The British Test - Do you qualify?

claretinkorea · Post by **claretinkorea** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 2:40 pm

I've lived out of the UK for a number of years now and I'm married to a non-Brit. Having my permanent home in The Netherlands nowadays (well, when my time in Korea is done) and with all the potential uncertainty associated with Brexit I've been looking into different ways of trying to unify the nationalities in my family.

I found my way on to the UK government pages on applying for British citizenship and discovered that foreigners must take and pass a "Life in the UK Test" in order to qualify to become British.

See this website for some practice tests: http://www.lifeintheuktestweb.co.uk

Some of the questions are, frankly speaking, absurd as a measure of how fit you are to be British and I am absolutely certain many Brits would fail spectacularly if they had to take this test.

The test is timed and you have 24 questions, of which you need to achieve a 75% correct score overall in order to pass the test. I got exactly 75% (so still a Brit, just).

How many points can you score?

Edit: forgot to mention, the site has 24 mock tests, so if you crash and burn on one you can always try another.

Ashingtonclaret46 · Post by **Ashingtonclaret46** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 2:45 pm

Without going into whether or not I can pass a test, I have a very important piece of paper which states where I was born and this does indeed mean that I pass the British Test.

UpTheBeehole · Post by **UpTheBeehole** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 2:45 pm

66.67%

Does this mean I can go and live in Spain?

claretinkorea · Post by **claretinkorea** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 2:47 pm

Ashingtonclaret46 - spoilsport!

Lancasterclaret · Post by **Lancasterclaret** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 2:50 pm

87.5%

I knew that history degree would have some use someday!

HendricksHair · Post by **HendricksHair** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 2:52 pm

Ashingtonclaret46 wrote:Without going into whether or not I can pass a test, I have a very important piece of paper which states where I was born and this does indeed mean that I pass the British Test.

Think you've missed the OP's point

Sidney1st · Post by **Sidney1st** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 2:57 pm

75%, I'm safe.

Some of those questions are a bit odd though.

HendricksHair · Post by **HendricksHair** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 3:00 pm

Indeed, no idea how you cant be classed as British if you don't know how long ago we were separated from the continent.

Lancasterclaret · Post by **Lancasterclaret** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 3:01 pm

Yeah, that was one I got wrong.

I don't think any brexitters would get that one wrong though!

Ashingtonclaret46 · Post by **Ashingtonclaret46** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 3:01 pm

HendricksHair wrote:Think you've missed the OP's point

HendricksHair · Post by **HendricksHair** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 3:03 pm

Ashingtonclaret46 wrote:

I appreciate it was probably sarcasm but it does sound like something a Tommy Robinson-esque character would say upon realising they'd failed the test.

Walton · Post by **Walton** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 3:05 pm

83.33%

In your face johnny foreigner.

dsr · Post by **dsr** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 3:05 pm

21 for me, in spite of not knowing when we split from the Continent. But I didn't know how many Scottish MPs there are either, so my qualification as a Little Englander is restored.

Bin Ont Turf · Post by **Bin Ont Turf** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 3:05 pm

Lancasterclaret wrote:Yeah, that was one I got wrong.

I don't think any brexitters would get that one wrong though!

I passed on that question because 2016 wasn't an option.

wilks_bfc · Post by **wilks_bfc** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 3:17 pm

75%

Some of those questions are very odd to determine Britishness

IAmAClaret · Post by **IAmAClaret** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 3:19 pm

Some of the questions are truly bizarre, and some are only there to make you aware of what this country is all about.

Still, 83.33% and safe!

Ashingtonclaret46 · Post by **Ashingtonclaret46** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 3:36 pm

HendricksHair wrote:I appreciate it was probably sarcasm but it does sound like something a Tommy Robinson-esque character would say upon realising they'd failed the test.

Didn't bother looking at the test, you tend not to do exams once you pass 70 -- although we may well have to do our driving test again if the petition is successful.

ksrclaret · Post by **ksrclaret** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 3:37 pm

Oh heck, 62%.

I'll get me coat.

jlup1980 · Post by **jlup1980** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 3:49 pm

Some of those questions are just odd. 75%. I'm just about British!!

Firthy · Post by **Firthy** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 4:29 pm

75% phew I'm just British

CleggHall · Post by **CleggHall** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 4:46 pm

But Ashington/Eshington, do you still speak English after living many years in the UK's biggest pit village?

nil_desperandum · Post by **nil_desperandum** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 5:02 pm

87.5%
It was the first 2 questions that put me under pressure for the rest of the test!
How on earth is knowing when Christmas Eve is a test of Britishness? or the inventor of the WORLDWIDE web? Truly bizarre.

Stevie2112 · Post by **Stevie2112** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 5:16 pm

I remember the www one because his name is a little like Burnley

minnieclaret · Post by **minnieclaret** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 5:20 pm

: Screenshot_2017-04-18-17-17-25.png (77.97 KiB) Viewed 4517 times

100% but I guessed a couple.

tim_noone · Post by **tim_noone** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 5:22 pm

Well i failed the test....so its back to the seychelles for me.

Damo · Post by **Damo** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 5:26 pm

I think the 'freedom of speech' answer needs amending

tim_noone · Post by **tim_noone** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 5:39 pm

I re sat my test and passed with flying colours.

KateR · Post by **KateR** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 5:57 pm

66.67% fail when did pool become a traditional pub game?

Paul Waine · Post by **Paul Waine** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 5:59 pm

79.17% in just over 6 mins. Five of my 9 or 10 guesses were wrong - I dropped history after 2nd year at school. Do we really need to know about traditional pub games? Do we need to know the price to visit Westminster?

And, I was offered a free university education - which is apparently now the only thing that is not offered to UK citizens today.

Things change. Can we still be British if the answers that are marked "correct" today are no longer correct in future?

Paul Waine · Post by **Paul Waine** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 6:02 pm

KateR wrote:66.67% fail when did pool become a traditional pub game?

Hi KateR, I guess that "tradition" started in 1960s. What about skittles or shove halfpenny or bar billiards?

Paul Waine · Post by **Paul Waine** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 6:06 pm

nil_desperandum wrote:87.5%
It was the first 2 questions that put me under pressure for the rest of the test!
How on earth is knowing when Christmas Eve is a test of Britishness? or the inventor of the WORLDWIDE web? Truly bizarre.

I was minded to say that we don't celebrate Christmas Eve... But, I guess the test is not asking about religious beliefs.

And, I'm pretty sure most European nations will know the date of Christmas Eve, and in some of those countries Christmas celebrations do start on Christmas Eve.

I wonder if the test questions were outsourced?

2 Bee Holed · Post by **2 Bee Holed** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 6:12 pm

71%. I am almost there...just need another referendum and hopefully I'll get the right result this time!

KateR · Post by **KateR** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 6:18 pm

Paul Waine wrote:Hi KateR, I guess that "tradition" started in 1960s. What about skittles or shove halfpenny or bar billiards?

been in a lot of pubs lately and not seen pool tables, who knew!! Well not me anyway, I thought it was a trick question lol

Paul Waine · Post by **Paul Waine** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 6:22 pm

KateR wrote:been in a lot of pubs lately and not seen pool tables, who knew!! Well not me anyway, I thought it was a trick question lol

and I though every pub in Burnley and Accrington has a pool table. Or did I go in the wrong pubs?

LeadBelly · Post by **LeadBelly** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 6:22 pm

Is Pool really a traditional pub game in UK? When I were a lad it was snooker & bar billiards, I can't remember pool tables in pubs until 1970s and considered an American game slowly gaining popularity (less space needed obviously). Maybe just my personal experience- or maybe 45 years history counts as traditional now

Cirrus_Minor · Post by **Cirrus_Minor** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 10:57 pm

Failed with 62%. Shows the stupidly of the idea of such a test.

GordonvaleClaret · Post by **GordonvaleClaret** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 11:40 pm

Failed.
From now on, anyone calling me Pom gets a kicking. Arthritis permitting.

tim_noone · Post by **tim_noone** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 11:55 pm

Imagine being told at 11 years old your a failure...... what was that all about?

bfcmik · Post by **bfcmik** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 1:25 am

Why would I know that the percentage of the UK population living in England alone is 82%?

My other half would be lost on the question of where the Trossachs are. She would know it was Scotland but East or West ... not a hope.

lesxdp · Post by **lesxdp** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 1:51 am

A foreigner wishing to pass this test neefs to buy Life in the UK, from HMSO at about ten pounds. If they have a good inderstanding of written English and a good memory I think the answers are supposed to be in there. Don't see what relevence the trsy has as to if someone is suitable to live in the UK

Vegas Claret · Post by **Vegas Claret** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 4:47 am

I got bored after a question about the plague ! I think it was question 3, dumb as **** questions

Bertiebeehead · Post by **Bertiebeehead** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 5:18 am

tim_noone wrote:Imagine being told at 11 years old your a failure...... what was that all about?

Imagine being told today you're a failure.

BFCmaj · Post by **BFCmaj** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 6:16 am

62.5%. There were no music questions.

Commy · Post by **Commy** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 6:45 am

I worked with a Pole who was doing the test for citizenship and he knew more about Britain than I did. I think most Brits would fail.

Imploding Turtle · Post by **Imploding Turtle** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 7:59 am

I failed.

Imploding Turtle · Post by **Imploding Turtle** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 8:00 am

Damo wrote:I think the 'freedom of speech' answer needs amending

Shut up

ablueclaret · Post by **ablueclaret** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 8:11 am

Pure nonsense.
I've never felt British for one day of my life, why would I?

Murger · Post by **Murger** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 8:21 am

79.17%. That'll do.

JohnMac · Post by **JohnMac** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 9:39 am

How remiss of me to forget when the land bridge with Europe collapsed into the abyss.

I found almost every question to be completely irrelevant and gained a score not incompatible with that of a nomad surfacing from 50 years in the wilderness.

Sutton-Claret · Post by **Sutton-Claret** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 9:41 am

95.83% - 1 wrong

Thought it was a good advert for the Palace of Westminister - who'd have thought it was free ??