In April to June 2026, 75.4% of Life in the UK tests were passed (73,834 of 97,841), so about 1 in 4 failed. The pass rate was higher for tests taken for settlement (81.1%) than for tests taken for British citizenship (66.8%). The Home Office counts tests, not people, so a resit is counted again.
Last reviewed
Pass rate
75.4%
April to June 2026
For settlement
81.1%
same quarter
For citizenship
66.8%
same quarter
Tests in 2025
347,203
the most since 2010
The dashed line marks 25 March 2013, when the test switched to the third edition of the handbook. That edition is still in use. In January to March 2013, 86.6% of tests were passed. A year after the change, in April to June 2014, 59.3% were. The date comes from the Home Office's 2013 statement of intent.
In April to June 2026, 81.1% of tests taken for settlement were passed (47,805 of 58,917), compared with 66.8% of tests taken for British citizenship (25,726 of 38,466). Tests for settlement have had the higher pass rate in every quarter since January to March 2021.
You only need to pass the test once. A pass for settlement also counts when you apply for citizenship, so people taking the test for citizenship haven't passed it before. The Home Office doesn't say why one group passes more often than the other.
| Year | Tests | Passed | Pass rate | Settlement | Citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (January to June) | 224,663 | 170,316 | 75.8% | 81.9% | 67.7% |
| 2025 | 347,203 | 257,178 | 74.0% | 79.4% | 69.0% |
| 2024 | 317,555 | 223,928 | 70.5% | 75.7% | 65.4% |
| 2023 | 276,998 | 192,004 | 69.3% | 74.7% | 64.4% |
| 2022 | 199,728 | 136,755 | 68.4% | 72.6% | 65.4% |
| 2021 | 198,586 | 143,837 | 72.4% | 74.7% | 70.9% |
| 2020 | 172,973 | 136,724 | 79.0% | 80.0% | 78.3% |
| 2019 | 170,061 | 138,923 | 81.6% | 83.8% | 80.1% |
| 2018 | 159,566 | 128,421 | 80.4% | 82.5% | 79.2% |
| 2017 | 130,983 | 92,164 | 70.3% | 72.0% | 69.5% |
| 2016 | 133,490 | 86,178 | 64.5% | 65.6% | 63.8% |
| 2015 | 174,923 | 106,530 | 60.9% | 65.2% | 57.2% |
| 2014 | 165,738 | 100,958 | 60.9% | 63.8% | 56.8% |
| 2013 | 152,457 | 117,125 | 76.8% | 78.4% | 74.6% |
| 2012 | 151,036 | 128,709 | 85.2% | 86.7% | 82.7% |
| 2011 | 179,849 | 138,644 | 77.0% | 81.3% | 71.9% |
| 2010 (April to December) | 137,995 | 100,546 | 72.8% | 76.4% | 69.0% |
About 1 in 4 tests is failed, and you pay £50 every time you sit the test. It has 24 questions in 45 minutes, and you need 18 right to pass. Before you book, aim to get 85% or more right on questions you haven't seen. At 75% your chance of reaching 18 is about 60%. At 85% it's about 94%.
The figures come from table LUK_01 of the Home Office's migration transparency data, "Visas, status and immigration data: April to June 2026", published on 27 August 2026. The next release is due on 26 November 2026. Quarters are calendar quarters, and each year in the table is the sum of its quarters.
Each pass rate is tests passed divided by tests taken, rounded down to one decimal place, so it can be 0.1 lower than the usual rounding gives.
LUK_01 also prints its own pass rates. Where a printed rate disagrees with the counts, we use the counts. For all tests in January to March 2026 it prints 70.1%, but its counts give 76.0% (96,482 of 126,822).
Data: Migration transparency data on GOV.UK. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
In April to June 2026, 75.4% of tests were passed (73,834 of 97,841), according to Home Office figures. For the whole of 2025 the rate was 74.0%, across 347,203 tests.
About 1 in 4 tests is failed. Since 2010, the pass rate in any one quarter has been between 59.1% and 86.6%. The questions come only from the official handbook, so your score on practice questions you haven't seen is a good guide to whether you're ready.
In April to June 2026 it was higher for settlement: 81.1% of those tests were passed, compared with 66.8% of tests taken for citizenship. Settlement has had the higher rate in every quarter since January to March 2021. The Home Office doesn't say why.
Yes. The best quarter since 2010 was January to March 2013, at 86.6%, and the worst was October to December 2015, at 59.1%. Since 25 March 2013 the test has been based on the third edition of the handbook, which is still in use.
You can book again as many times as you need, but you pay the £50 fee each time. You only need to pass once: the same pass counts for settlement and for citizenship.
From the Home Office's quarterly migration transparency data, table LUK_01, which covers every quarter since April to June 2010. PSI Services supplies the figures, and the Home Office says they aren't checked in detail.