Life in the UK test questions and answers
162 practice questions for the Life in the UK test, each with its answer and a short explanation. The real test has 24 questions and you need 18 correct.
These are our own practice questions based on the official study guide, Life in the United Kingdom: A Guide for New Residents. They are not the real test questions, which are not published.
Values and principles
The fundamental principles of British life and the responsibilities of residents. Practise this topic as a quiz
1. Which of these is one of the fundamental principles of British life?
Answer: Democracy
The fundamental principles include democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, tolerance and participation in community life.
2. Which of these is a responsibility of people living in the UK?
Answer: To respect and obey the law
Residents should respect and obey the law, respect the rights of others and treat others with fairness.
3. Which of these is a fundamental principle of British life?
Answer: Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs
Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs is one of the fundamental principles of British life.
4. Which of these is a responsibility of people who live in the UK?
Answer: To look after the area in which they live and the environment
Residents should look after themselves, their family, the area in which they live and the environment.
5. True or false: people living in the UK should treat others with fairness.
Answer: True
Treating others with fairness is one of the responsibilities and freedoms shared by everyone living in the UK.
6. What do new citizens promise at a citizenship ceremony?
Answer: An oath or affirmation of allegiance and a pledge to respect the UK's rights and freedoms
New citizens take an oath or affirmation of allegiance and make a pledge to respect the rights and freedoms of the UK.
7. Which of these is a freedom that people in the UK have?
Answer: Freedom of speech
People in the UK enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of belief and religion, and freedom from unfair discrimination, among others.
What is the UK?
The countries of the UK, their capitals and the Crown dependencies. Practise this topic as a quiz
1. Which countries make up the United Kingdom?
Answer: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
The UK is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
2. What is the capital city of Wales?
Answer: Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital of Wales.
3. What is the capital city of Northern Ireland?
Answer: Belfast
Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland.
4. Which of these are Crown dependencies rather than part of the UK?
Answer: The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man
The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are Crown dependencies with their own governments.
5. Which countries make up Great Britain?
Answer: England, Scotland and Wales
Great Britain is England, Scotland and Wales. The United Kingdom also includes Northern Ireland.
6. What is the capital city of Scotland?
Answer: Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland.
7. Which crosses make up the Union Flag?
Answer: The crosses of St George, St Andrew and St Patrick
The Union Flag combines the crosses of St George (England), St Andrew (Scotland) and St Patrick (Ireland).
8. Which country's flag is NOT represented on the Union Flag?
Answer: Wales
Wales is not represented on the Union Flag because it was already united with England when the flag was created. The Welsh flag shows a dragon.
9. What is the currency of the UK?
Answer: The pound sterling
The currency is the pound sterling.
10. True or false: Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own banknotes, which are valid everywhere in the UK.
Answer: True
Northern Ireland and Scotland have their own banknotes, which are valid everywhere in the UK.
11. Which languages, besides English, are spoken in parts of the UK?
Answer: Welsh and Gaelic
Welsh is spoken in Wales, and Gaelic is spoken in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
12. What is the capital city of England and the UK?
Answer: London
London is the capital of England and of the UK.
British history
From early Britain and the Middle Ages to the modern era. Practise this topic as a quiz
1. In which year did William of Normandy defeat King Harold at the Battle of Hastings?
Answer: 1066
The Norman Conquest began with the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
2. In 1215, King John was forced to agree to which document, which limited the power of the monarch?
Answer: The Magna Carta
The Magna Carta of 1215 established that even the king was subject to the law.
3. Which king established the Church of England after breaking away from the Church of Rome?
Answer: Henry VIII
Henry VIII broke away from the Church of Rome and established the Church of England.
4. Who was on the throne when the Spanish Armada was defeated in 1588?
Answer: Elizabeth I
The Spanish Armada was defeated during the reign of Elizabeth I.
5. In which year did the Act of Union unite England and Scotland as the Kingdom of Great Britain?
Answer: 1707
The Act of Union of 1707 created the Kingdom of Great Britain.
6. What was the Bill of Rights of 1689?
Answer: A law that confirmed the rights of Parliament and limited the powers of the monarch
The Bill of Rights of 1689 confirmed the rights of Parliament and the limits of the king's power.
7. Who was Prime Minister for most of the Second World War?
Answer: Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill became Prime Minister in 1940 and led Britain through most of the war.
8. Which battle in 1940 was fought in the skies over Britain between the RAF and the German air force?
Answer: The Battle of Britain
In the Battle of Britain in 1940, the RAF defended Britain against German air attacks.
9. In which year was the National Health Service (NHS) established?
Answer: 1948
The NHS was set up in 1948 to provide healthcare free at the point of use.
10. In which county is Stonehenge?
Answer: Wiltshire
Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument, stands in Wiltshire.
11. Where is Skara Brae, the best-preserved prehistoric village in northern Europe?
Answer: Orkney
Skara Brae is on Orkney, off the north coast of Scotland.
12. In which year did the Romans, led by Emperor Claudius, begin their successful invasion of Britain?
Answer: AD 43
The Romans invaded in AD 43 and stayed for about 400 years.
13. Who was the queen of the Iceni who fought against the Romans?
Answer: Boudicca
Boudicca, queen of the Iceni, fought against the Romans. Her statue stands on Westminster Bridge.
14. Why was Hadrian's Wall built?
Answer: To keep out the Picts from the north
Emperor Hadrian built the wall in the north of England to keep out the Picts.
15. When did the Romans leave Britain?
Answer: AD 410
The Roman army left Britain in AD 410 to defend other parts of the Empire.
16. What is Sutton Hoo?
Answer: An Anglo-Saxon burial site in Suffolk
Sutton Hoo in Suffolk is the burial place of an Anglo-Saxon king, buried with treasure and armour in a ship.
17. Who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury?
Answer: St Augustine
St Augustine led missionaries from Rome and became the first Archbishop of Canterbury.
18. Where did the Vikings who invaded Britain come from?
Answer: Denmark and Norway
The Vikings came from Denmark and Norway.
19. Which Anglo-Saxon king united the kingdoms and defeated the Vikings?
Answer: Alfred the Great
King Alfred the Great united the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and defeated the Vikings.
20. Which famous embroidery tells the story of the Norman invasion of 1066?
Answer: The Bayeux Tapestry
The Bayeux Tapestry commemorates the Norman Conquest.
21. What is the Domesday Book?
Answer: A record of towns and villages in England, made for William the Conqueror
William the Conqueror ordered a record of all the towns and villages in England, called the Domesday Book.
22. At which battle in 1314 did Robert the Bruce defeat the English?
Answer: Bannockburn
The Scots, led by Robert the Bruce, defeated the English at Bannockburn in 1314.
23. In 1348, a plague killed about one third of the population of England. What was it called?
Answer: The Black Death
The Black Death came to Britain in 1348.
24. At which battle in 1415 did King Henry V defeat the French?
Answer: Agincourt
Henry V's victory at Agincourt was one of the most famous battles of the Hundred Years War.
25. Which two families fought the Wars of the Roses?
Answer: York and Lancaster
The House of Lancaster (red rose) and the House of York (white rose) fought the Wars of the Roses.
26. Which battle in 1485 ended the Wars of the Roses?
Answer: Bosworth Field
Henry Tudor won the Battle of Bosworth Field and became King Henry VII.
27. What is the Tudor rose a symbol of?
Answer: The joining of the houses of York and Lancaster
Henry VII married a member of the House of York, and the red and white Tudor rose symbolised the two houses joined together.
28. How many times did Henry VIII marry?
Answer: Six
Henry VIII married six times.
29. Which of Henry VIII's wives was executed after being accused of taking lovers?
Answer: Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn was executed at the Tower of London.
30. Who was Mary, Queen of Scots?
Answer: A Catholic cousin of Elizabeth I who was executed
Mary, Queen of Scots was a Catholic cousin of Elizabeth I. She was held prisoner in England for 20 years and later executed.
31. Who was one of the founders of England's naval tradition and sailed around the world in the Golden Hind?
Answer: Sir Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake's ship, the Golden Hind, was one of the first to sail around the world.
32. Where was William Shakespeare born?
Answer: Stratford-upon-Avon
Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564.
33. Which Scottish king also became King of England in 1603?
Answer: James VI
When Elizabeth I died, James VI of Scotland also became King James I of England.
34. Which famous English translation of the Bible was produced during the reign of James I?
Answer: The King James Version
A new translation, the King James Version or Authorised Version, was produced in 1611.
35. In which year did the English Civil War begin?
Answer: 1642
The Civil War between Charles I and Parliament began in 1642.
36. What were supporters of the King called in the English Civil War?
Answer: Cavaliers
Supporters of the King were Cavaliers; supporters of Parliament were Roundheads.
37. Which king was executed in 1649?
Answer: Charles I
Charles I was executed in 1649 after losing the Civil War.
38. Who became Lord Protector after the Civil War?
Answer: Oliver Cromwell
England became a republic, and Oliver Cromwell was given the title of Lord Protector.
39. What was the Restoration of 1660?
Answer: The return of the monarchy, with Charles II as king
In 1660, Parliament invited Charles II to come back from exile, restoring the monarchy.
40. In which year did the Great Fire of London happen?
Answer: 1666
The Great Fire of London broke out in 1666.
41. Who designed the new St Paul's Cathedral after the Great Fire?
Answer: Sir Christopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren designed the new St Paul's Cathedral.
42. What was the 'Glorious Revolution' of 1688?
Answer: When William of Orange took the throne without a battle
In 1688, William of Orange invaded and became king. Because there was no fighting in England, it was called the Glorious Revolution.
43. Who is generally regarded as the first Prime Minister?
Answer: Sir Robert Walpole
Sir Robert Walpole was Prime Minister from 1721 to 1742 and is regarded as the first.
44. At which battle in 1746 was Bonnie Prince Charlie defeated?
Answer: Culloden
Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) was defeated at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.
45. Which Scottish poet wrote 'Auld Lang Syne'?
Answer: Robert Burns
Robert Burns, known as 'The Bard', wrote 'Auld Lang Syne'.
46. Which Scottish thinker is known for his important ideas about economics?
Answer: Adam Smith
Adam Smith developed important ideas about economics during the Enlightenment.
47. Which Scot's work on steam power helped the Industrial Revolution?
Answer: James Watt
James Watt's work on steam power helped the progress of the Industrial Revolution.
48. Which scientist published work on gravity and showed that white light is made up of the colours of the rainbow?
Answer: Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton is best known for his work on gravity.
49. Who commanded the British fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805?
Answer: Admiral Nelson
Admiral Nelson was killed winning the Battle of Trafalgar. Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square is his monument.
50. Who defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815?
Answer: The Duke of Wellington
The Duke of Wellington defeated Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815.
51. Which engineer built the Great Western Railway?
Answer: Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel built tunnels, bridges and railway lines, including the Great Western Railway.
52. For how long did Queen Victoria reign?
Answer: Almost 64 years
Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901, almost 64 years.
53. Who is regarded as the founder of modern nursing?
Answer: Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale treated soldiers in the Crimean War and established the Nightingale Training School for nurses.
54. Who led the suffragettes, who campaigned for women to have the vote?
Answer: Emmeline Pankhurst
Emmeline Pankhurst set up the Women's Franchise League and campaigned for women's votes.
55. In what year did women aged over 30 first gain the right to vote?
Answer: 1918
In 1918, women over 30 were given the vote. In 1928, women got the vote at 21, the same age as men.
56. In which year did the First World War begin?
Answer: 1914
The First World War began in 1914 and ended in 1918.
57. Which First World War battle, which began in 1916, cost the British 60,000 casualties on its first day?
Answer: The Battle of the Somme
The British suffered 60,000 casualties on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
58. What happened at Dunkirk in 1940?
Answer: Many civilian boats helped rescue soldiers from the beaches of France
Many civilian volunteers in small boats helped the Navy rescue more than 300,000 soldiers from Dunkirk.
59. On which date did the D-Day landings in Normandy take place?
Answer: 6 June 1944
On 6 June 1944, Allied forces landed in Normandy.
60. Who discovered penicillin, in 1928?
Answer: Alexander Fleming
Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928.
61. Who was the Minister for Health who led the establishment of the NHS?
Answer: Aneurin (Nye) Bevan
Aneurin Bevan, Minister for Health, led the establishment of the NHS.
62. Who was the Prime Minister of the Labour government elected in 1945?
Answer: Clement Attlee
Clement Attlee was Prime Minister from 1945 to 1951.
63. Whose report of 1942 recommended that the government should fight the five 'Giant Evils' and became the basis of the welfare state?
Answer: William Beveridge
William Beveridge's report became the basis of the modern welfare state.
64. Who was the first woman Prime Minister of the UK?
Answer: Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher became the first woman Prime Minister in 1979.
65. Who invented television, developed in the 1920s?
Answer: John Logie Baird
John Logie Baird developed television in the 1920s.
66. Who invented the jet engine?
Answer: Sir Frank Whittle
Sir Frank Whittle developed the jet engine.
67. Who invented the World Wide Web?
Answer: Tim Berners-Lee
Sir Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web.
68. What was Dolly, born in 1996?
Answer: The first mammal to be cloned
Dolly the sheep was the first mammal ever to be cloned from an adult cell.
69. Who invented the hovercraft?
Answer: Sir Christopher Cockerell
Sir Christopher Cockerell invented the hovercraft.
70. Who developed radar?
Answer: Sir Robert Watson-Watt
Sir Robert Watson-Watt proposed that enemy aircraft could be detected by radio waves, and radar was developed.
71. Which mathematician's work led to the development of the computer?
Answer: Alan Turing
Alan Turing's 'Turing machine' was influential in the development of computer science.
72. Which British-French supersonic passenger aircraft first flew in 1969?
Answer: Concorde
Concorde was developed by Britain and France together.
73. True or false: the Act of Union of 1800 joined the Kingdom of Ireland to Great Britain.
Answer: True
The Act of Union of 1800 created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
A modern, thriving society
Religion, customs, festivals, sport, arts and culture. Practise this topic as a quiz
1. Who is the patron saint of Scotland?
Answer: St Andrew
St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland. St George, St David and St Patrick are the patron saints of England, Wales and Ireland.
2. What is Hogmanay?
Answer: The Scottish name for New Year's Eve
Hogmanay is the Scottish name for New Year's Eve.
3. On which date is Remembrance Day?
Answer: 11 November
Remembrance Day, 11 November, commemorates those who died fighting for the UK.
4. Which sport is the Wimbledon Championships associated with?
Answer: Tennis
Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world.
5. Who wrote the plays 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Hamlet'?
Answer: William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest playwright in the English language.
6. On what date is St David's Day, the national day of Wales?
Answer: 1 March
St David's Day is 1 March.
7. On what date is St Patrick's Day?
Answer: 17 March
St Patrick's Day, the national day of Northern Ireland, is 17 March.
8. On what date is St George's Day, the national day of England?
Answer: 23 April
St George's Day is 23 April.
9. On what date is St Andrew's Day, the national day of Scotland?
Answer: 30 November
St Andrew's Day is 30 November.
10. What is celebrated on Bonfire Night, 5 November?
Answer: The failure of a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605
Bonfire Night marks the failure of Guy Fawkes and others to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605.
11. On what date is Boxing Day?
Answer: 26 December
Boxing Day is 26 December, the day after Christmas.
12. Who is the head of the Church of England?
Answer: The monarch
The monarch is the head of the Church of England. The spiritual leader is the Archbishop of Canterbury.
13. What is the Church of Scotland?
Answer: A Presbyterian church, governed by ministers and elders
The Church of Scotland is a Presbyterian church, governed by ministers and elders.
14. Which festival is celebrated by Sikhs to mark the founding of the Sikh community?
Answer: Vaisakhi
Vaisakhi is a Sikh festival celebrating the founding of the Sikh community known as the Khalsa.
15. What is Mothering Sunday?
Answer: The Sunday three weeks before Easter, when children remember their mothers
Mothering Sunday is the Sunday three weeks before Easter.
16. Which town in Scotland is known as the home of golf?
Answer: St Andrews
St Andrews in Scotland is known as the home of golf.
17. Where is the Grand National horse race held?
Answer: Aintree
The Grand National is held at Aintree, near Liverpool.
18. Which cricket series is played between England and Australia?
Answer: The Ashes
The Ashes is a series of Test matches between England and Australia.
19. Who was the first man to run a mile in under four minutes, in 1954?
Answer: Sir Roger Bannister
Sir Roger Bannister ran a mile in under four minutes in 1954.
20. In which three years has London hosted the Olympic Games?
Answer: 1908, 1948 and 2012
London hosted the Olympic Games in 1908, 1948 and 2012.
21. What are the Proms?
Answer: An eight-week summer season of orchestral music
The Proms is an eight-week summer season of orchestral music, including at the Royal Albert Hall.
22. What is the Eisteddfod?
Answer: A festival of music, literature and poetry in Wales
The National Eisteddfod of Wales is an annual festival of music, literature and performance.
23. What is the Turner Prize awarded for?
Answer: Contemporary art
The Turner Prize is awarded for contemporary art.
24. What is the Booker Prize (formerly the Man Booker Prize) awarded for?
Answer: Fiction written in English
The Booker Prize, called the Man Booker Prize from 2002 to 2019, is awarded for the best full-length novel.
25. The Laurence Olivier Awards are given for achievements in which art form?
Answer: Theatre
The Laurence Olivier Awards celebrate the best in London theatre.
26. Which famous landscape gardener designed the grounds of Blenheim Palace?
Answer: Capability Brown
Lancelot 'Capability' Brown designed gardens around country houses, including Blenheim Palace.
27. Which poet wrote about daffodils and the Lake District?
Answer: William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth was inspired by nature and wrote about daffodils.
28. Which Welsh poet wrote 'Under Milk Wood'?
Answer: Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, best known for 'Under Milk Wood'.
29. Which traditional food is associated with Scotland?
Answer: Haggis
Haggis, made from a sheep's stomach stuffed with offal, suet, onions and oatmeal, is Scottish.
30. Which traditional food is associated with England?
Answer: Roast beef, served with potatoes, vegetables and Yorkshire puddings
Roast beef with Yorkshire puddings is a traditional English meal.
31. What is 'Big Ben'?
Answer: The nickname for the great bell of the clock at the Houses of Parliament
Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the Houses of Parliament.
32. Where is the Giant's Causeway?
Answer: Northern Ireland
The Giant's Causeway, on the north-east coast of Northern Ireland, is a land formation of columns of volcanic basalt.
33. Which is England's largest national park?
Answer: The Lake District
The Lake District is England's largest national park.
34. Where is the Eden Project?
Answer: Cornwall
The Eden Project, in Cornwall, has large greenhouses with plants from all over the world.
35. What is the National Trust?
Answer: A charity that works to preserve important buildings, coastline and countryside
The National Trust, founded in 1895, preserves important buildings, coastline and countryside.
36. At what age can people buy alcohol in the UK?
Answer: 18
It is a criminal offence to sell alcohol to anyone under 18 or to buy alcohol for people under 18.
37. Who composed the 'Water Music' for King George I?
Answer: George Frederick Handel
George Frederick Handel, a German-born composer who settled in Britain, wrote the Water Music.
38. Which composer wrote the 'Pomp and Circumstance Marches'?
Answer: Sir Edward Elgar
Sir Edward Elgar's best-known work is probably the Pomp and Circumstance Marches.
Government, the law and your role
Parliament, elections, the monarchy, the courts and the law. Practise this topic as a quiz
1. Who is the head of state of the United Kingdom?
Answer: The monarch
The UK is a constitutional monarchy, and the monarch is head of state.
2. What is the minimum age to vote in a UK general election?
Answer: 18
UK citizens can vote in UK Parliament elections from the age of 18.
3. How often must a general election be held?
Answer: At least every 5 years
A general election must be held at least every five years.
4. What are the elected members of the House of Commons called?
Answer: Members of Parliament (MPs)
Members of Parliament (MPs) are elected to represent constituencies.
5. Which of these is a criminal offence in the UK?
Answer: Carrying a weapon in public
Carrying a weapon is a criminal offence. Voting is a right, not a legal duty.
6. Where does the UK Parliament meet?
Answer: The Palace of Westminster
Parliament meets in the Houses of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster.
7. True or false: the UK has a constitution that is written in a single document.
Answer: False
The UK constitution is not written down in any single document; it is described as 'unwritten'.
8. What system is used to elect Members of Parliament?
Answer: First past the post
MPs are elected through 'first past the post': the candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins.
9. Who chairs debates in the House of Commons and must remain neutral?
Answer: The Speaker
The Speaker chairs debates and is politically neutral.
10. What do the whips do in Parliament?
Answer: Ensure discipline and attendance of MPs at voting time in the House of Commons
Whips are a small group of party MPs who ensure discipline and attendance at voting time.
11. Which of these can sit in the House of Lords?
Answer: Life peers, hereditary peers and bishops of the Church of England
Members of the House of Lords include life peers, hereditary peers and senior bishops of the Church of England.
12. Which government minister is responsible for the economy?
Answer: The Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is responsible for the economy.
13. Which government minister is responsible for crime, policing and immigration?
Answer: The Home Secretary
The Home Secretary is responsible for crime, policing and immigration.
14. What is the official residence of the Prime Minister?
Answer: 10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street is the Prime Minister's official residence. Chequers is the country house.
15. What is Hansard?
Answer: The official report of what is said in Parliament
Proceedings in Parliament are published in official reports called Hansard.
16. True or false: civil servants are politically neutral.
Answer: True
Civil servants carry out government policy and are politically neutral.
17. True or false: the Scottish Parliament can pass laws on all matters that are not specifically reserved to the UK Parliament.
Answer: True
The Scottish Parliament can pass laws for Scotland on all matters not reserved to the UK Parliament.
18. How many people usually sit on a jury in England and Wales?
Answer: 12
A jury in England, Wales and Northern Ireland usually has 12 members.
19. How many people sit on a jury in Scotland?
Answer: 15
In Scotland, a jury has 15 members.
20. Which court deals with most minor criminal cases in England and Wales?
Answer: The Magistrates' Court
Most minor criminal cases are dealt with in a Magistrates' Court.
21. In Scotland, where are minor criminal cases usually heard?
Answer: A Sheriff Court or Justice of the Peace Court
In Scotland, minor criminal cases go to a Justice of the Peace Court, and many cases are heard in a Sheriff Court.
22. What is the minimum age to stand as a candidate in a UK Parliament election?
Answer: 18
Most citizens aged 18 or over can stand for election as an MP.
23. What is the electoral register?
Answer: The official list of people who can vote
To vote, you must have your name on the electoral register.
24. At what minimum age can you drive a car in the UK?
Answer: 17
You must be at least 17 to drive a car or motorcycle.
25. True or false: it is a criminal offence to drive a car without insurance.
Answer: True
It is a criminal offence to have a car without proper insurance.
26. The UK is one of the five permanent members of which body?
Answer: The UN Security Council
The UK is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
27. What is the Commonwealth?
Answer: An association of countries, most of which were once part of the British Empire
The Commonwealth is an association of countries that support each other and work together; most were once part of the British Empire.
28. Which body wrote the European Convention on Human Rights?
Answer: The Council of Europe
The UK is a member of the Council of Europe, which created the European Convention on Human Rights.
29. Who opens the new parliamentary session each year?
Answer: The monarch
The monarch opens the new parliamentary session each year with a speech setting out the government's plans.
30. What do Police and Crime Commissioners do?
Answer: They are elected to make sure local police forces are effective
Police and Crime Commissioners are elected to hold local police forces to account.
31. True or false: the police are independent of the government.
Answer: True
The police are organised into separate forces and are independent of the government.
32. What is a Youth Court?
Answer: A court for young people aged 10 to 17
In England and Wales, cases involving people aged 10 to 17 are usually heard in a Youth Court.
Now test yourself
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TestWise Prep is an independent practice site and is not affiliated with the government of United Kingdom. Our questions are original and cover the topics in the official study guide, Life in the United Kingdom: A Guide for New Residents. Test rules can change, so always check the official website. Test details last checked: 30 September 2026.