The British Citizenship Test is a compulsory step for anyone who wish to settle in
the UK, or apply for British citizenship.
The aim of the ‘British Citizenship Test’ is to ensure that people applying for
settlement are well known with the life in the United Kingdom and the English language.
The questions in the test are in multiple choice format and cover a number of topic
from local customs and traditions, to the laws and political systems that govern
the country.
This section provides information about who needs to take the British Citizenship
Test when applying for settlement.
According to new law, Skilled and Highly Skilled Migrants would now have to take
the British Citizenship Test in order to fulfil the ‘knowledge of life and language
(KOL)’ requirement for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK.
The following is the list of visa categories that need to take test to apply for
settlement and is not otherwise exempt.
- Tier 1 (Exceptional talent)
- Tier 1 (General)
- Tier 1 (Entrepreneur)
- Tier 1 (Investor)
- Tier 2 (Intra company transfer)
- Tier 2 (General)
- Tier 2 (Minister of religion)
- Tier 2 (Sportsperson)
- work permit holder
- highly skilled migrant (excluding those covered by the HSMP ILR Judicial Review
policy document)
- representative of an overseas newspaper, news agency or broadcasting organisation
- representative of an overseas business
- overseas government employee
- minister of religion, religious missionary, or member of a religious order
- airport-based operational ground staff of overseas-owned airlines
- person intending to establish themselves in business
- innovator
- person intending to establish themselves in business under the provisions of EC
Association Agreements
- investor
- writer, composer or artist
This list is updated in April 2011. It implies that migrants in these categories
can no longer meet the KOL requirement by passing an English for Speakers of Other
Languages (ESOL) qualification.
The British Citizenship Test is must for almost all but not all people who wish
to apply for british citizenship or ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain. We intend to
provide all information you need to know as to who needs to and who needs not to
take the test for settlement.
Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)
If you have legally lived in UK for two to five years depending on your visa category
than you are eligible to apply for permanent residency in UK for which you must
take the British Citizenship Test. Visa categories that permit you to apply for
settlement in UK are as follows;
- Legal residence – people living in this can apply after five years (for example,
time spent on a Tier 2 visa)
- Long residency – if you have spent ten years under legal residency, or 14
years as a combination of illegal and legal residency illegal and legal residency
- HSMP- Highly Skilled Migrant Programme visa holders can apply for settlement
after five years (or after four years if HSMP is achieved before 3 April 2006)
- Marriage or partner of a British citizen, or a person settled in the UK can
apply after two years (Note: there are
new language requirements for applicants in this category, details can be
found on The United Kingdom Border Authority (UKBA) official website).
Changes to Tier 1 and Tier 2 , anyone applying for ILR from one of the following
categories will also need to take the British Citizenship Test:
- Tier 1 (Exceptional talent)
- Tier 1 (General)
- Tier 1 (Entrepreneur)
- Tier 1 (Investor)
- Tier 2 (Intra company transfer)
- Tier 2 (General)
- Tier 2 (Minister of religion)
- Tier 2 (Sportsperson)
- work permit holder
- highly skilled migrant (excluding those covered by the HSMP ILR Judicial Review
policy document)
- representative of an overseas newspaper, news agency or broadcasting organisation
- representative of an overseas business
- overseas government employee
- minister of religion, religious missionary, or member of a religious order
- airport-based operational ground staff of overseas-owned airlines
- person intending to establish themselves in business
- innovator
- person intending to establish themselves in business under the provisions of EC
Association Agreements
- investor
- writer, composer or artist
It is worth noting that for spouses, civil partners and unmarried same-sex partners
can achieve leave to enter the UK for 27 months and can apply after completion of
two years residence. But this is different for fiances and proposed civil partners
who are given leave to enter the UK for two years and can apply for ILR by or near
the end of this period, before the completion of two years residence.
Exceptions
In some cases people do not need to take the test . The United Kingdom
Border Authority (UKBA) official website provides all the required information
for these exceptions. But to sum up the core exception, you don’t need to take the
test if:
- You are under 18 years of age
- You are over 65 years of age
For people who are applying for permanent residency only and not opting for full
UK Citizenship, there are then some special exemptions who do not need to take the
test;
- Foreign and Commonwealth citizens on discharge from HM Forces (including Ghurkhas
where the qualifying period has been met)
- Spouses of foreign and Commonwealth citizens on discharge from HM Forces (including
Ghurkhas)
- Bereaved spouses, bereaved unmarried partners and bereaved civil partners
- Victims of domestic violence, who have leave to remain as a spouse or partner of
a person settled or naturalised in the UK
- Parents, grandparents and other dependent relatives living in exceptionally compassionate
circumstances, who are joining a person already present and settled in the UK
- Retired persons of independent means
- Spouses, civil partners, unmarried or same sex partners of British citizens or persons
settled in the UK, who are permanent members of HM Diplomatic Service; staff members
of the British Council on a tour of duty abroad; and staff members of the Department
for International Development
· EEA/EU nationals: nationals from a country in the European Economic Area (EEA)
or Switzerland can apply to the Border Agency for affirmation of their permanent
residence if they have lived in the UK continuously for five years. In addition
not necessarily to appear in the British Citizenship Test, they do not even have
to demonstrate a level of English language. But they have to have been employed,
studying or otherwise financially self-sufficient. They should also not have been
away from the UK for more than six months in every year - exceptions are made in
the case of compulsory military service, pregnancies, serious illness, vocational
training, or posting overseas.
- Turkish business people
- Refugees who have spent five years in the UK with permission
- People who have spent six years in the UK under discretionary leave
- People who have spent four years in the UK with exceptional leave to remain
- People who have spent five years in the UK under humanitarian protection.
- Health condition - If you’re certain physical or mental condition prevent
you from permanently studying or taking the test or studying for an ESOL qualification
than you can be an exempt. But if your condition responds to treatment that you
will be expected to take the test. Please note that a visual or hearing impairment
does not apply as an exemption from the test.
The British Citizenship Test is a compulsory requirement for most people wanting
to apply for British citizen. This article covers who needs to take the British
Citizenship Test when applying for citizenship.
Exemptions
Applicants under following are not to take test to apply for the citizenship.
· People over 65 years of age are exempted.
· Anyone who satisfies the settlement-stage requirements to have sufficient knowledge
of language and life in the UK do not have to do it again.
If you’re certain physical or mental condition prevent you from permanently studying
or taking the test or studying for an ESOL qualification than you can be an exempt.
But if your condition responds to treatment that you will be expected to take the
test. Please note that a visual or hearing impairment does not apply as an exemption
from the test. Temporary conditions such as stress and depression are not
normally grounds for exemption. You will need to support any applications for exemption
with evidence from your doctor.
There are some selected chapters that need to be studied from book called Life in
the UK: A journey to citizenship, the chapters are;
- Chapter 2 - A Changing Society
- Chapter 3 - UK Today: A Profile
- Chapter 4 - How the United Kingdom is Governed
- Chapter 5 - Everyday Needs
- Chapter 6 - Employment
The candidates are supposed to study these chapters thoroughly and carefully. The
questions given on the test are taken from these sections, including facts and figures.
For this purpose practice test are designed on this website to help you prepare
and test your knowledge. You should give each practice test as long as 45 minutes
to complete, and should achieve 75% marks by the end of the preparation, meaning
you should get 18 questions correct out of 24.
Study Guides
To fully prepare for the British Citizenship Test; the candidates need to read the
latest edition of the Home Office study material. the candidates are recommended
to consult the latest versions of the book while preparing for the test. The following
editions are up-to-date, includes the latest version of the Home Office materials,
as well as the latest information from Red Squirrel Publishing,
- British Citizenship Test: Kindle edition - ISBN 978-1-907389-05-4
- British Citizenship Test: Study Guide 2011 - ISBN 978-1-907389-03-0
- British Citizenship Test: Study Guide & CD Rom 2011 - ISBN 978-1-907389-04-7
- British Citizenship Test: Practice Questions (2nd ed) - ISBN 978-0-9552-1593-3
- British Citizenship Test: Study Guide 2010 - ISBN 978-1-907389-00-9
- British Citizenship Test: Study Guide & CD Rom 2010 - ISBN 978-1-907389-01-6
Meanwhile earlier versions are also available and are valid to study from,
- British Citizenship Test: Study Guide (3rd ed) - ISBN 978-0-9552-1594-0
- British Citizenship Test: Study Guide & CD Rom (3rd ed) - ISBN 978-0-9552-1596-4
- Life in the United Kingdom: A journey to citizenship - ISBN 978-0-1134-1313-3