In order to apply for citizenship one needs to pass the "Life in the UK" test. The test consists of 24 multiple choice questions and you need to score 75% or better. Put another way, the maximum amount of questions you can get wrong is 6.
I gave myself one week to get ready for the test and I started by taking a few practice tests. After failing ALL of them I realized that I needed to get serious about studying. I bought the 250 page "Life in the UK" book and read it diligently over the weekend. The test is tricky. Dates - as in "what year did X happen" - seem to be favorite questions. The subject of History is definitely not my strong suit (only class I got a C in at college) and let me tell you, Britain has a long, varied and event filled history which certainly ups the challenge factor. The kings, the queens, the normans, the vikings!! So hard to keep it all straight although I'm feeling a lot less guilty about binge-watching The Tudors on Netflix a few years ago. Questions about Henry VIII and his 6 wives I was all over. It also didn't help that I hadn't been in a test-taking situation since business school 10+ years earlier. Effective studying is a skill...one which I had clearly lost. In the end I had written two-full pages of cheat-sheet notes which I used to cram on the last day.
The exam was given in a windowless room with about 10 different cubicles. Watches, phones and any belongings had to be placed in a locker outside the room. In each cube was a desktop and mouse for the online test. I had a brief moment of sweaty palm panic but once the test started I felt much better. The questions were definitely easier then the practice tests and there was only one or two questions where I didn't feel confident about my answer.
While I don't remember all of the questions, here are some that were asked:
What did the Queen Celebrated in 2012? Diamond jubilee
I gave myself one week to get ready for the test and I started by taking a few practice tests. After failing ALL of them I realized that I needed to get serious about studying. I bought the 250 page "Life in the UK" book and read it diligently over the weekend. The test is tricky. Dates - as in "what year did X happen" - seem to be favorite questions. The subject of History is definitely not my strong suit (only class I got a C in at college) and let me tell you, Britain has a long, varied and event filled history which certainly ups the challenge factor. The kings, the queens, the normans, the vikings!! So hard to keep it all straight although I'm feeling a lot less guilty about binge-watching The Tudors on Netflix a few years ago. Questions about Henry VIII and his 6 wives I was all over. It also didn't help that I hadn't been in a test-taking situation since business school 10+ years earlier. Effective studying is a skill...one which I had clearly lost. In the end I had written two-full pages of cheat-sheet notes which I used to cram on the last day.
The exam was given in a windowless room with about 10 different cubicles. Watches, phones and any belongings had to be placed in a locker outside the room. In each cube was a desktop and mouse for the online test. I had a brief moment of sweaty palm panic but once the test started I felt much better. The questions were definitely easier then the practice tests and there was only one or two questions where I didn't feel confident about my answer.
While I don't remember all of the questions, here are some that were asked:
What did the Queen Celebrated in 2012? Diamond jubilee
Who is Emmaline Pankhurst? Suffragette
What is Margaret Thatcher know for? First Female British Prime Minister
By law, these two things must be balance and equal in the coverage of political parties? TV & radio
Who starred in silent movies as a tramp? Charlie Champlain
Which teams are in the famous rowing race on the Thames? Oxbridge v Cambridge
Which is not a currency in the UK? 25p
What fort is part of Hadrian's Wall? Houseteads
Who is the celebrated saint of England? St George
In what year did men and woman receive the right to vote at 21? 1928
What event did the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand kick off? World War 1
Who is celebrated from the Battle of Trafalagar? Admiral Nelson
Which is a fundamental principle of British rights? Look after the area in which you live and the environment
Which court deals with minor criminal cases in England, Wales and Northern Ireland? Magistrates Court
Which of the following is illegal? selling alcohol to someone under 18
James I of England was already of King of which country? Scotland
I raced through the test and was done within 5 minutes. It wasn't until I was waiting for my results that I started second guessing myself and wondering if I should have at least gone back to check my answers before hitting complete.
When it was my turn to get my results the administrator couldn't give me the number correct (of course I asked), but he did give me the good news that I passed!! YAY. God Save the Queen!
Now on to the next step...filling out the ridiculously-long UK citizenship application.
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