out, without holding up your application.
Not sure when you can apply? The ILR tracker counts your qualifying period and checks your time outside the UK.
Have your ID ready
Book with the ID you'll bring on the day. It has to be the same document, and you'll need the original.
Book online, at least 3 days ahead
Use the official booking service on gov.uk. There are over 30 test centres in the UK and you pick one when you book.
Pay the £50 fee
It's paid by card. If you cancel in time, the refund goes back to the same card.
Revise until you're safely over the line
Aim for 85% or more on questions you haven't seen before. The random test gives you a new set every time.
Bring the original of the ID you booked with. A photocopy won't do, and neither will a photo of it on your phone. The centre also takes your photo on the day.
If your ID doesn't match, or you refuse the photo, you can't sit the test and you won't get the £50 back.
You answer 24 multiple-choice questions on a computer, and you have 45 minutes. Some questions ask you to pick two answers, and some are statements you mark true or false. Candidates say you can move between questions and change your answers until you submit, so don't panic over one you're stuck on. Flag it and come back.
You need 18 right to pass. Every question comes from the official handbook, Life in the United Kingdom: A Guide for New Residents, and nothing else.
Our practice tests have a timed mode with a 45-minute clock, flags and a review screen, so the real thing feels familiar.
If you pass, you get a unique reference number. Your citizenship or settlement application asks for it, so write it down somewhere you won't lose it.
Tests taken before 17 December 2019 came with a letter and a test reference ID instead. If you've lost that letter, send a letter explaining this with your application.
If you fail, you can book again as many times as you need. Each attempt costs another £50, which is the best reason to be sure before you book.
You can cancel or move your test from your account: open "Confirmed tests", then "Cancel tests", and book a new date. Cancel at least 3 days (72 hours) before the test and the £50 goes back to your card. Any later than that, you don't get it back.
There's also no refund if you arrive late, are ill on the day, bring the wrong ID or documents, or refuse the photo.
If the test centre cancels, ask for your refund within 3 months. The tests are run by PSI: email support@lituk.psionline.com or call 0800 015 4245, Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm. Complaints go to complaints@lituk.psionline.com within 3 months of the test, and they aim to reply within 10 working days.
24 questions is a small sample, and small samples are unforgiving. A couple of unlucky questions can decide the result. If you get 75% right in practice, you're only a little better than a coin toss on the day:
The chance of getting at least 18 of 24 right if each question is a fair draw from what you know. Your progress page works out the same figure from your own answers.
That's why we'd wait until you're getting 85% or more on questions you haven't seen before. That takes your chance to about 94%.
Everything in the test comes from one book, and the history chapter is by far the longest. This is the order we'd do it in:
£50 each time you take it. If you fail and book again, you pay the £50 again.
The same ID you used to book the test. It has to be the original: a photocopy or a photo of it on your phone won't be accepted. The test centre also takes your photo on the day.
You won't be allowed to take the test, and you won't get your £50 back. The same applies if you refuse to have your photo taken.
24 questions in 45 minutes, all multiple choice.
75%, which is 18 out of 24.
At least 3 days before the test. You book online and choose from over 30 test centres in the UK.
You can book again as many times as you need. Each attempt costs £50.
Only if you cancel at least 3 days (72 hours) before the test. Inside that, you don't get the money back. There's also no refund if you arrive late, are ill, bring the wrong ID or documents, or refuse the photo.
A unique reference number. Your citizenship or settlement application asks for it, so keep it safe. Tests taken before 17 December 2019 gave a letter with a test reference ID instead.
No. You only need to pass once. Having already passed is one of the reasons gov.uk gives for not needing to take it.
Anyone under 18 or aged 65 or over, anyone who has already passed and anyone with a long-term physical or mental condition that stops them taking it. For a condition, you need an exemption form or a letter from your doctor.