Life in the UK Test: fee, booking, results and exemptions

The fee

The test costs £50, paid by debit or credit card when you book. The fee is per attempt: if you fail, you can rebook as many times as you need, paying each time.

The test format, the handbook and how to study are covered on our Life in the UK Test practice page. This guide deals with the practical side: booking, the day itself, results and who does not need to sit it.

Booking: the official service only

GOV.UK describes its booking page as the only official government service for booking the Life in the UK Test. Start from that GOV.UK page and follow its "Start now" link, rather than a search advert or a third-party site offering to book for you.

The rules for booking, all from GOV.UK:

• Book online at least 3 days in advance.
• Choose your centre when you book; there are over 30 test centres in the UK.
• You need an email address, a debit or credit card and an accepted form of ID.
• The name on your booking must be an exact match with the name on the ID you book with.

Which ID to use

If you have an eVisa, you book with a share code from your UK Visas and Immigration account. Otherwise GOV.UK accepts (Life in the UK Test):

• a valid passport;
• a valid ID card from the EU, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway;
• a valid travel document with a photo (not an emergency travel document);
• a biometric residence permit or card, but only if your test is no later than 24 months after the expiry date printed on it or before 31 December 2026, whichever comes first.

That last rule matters now: if you plan to rely on an expired BRP, check both dates before you book. The ID must also have a photo that looks like you. If you have none of these documents, GOV.UK tells you to email the Home Office nationality enquiries team for help.

Special situations

• Disability: you can make special requests when booking, such as extra equipment or help getting into the centre.
• Change of gender: email the Home Office sensitive bookings team before booking if you do not want centre staff to see your previous gender or for it to appear on your result.
• Booking problems: the Life in the UK Test Helpline handles booking questions; its contact details are on the GOV.UK page.

On the day

You have 45 minutes to answer 24 questions. Three rules decide whether you are allowed to sit the test at all (GOV.UK):

1. Bring the same ID you booked with, and the original, not a copy or a screenshot.
2. Your photo is taken to confirm your identity.
3. You cannot bring children or other family members into the centre.

If you do not bring the correct ID or refuse the photo, you cannot take the test and you do not get a refund.

Results and the unique reference number

The Home Office's caseworker guidance states that people are told whether they have passed or failed on the day they take the test. To pass you need 75% or more.

There is no pass certificate or letter any more. According to the same guidance, since 17 December 2019 PSI no longer issues pass notification letters:

• your result appears in your Life in the UK account, with your unique reference number (URN) shown against it;
• you also receive an email with your URN after sitting the test, whether you passed or failed.

You enter the URN in your settlement or citizenship application, and the Home Office uses it to check that you passed (GOV.UK). Caseworkers check it on an online verification portal that shows your result and a photograph of you (caseworker guidance). Keep the email and note the URN somewhere safe.

Tested before 17 December 2019? You will have a letter with a test reference ID instead of a URN. If you have lost it, GOV.UK says to send a letter explaining this with your application (What happens at the test).

A pass also carries over: you do not need to sit the test again if you have already passed it, for example for settlement before applying for citizenship.

Cancelling, rearranging and refunds

From GOV.UK's cancellations page:

To cancel, sign in to your Life in the UK account, select "Confirmed tests", then "Cancel tests". You do not need to contact UK Visas and Immigration, and you can then book another date. Refund requests after a centre cancellation go to PSI.

Complaints also go to PSI, within 3 months of the test date; GOV.UK says you will get a response within 10 working days.

Exemptions: who does not need to take it

GOV.UK lists four cases in which you do not need to take the test: you are under 18, you are 65 or over, you have passed it before, or you have a long-term physical or mental condition.

The Home Office caseworker guidance adds useful detail:

• Age is judged on the date of your application. For indefinite leave to remain, people under 18 or aged 65 or over on that date are exempt.
• Citizenship applicants aged 60 to 64: caseworkers must normally waive the requirement if the time needed to reach the standard would take you to 65 or over. Under 60, age alone is not normally a reason.
• You must prove your age, for example with a passport or birth certificate.
• Medical exemption: GOV.UK asks for either an exemption form or a letter from a doctor; the caseworker guidance says caseworkers expect the medical waiver form completed by a doctor, with all original and current medical reports setting out the diagnosis.
• Separate requests: a medical exemption granted for settlement does not carry over; you must request it again for a citizenship application.

The exemption form should be completed by a qualified medical professional and included with your settlement or citizenship application. It covers both the Life in the UK Test and the English language requirement.

Before you book

Check your ID dates, make sure your booking name matches your ID exactly, and give yourself enough preparation time to avoid paying the £50 fee twice. Our free Life in the UK mock test uses original questions written from the topics of the official handbook, so you can check your readiness first.

Sources

• 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)
• Life in the UK Test, Cancellations, refunds and complaints — GOV.UK (checked September 30, 2026)
• Knowledge of language and life in the UK, caseworker guidance (version 31.0) — Home Office on GOV.UK (checked September 30, 2026)
• Life in the UK Test exemption, long-term physical or mental condition — 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.