Life in the UK test success!

Yippee!!  I passed my Life in the UK test today! 

I read the book through (only chapters 2-6 that they test on) twice (once in the days just before the test).  I did loads of practise tests here:

http://www.theuktest.com/life-in-the-uk-test/1

The link isn't an official test (some of the questions are worded terribly), but it helped me feel like I was more prepared. 

Some people had other study guides and one guy had a stack of notecards he was reviewing before the test.  One guy was doing a test on the app whilst the administrator was explaining the test and he got told off.    Phone off or on silent and out of view. 

They said to arrive at the test centre 15 minutes before it was scheduled.  I was there well before and they told me I couldn't wait there.... so I went to the library and studies until they let us in. 

The first 30 minutes of the exam time was just the administrators checking IDs and getting everyone set at a computer.  There were 13 people scheduled for the test.  One didn't show up and two were sent away after their IDs (or lack of IDs) were checked.  I'm not sure why, but I presume it was because they didn't have the right ID or proof of postcode.

They gave us a pencil and paper if we wanted it (I took someone's suggestion here and wrote numbers 1-24 on the paper and ticked each questions I was sure of and made of note of ones I wasn't so confident on) and let us take a 4-question practise test (you can take it twice).

The test took me about 15 minutes.  I read each question thoroughly and went through the whole thing twice. 

In the actual test, there were some questions on kids, the census, religion, government, who can vote and welfare benefits.    Luckily, I didn't get any population questions, so I didn't have to do any hard thinking about all the stats in the book! 

They don't give each person their results until everyone has finished the test, so after finishing, I had to wait about 20 minutes to learn my fate (even though I could hear the printer print each person's pass certificate when they hit 'finish' ).

I was out of the test facility just over an hour after it was scheduled to start.

I'd recommend reading the book a few times, writing a few notes (I put sticky notes in my book) and doing some online practise tests.    There is an official app, but I didn't think it would work on my iPad Mini so I didn't get it. 

Good luck to everyone taking the test! 

YAY!!!!!!!!!!! WELL DONE!!!! 

Thanks, Lara!   

Now that I think of it, you were the one who mentioned taking the piece of paper they offer to write numbers 1-24 and tick them off if your certain about them.    Thanks for that great advice.    Only 2-3 people took the paper!  It certainly helped me. 

Thanks for sharing! I'm going to take the test as soon as I get my FLR(M) so it's one less thing to worry about (and in case they change the test again).

Was this the new test then? Were you able to study for it using the old materials? Thanks for sharing the link you used, that's helpful

Congratulations! 

Thanks, luckyjinx! 

Was this the new test then? Were you able to study for it using the old materials?

I used the test book they recommend (the blue/purple one with the yellow dot saying 'The book from which the 2011 Official Life in the United Kingdom test questions are set') and the website I gave the link for.  That's it.    

There's an official app, too, but I tried the free one on my iPad Mini and it didn't seem to work, so I didn't pay for the complete app.    I did see at least one person using it the app practise before the test today but I was fine without it.  

Cool. Now I'm just wondering if they will update the test based on the most recent Census.

I'll check out the app, thanks!

The only Census question I got was a general census one.... not year specific.  Actually, I don't think there was anything with a specific year or any time-sensitive data (like 'what was the population of ______ in 2007?').  All the questions I got applied when they were written in 2011 and are still correct (to my knowledge) now. 

I was worried about them updating the test, too.  Or up-ing the fee!  £50 is enough for what takes only 10-20 minutes if done thoroughly! 

I was also kind of worried about studying for the test and having them change the material before I took the test.    Hopefully they'd give a few months' notice before doing that, but you never know.....   

I just got FLR(M) in December (yeah!) so I'm not due for ILR until November/December 2014.  But I'm glad to get it over with.   

Congrats!!  Im going to take mine in the morning!!

Congrats!!  Im going to take mine in the morning!!

Cool!  Good luck! 

Make sure you bring the right ID and proof of postcode.    As I said, two people out of 12 were turned away.... presumably for not having the right documents.   

Congrats travellingfrog.

Yes, the advice you have given here is good as 4 people were turned away at my centre too. In fact, I was initially asked to leave too. The administrator checked my passport and said my name is 'significally different' from that on the system.

I didn't put down my middle names, just first and last names but my passport has all my names. So I asked him to define significally different and told him that the system only requires first and last names as the fields are asterisked. Middle names are optional.

He looked at me and said "ok you can take the test" imagine if I just walked out without a fight.

Yeah read book twice and practice a few tests. Sure success.

Glad to hear they let you take the test, itsover! 

The online registration does say that the name you register with must match exactly to the one on the ID you've registered with.  They can't asterisk the middle name field because not everyone has a middle name.  But if you've got one and it's on your ID, then it should be entered.   

I was a little worried about the town/city on the registration.    The form asks for town/city but US passports list 'place of birth' as the state of birth rather than city.     Since the BRPs say the same as the passports and the names must match the ID for the Life in the UK test, I figured (with the help of some here on UK Yankee) that the town/city must match as well.     I put my state as my 'town or city of birth' and was fine.    The guy didn't know any better.   

I was sure to bring a proof of postcode with my middle name on it, too, just in case (the letter that came with my biometrics card)..... plus a few extra letters just in case..... and a recent one with my married name (ID and other letters I brought were in my maiden name) with my marriage certificate..... because I didn't want ANY reason to be turned away.    I was fine with the letter sent with my BRP (it has my name exactly as it is on my BRP which is the ID I used). 

The right documents seem to be a huge issue for some people, so bring more than you think they'll want..... just in case they don't accept one. 

Congratulations!

I think that the testing centres may vary slightly in their practices.  When I took the test in Edinburgh, I arrived an hour early and was allowed to wait there, unlike what happened at your centre.  Also, when I finished the test I didn't have to wait until everyone else finished in order to get my results.

I had the same concern about the town/city of birth; I had put down both the town and the state on the registration form and they compared that to my passport which showed only the state.  The examiner said she was required to make a note in the record that there was a slight variation, but that they saw this kind of thing with U.S. passports all the time.

Congratulations! 

Thanks orkneytime & Hello Panda! 

I think that the testing centres may vary slightly in their practices.

Yeah.... I'm sure that's the case.    They also seemed to have changed and gotten a bit more strict on some of the ID requirements a few months ago (the middle name issue and the way it's displayed on the registration form and the document with proof of post code).  But it probably does vary from centre to centre..... probably even administrator to administrator. 

Congrats!!!