A four-week study plan for the Life in the UK test

Half an hour a day for four weeks is enough for most people. The plan below works through the handbook chapter by chapter, then moves on to timed mock tests.

Week 1: chapters 1 and 2, then start chapter 4

Chapter 1 and chapter 2 are short. Read them, answer practice questions on them until you rarely miss one, then begin chapter 4: capital cities, patron saints, festivals and sport.

Week 2: chapter 3, the history

Chapter 3 has the most names and dates. Take it a period at a time, from early Britain to the present. Learn what each date stands for rather than the number alone: a question about 1066 is about the Norman Conquest.

Week 3: chapter 5 and the rest of chapter 4

Chapter 5 covers Parliament, elections, the courts and your role in the community. Many of its facts are numbers, such as how many jurors sit on a jury and how often elections must be held, so practise them as questions, not just reading.

Week 4: mock tests

Sit a full mock test every day or two: 24 questions against a 45-minute clock. After each one, go back over every question you got wrong and read that part of the handbook again.

When are you ready to book?

The pass mark is 18 out of 24. A good sign is passing several different mock tests in a row with a few marks to spare. If one chapter keeps costing you marks, give it another week before you pay the £50 fee. How to book explains the rest.

Tips that save time

• Read the official handbook as well as answering questions. Questions test the facts; the handbook gives the context that makes them stick.
• Watch for questions with two correct answers.
• Keep a list of the questions you get wrong and go back to them every few days.