The British citizenship test: what it is and what else you need

What people mean by "the British citizenship test"

If you apply to become a British citizen by naturalisation, GOV.UK asks you to prove your knowledge of English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic and to have passed the Life in the UK Test. The Life in the UK Test is the knowledge test; the English part is shown with an approved English test at B1 level or above, a degree taught or researched in English, or an exemption.

So "the citizenship test" is the Life in the UK Test. It is the same test used for settlement (indefinite leave to remain): GOV.UK describes it as part of an application for citizenship or settlement. The format, handbook and free practice questions are on our Life in the UK Test page, and booking, the fee, ID and results are covered in our booking and results guide. This guide places the test within the whole citizenship application.

The test in two lines

You have 45 minutes to answer 24 questions based on the Life in the UK handbook, and you must score 75% or more to pass. The test costs £50 and must be booked online at least 3 days in advance.

Have you already passed it?

Many people applying for citizenship took the test years earlier, for indefinite leave to remain. GOV.UK says you do not need to take it again if you have passed it before, for example as part of your settlement application. When you pass, you get a unique reference number, which you enter in your citizenship or settlement application so the Home Office can check your result. Keep that number safe.

You also do not need to take it if you are under 18, aged 65 or over, or have a long-term physical or mental condition supported by the evidence GOV.UK sets out.

The English requirement

GOV.UK's English language guide says you can prove your knowledge of English with either:

• an English qualification at B1, B2, C1 or C2 level, or
• a degree taught or researched in English.

It warns that an application "will be refused if you send the wrong qualifications", so check yours before you apply.

With a test. The qualification must be a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider. ESOL qualifications count only if they are on the approved SELT list; GCSEs, A levels and NVQs cannot be used. Some tests only last 2 years, but for citizenship you can use a B1-C2 qualification that has run out if it was accepted when you settled in the UK, even if the test is no longer on the current list.

With a degree. The degree must be academic, not vocational. A degree taught or researched in English and awarded by a UK institution counts, even if you studied abroad. For a degree taught in English outside the UK, you need an assessment from Ecctis confirming it is equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree or higher and was taught in English.

Who does not need to prove it. According to GOV.UK's exemptions page:

• people aged 65 or over;
• people unable to because of a long-term physical or mental condition, with a completed exemption form from a doctor;
• nationals of a listed set of countries and territories, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the USA, Jamaica, Malta and others, and Ireland for citizenship only. If your country is not on the list, you must prove your English even if English is an official language there.

One trap: the work-visa exemptions for settlement do not carry over. GOV.UK says that for citizenship you "must have a relevant English qualification", and if you were exempt when you were granted settlement, you need to submit an exemption form again.

The other requirements for naturalisation

These are the conditions on GOV.UK for the most common route, applying with indefinite leave to remain or settled status (GOV.UK):

• be over 18;
• have lived in the UK for 5 years, and held indefinite leave to remain, settled status or indefinite leave to enter for 12 months;
• have been in the UK exactly 5 years before the day the Home Office receives your application;
• not have spent more than 450 days outside the UK in those 5 years, or more than 90 days in the last 12 months;
• not have broken UK immigration laws;
• intend to continue living in the UK;
• be of good character. GOV.UK does not define this on the page; it sends you to the naturalisation guidance (guide AN), which you should read before applying.

If you are married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen, the route is different (GOV.UK): you need 3 years of residence, you can apply as soon as you have indefinite leave to remain or settled status (no 12-month wait), and the absence limits are 270 days in the 3 years and 90 days in the last 12 months. The English and Life in the UK requirements are the same.

Other routes exist (Irish citizens, pre-settled status, a British parent, the Windrush scheme and more). GOV.UK lists them on its eligibility checker page.

Fees and timeline

An English test, if you need one, is not part of these fees. Biometric information (fingerprints and a photo) is taken at no extra fee.

After approval: the ceremony

If you are 18 or over and your application succeeds, you must attend a citizenship ceremony within 3 months of receiving your invitation. Your local authority organises it, and you can usually bring 2 guests. You make an oath of allegiance (or an affirmation) and a pledge, and you receive your certificate of British citizenship at the end. You need permission to stay in the UK until that ceremony; indefinite leave to remain or settled status counts (GOV.UK).

A sensible order of steps

1. Check you meet the residence and absence rules on the right GOV.UK route, counting your days outside the UK from your own records.
2. Find your Life in the UK Test reference number, or book the test if you have not passed it.
3. Check your English evidence: a SELT at B1 or above, a degree, or an exemption.
4. Read guide AN on good character.
5. Apply, then give your biometric information (fingerprints and a photo) when the Home Office tells you how.

If you still need to sit the test, study the official handbook and use our free Life in the UK practice questions to find the chapters you are weak on. They are original questions written from the handbook's topics, not the Home Office's questions.

Sources

• Apply for citizenship if you have indefinite leave to remain or 'settled status' — GOV.UK (checked September 30, 2026)
• Apply for citizenship if your spouse is a British citizen — GOV.UK (checked September 30, 2026)
• Check if you can become a British citizen — GOV.UK (checked September 30, 2026)
• Life in the UK Test — GOV.UK (checked September 30, 2026)
• Life in the UK Test, what happens at the test — GOV.UK (checked September 30, 2026)
• Prove your knowledge of English for citizenship and settling — GOV.UK (checked September 30, 2026)
• Who does not need to prove their knowledge of English — GOV.UK (checked September 30, 2026)
• Proving your knowledge of English with a test — GOV.UK (checked September 30, 2026)
• If your degree was taught or researched in English — GOV.UK (checked September 30, 2026)
• Naturalisation as a British citizen, guide AN — GOV.UK (checked September 30, 2026)
• Citizenship ceremonies — GOV.UK (checked September 30, 2026)

The Life in the UK Test is run by the Home Office. passmock is an independent practice service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Home Office, UK Visas and Immigration, PSI or TSO, the publisher of the official handbook.