UK CompanionLife in the UK Test Format: 24 Questions, 45 Minutes
By UK Companion
Before you book, it helps to know exactly what happens in the test room. The format has stayed consistent for years: 24 questions, 45 minutes, computer-based, multiple choice, 75% to pass.
Knowing the shape of the thing removes a surprising amount of anxiety. Most of what goes wrong on test day is procedural rather than academic — the wrong ID, an unexpected question type, or panicking about a clock that was never going to be a problem.
The basics
- 24 questions, drawn from the official handbook and nothing else
- 45 minutes on the clock — comfortably more than most people need
- Multiple choice, usually four options per question
- Some questions ask for more than one answer — these are marked as a whole
- Pass mark: 75%, meaning at least 18 correct
- Result immediately — you know before you leave the building
The arithmetic that matters: you can get six wrong. The seventh fails you. There is no rounding, no scaling, and no partial credit.
The four question types
People expect a single format and meet four. None are difficult once you have seen them, but the first time is not the moment to work out what is being asked.
Standard multiple choice. One correct answer from four options. This is the bulk of the test.
Select two answers. The question tells you explicitly to pick two. You must get both right — one correct and one wrong scores zero, exactly the same as two wrong. These catch people who skim the instruction.
True or false. A single statement to judge. Usually straightforward, occasionally worded to trip you if you read quickly.
Which statement is correct? Two full sentences, one true. These are the slowest to read and where careless mistakes cluster, because both options often look plausible until you spot the changed detail — a date, a number, a name.
Topics arrive in no particular order. You might get Magna Carta, then bank holidays, then how MPs are elected, in consecutive questions. Do not read anything into the sequence.
What test day actually looks like
Before
Bring the right ID
The same document you used to book, plus proof of your address. The wrong ID means you are turned away and lose the fee.
On arrival
Checks and lockers
Photo and signature taken. Phones, bags and notes go in a locker — you cannot take anything to the desk.
Practice
Four sample questions
An untimed warm-up so you know how the screen works. It does not count towards your score.
45 minutes
The 24 real questions
You can flag questions and come back to them. Most people finish well inside the time.
After
Your result
Pass or fail before you leave. No score, no breakdown of what you missed.
Two details cause most of the avoidable failures.
Your ID must match the booking exactly. The document you bring has to be the same one you booked with, and it has to be current. Turning up with a different passport, or one that expired last month, means you are turned away and lose the £50. Test centres are not able to make exceptions on this.
Your address must match too. You are asked for proof of the address you gave when booking. If you have moved since, update the booking before the day rather than arguing at the desk.
Timing: not the problem you think it is
Forty-five minutes for twenty-four questions is under two minutes each, which sounds tight and is not. Most people finish in fifteen to twenty minutes. The clock is there to stop you sitting all afternoon, not to rush you.
A sensible approach:
- Answer what you know first and keep moving. Confidence builds momentum.
- Flag anything uncertain and come back. The system lets you review before submitting.
- Never leave anything blank. There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so a guess is strictly better than nothing.
- Re-read every multi-answer question before you submit. This is where marks are lost carelessly rather than through not knowing.
- Use the review screen. It shows you anything unanswered, which is your last chance to catch a skipped question.
If you find yourself genuinely short of time, you did not have a timing problem — you had a preparation problem. That is worth knowing before you book rather than after.
What you cannot take in
- Notes, books or printouts of any kind
- Your phone, watch or any other device
- Bags, which go in a locker before you start
You cannot ask the invigilator anything about the content, pause the timer, or leave and return. The room is quiet and supervised throughout.
It is worth practising the same way. If you look up an answer halfway through a mock, you have learned that you can look up answers, which is not a skill the real test rewards.
Does the format differ for ILR and citizenship?
No. It is the same test, the same handbook, the same 24 questions and the same 75%, whether you are applying for indefinite leave to remain or citizenship. Pass it once and it counts for both — you do not sit it again when you naturalise later.
How to practise for the real thing
Timed practice under exam conditions is the only preparation that tells you anything reliable. Answering questions with the book open tells you the book contains the answers, which you already knew.
UK Companion's exam mode uses the same 24 questions and 45-minute clock as the official test, so the pacing you get used to is the pacing you will meet.
Try free practice questions on the web to see where you stand, read more about the pass mark, or download the app for full timed mock exams and study notes.
Practise real questions now
Try a free practice round on the web, or download the app for the full question bank.