Life in the UK Test — Exam 12 of 17
Exam 12 of 17 in the CitizenReady series: a fixed paper of 24 questions — the same questions every visit, so you can retake it, watch your score climb, then move on to Exam 13. Weighted like the real test (history, government and society heaviest) with the real format mix and the real pass mark of 18 out of 24 (75%). Tap an answer to check it instantly and read the explanation.
Question 1 · Chapter 1: Values & Principles
A school trip has fewer places than the number of pupils who want to go, so the school draws names from a hat to allocate the places. Which value does this method best show?
When something cannot be given to everyone, a fair method such as a draw gives every pupil an equal chance, instead of favouring some pupils over others.
Question 2 · Chapter 2: What is the UK?
The Strait of Dover, the busiest shipping lane in the world, is the narrowest part of which body of water?
The Strait of Dover is the narrowest part of the English Channel, where England and France are closest.
Question 3 · Chapter 3: History
King John sealed the Magna Carta in 1215 at Runnymede, beside the River Thames.
John met the barons at Runnymede, a meadow by the Thames near Windsor, and there sealed the Magna Carta in June 1215.
Question 4 · Chapter 4: Modern Society
Which of these is NOT a traditional feature of a British pantomime?
Audience participation is essential to pantomime — complete silence would ruin it. Dames, principal boys and 'He's behind you!' are all classic panto traditions.
Question 5 · Chapter 5: Government, Law & Your Role
Which TWO of these courts are part of Scotland's legal system?
Choose TWO answers — select both to see the result
Scotland has its own legal system. Most criminal and civil cases there are dealt with in the Sheriff Courts, and the most serious criminal cases, such as murder, are heard in the High Court of Justiciary. The Crown Court and the County Court are courts of England and Wales.
Question 6 · Chapter 2: What is the UK?
The thistle is the national flower of which part of the UK?
Scotland's flower is the thistle, a prickly purple plant that appears on many Scottish emblems.
Question 7 · Chapter 3: History
James Watt is celebrated for major improvements to which invention that powered the Industrial Revolution?
Watt's improved steam engine, developed in Scotland in the late 1700s, gave factories, mines and transport a far more efficient source of power.
Question 8 · Chapter 4: Modern Society
The British Grand Prix in Formula 1 motor racing is traditionally held at Brands Hatch.
Silverstone in Northamptonshire hosts the British Grand Prix and also staged the very first Formula 1 World Championship race in 1950.
Question 9 · Chapter 5: Government, Law & Your Role
The Mayor of London is responsible for which TWO of these areas in the capital?
Choose TWO answers — select both to see the result
The Mayor of London oversees transport in the capital, through Transport for London, and sets the strategy and budget for policing in London. Immigration and border control are matters for the UK government, and the NHS in London is not run by the Mayor.
Question 10 · Chapter 3: History
Queen Boudicca is famous for leading a rebellion against whom?
Boudicca, queen of the Iceni, led a revolt against Roman rule in Britain around AD 60.
Question 11 · Chapter 4: Modern Society
Brighton's Royal Pavilion, with its onion domes and Indian-style exterior, was built as a seaside palace for which royal?
The Royal Pavilion was built for George, Prince of Wales — later George IV — as his marine residence in Brighton, in a flamboyant Indian-inspired style outside and Chinese-inspired decoration inside.
Question 12 · Chapter 5: Government, Law & Your Role
A jury in England, Wales and Northern Ireland has 12 members.
Juries in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have 12 members; in Scotland a jury has 15 members.
Question 13 · Chapter 3: History
For roughly how long did Elizabeth I reign, from 1558 until her death?
Elizabeth I reigned from 1558 to 1603, about 45 years, a long reign often described as a golden age of English culture.
Question 14 · Chapter 4: Modern Society
The Yeomen Warders who guard the Tower of London and guide its visitors are popularly known by which nickname?
The Yeomen Warders of the Tower of London are popularly known as Beefeaters, and are instantly recognisable in their Tudor-style red and gold uniforms.
Question 15 · Chapter 5: Government, Law & Your Role
The Metropolitan Police, London's police force, was founded in which year?
The Metropolitan Police was founded in 1829 by the Home Secretary, Sir Robert Peel, creating the first modern police force in Britain.
Question 16 · Chapter 3: History
What did the Great Reform Act of 1832 mainly do?
The 1832 Act swept away constituencies controlled by one family or with almost no voters, and gave the vote to more men in the growing industrial towns.
Question 17 · Chapter 4: Modern Society
Ebenezer Scrooge, the miser who learns to keep Christmas generously, appears in a story by which author?
Scrooge is the central character of A Christmas Carol, written by Charles Dickens and published in 1843.
Question 18 · Chapter 5: Government, Law & Your Role
As well as multiple-choice questions about the rules of the road, what else does the driving theory test include?
The theory test has two parts: multiple-choice questions and a hazard perception test in which candidates watch video clips and spot developing hazards.
Question 19 · Chapter 3: History
The earliest castles built by the Normans in England were usually of which type?
The Normans first built motte-and-bailey castles: a wooden tower on an earth mound (the motte) beside an enclosed courtyard (the bailey), which could be put up quickly from earth and timber.
Question 20 · Chapter 4: Modern Society
The Forth Bridge, the great cantilever bridge near Edinburgh, was built to carry what across the Firth of Forth?
The Forth Bridge is a railway bridge: its red steel cantilevers have carried trains across the Firth of Forth since 1890.
Question 21 · Chapter 5: Government, Law & Your Role
The speech the monarch reads at the State Opening of Parliament sets out the government's plans. Who actually writes that speech?
Although the monarch delivers the speech at the State Opening, its contents are written by the government and set out the government's plans for new laws.
Question 22 · Chapter 4: Modern Society
In 1953, scientists working in Britain helped to establish the structure of DNA. What shape did they show it has?
Working in Cambridge, James Watson and Francis Crick established in 1953 that DNA forms a double helix, drawing on research data produced in London by Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins' team.
Question 23 · Chapter 5: Government, Law & Your Role
Since October 2014, what has changed about the paper tax disc once displayed in car windscreens?
The paper tax disc was abolished in 2014; drivers still pay vehicle tax, but entitlement is checked from electronic records, for example by cameras.
Question 24 · Chapter 5: Government, Law & Your Role
In Scotland, children and young people who have offended, or who need care and protection, are usually dealt with through which system?
Scotland's Children's Hearings system deals both with children who offend and with those who need care or protection, focusing on the child's welfare rather than punishment.
Green = correct · red = wrong · red ring = marked for review · gold outline = current question
Your result
Advertisement
Sit Exam 12 under real exam conditions
In the free app this exact paper runs against the 45-minute clock, with mark-for-review and a pre-submit check — and finishing it ticks Exam 12 off your series progress, saved on your device. The Pass Pack (£9.99, one-time) adds the printable PDF of all 1240 questions, the audio pack, bilingual explanations and a personal finish plan.