Hardest Questions
These are the questions most people get wrong. Master these and you will pass.
What are the Falkland Islands and St Helena?
✓ British overseas territories
Who was the Viking leader who eventually ruled most of England?
✓ Cnut (Canute)
When did the English first go to Ireland?
✓ During the Middle Ages
Who was the first woman to be crowned Queen of England?
✓ Mary I
In which year was William Shakespeare born?
✓ 1564
Which act abolishing the slave trade in the British Empire was passed?
✓ The Slave Trade Act 1807
The structure of the DNA molecule was discovered in which year?
✓ 1953
What was the ATM (cashpoint) and who invented it?
✓ A cash-dispensing machine, invented by James Goodfellow
The world's first test-tube baby was born in:
✓ Oldham, Lancashire in 1978
In which year did Dolly the sheep become the first mammal to be successfully cloned?
✓ 1996
Mary Peters won an Olympic gold medal in which event?
✓ Pentathlon
The Huguenots were:
✓ French Protestant refugees who settled in Britain between 1680 and 1720
The Chartists were a movement in the 19th century that campaigned for:
✓ Political reform, including votes for all men
The Acts of Union of 1800 joined which two countries?
✓ Great Britain and Ireland
When was the first Parliament set up in England?
✓ In the 1200s during the reign of Edward I
The industrial town of Jodrell Bank in Cheshire is famous for:
✓ A large radio telescope built by Sir Bernard Lovell
When did British combat troops leave Iraq?
✓ 2009
The Education Act 1944 (Butler Act) introduced:
✓ Free secondary education in England and Wales
John MacLeod was a Scottish physician who was the co-discoverer of:
✓ Insulin
Sir Peter Mansfield co-invented the:
✓ MRI scanner
What happened in Northern Ireland in 1972?
✓ Direct rule from Westminster was imposed after parliament was suspended
The Pre-Raphaelites were a group of artists in the:
✓ Second half of the 19th century
Which famous music venue is located in Cardiff?
✓ St David's Hall
Remembrance Day is observed on:
✓ Both 11 November and the second Sunday of November
Where is the National Horseracing Museum located?
✓ Newmarket, Suffolk
How many players are in a rugby league team?
✓ 13
The Super League is the most well-known competition in:
✓ Rugby league
According to the 2011 Census, what percentage of people in the UK identified as Christian?
✓ Around 59%
What percentage of the UK population lives in England?
✓ Around 84%
Europe's longest dry ski slope is located near which city?
✓ Edinburgh
Which of the following is a famous horse racing event held at Epsom?
✓ The Derby
What are the official reports of Parliament's proceedings called?
✓ Hansard
How many members does the Scottish Parliament have?
✓ 129
The small claims procedure in England and Wales handles disputes involving amounts under:
✓ £10,000
What does "habeas corpus" mean in English law?
✓ The right not to be held in prison unlawfully
How many member countries does the Commonwealth have?
✓ 56
The Council of Europe is:
✓ A 47-country body overseeing human rights in Europe, separate from the EU
How many test centres are there approximately in the UK?
✓ About 60
What language level is needed to understand the Life in the UK handbook?
✓ ESOL Entry Level 3 (B1)
Can the Life in the UK test be taken on the Isle of Man?
✓ Yes, but different arrangements apply
What is the ESOL course in English with Citizenship?
✓ A course for those below Entry Level 3 English, covering language and UK life
Wales is NOT represented on the Union Flag. This is because:
✓ Wales was already united with England before the Union Flag was created
What is the national animal of Scotland?
✓ The unicorn
What is the longest river in the United Kingdom?
✓ The Severn
Where can a significant Iron Age hill fort still be seen today?
✓ Maiden Castle, Dorset
The Domesday Book was written in which year?
✓ 1086
What was a "pocket borough" in the 18th century?
✓ A constituency controlled by one wealthy family who chose the local MP
Which Welsh rebellions were finally defeated by the English in the Middle Ages?
✓ The last Welsh rebellions, finally defeated by the mid-15th century
What was the Pale in medieval Ireland?
✓ An area around Dublin where English law and rule were enforced
Henry VIII's son who succeeded him and continued the Protestant Reformation was:
✓ Edward VI
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