More than half of the population are unable to pass the UK citizenship test - but how well would YOU do?

It's the general knowledge test that immigrants must take to prove they know about the British way of life.

Yet well over half of Brits would fail if they had to sit it, a new study has found.

Just 42 per cent of those who took a sample version of the Life In The UK quiz achieved the 75 per cent pass rate that would-be citizens need to hit.

That's despite many of the questions seeming far from taxing, such as When is Christmas Day? and What sort of event is the Grand National?

And to make it even easier, applicants are given multiple-choice answers, so when asked which two houses form the UK Parliament, applicants can choose from the Houses of Lords, Commons, Members – or Fraser.

Britons' pass rate falls well short of that achieved by migrants. In one recent year, 82 per cent of the 171,000 people who sat the test passed it.

The new research put 300 residents in each of seven nations to the test to see it they would pass their own citizenship test.

Brits had the sixth worst success rate with only Canada, with a pitiful seven per cent pass rate, faring worse. Australia came top on 96 per cent followed by Germany on 95 per cent, the US on 93 per cent and France and Spain joint fourth on 61 per cent.

Financial services company Remitly conducted the research. Spokesman Ollie Cassel said: 'The UK citizenship test was one of the more difficult for natives to pass.

'The difficulty of citizenship tests varies widely across countries reflecting different national priorities and perceptions of what it means to be a 'citizen'. Some emphasise knowledge of the history and government while others focus on language proficiency.'

The average pass rate needed to pass the test in the UK, Australia, France and Canada is 75 per cent but it is just 60 per cent in the US, Spain and Germany. Would-be British citizens have to answer 24 questions in 45 minutes, and pay £50 to take the test. Applicants can re-sit it as often as they wish.

Could YOU pass the Life In UK test? 

1) What was the last battle between Great Britain and France?

a) Trafalgar, b) Waterloo, c) Hastings, d) Agincourt

2) Which flower is associated with Wales?

a) Daffodil, b) Rose, c) Shamrock, d) Thistle

3) During the reign of Charles II, parts of London were destroyed. What was the cuase of the destruction?

a) War, b) Flood, c) Fire, d) Earthquake

4) How often are General Elections usually held in the UK?

a) Every three years, b) Every four years, c) Every five years, d) Every 10 years

5) Scotland has its own banknotes, which are valid everywhere in the UK...

a) True, b) False 

6) Great Britain refers only to England, Wales and Scotland... 

a) True, b) False 

7) Who was the tribal leader who fought the Romans?

a) Cleopatra, b) Claudia, c) Boudicca, d) St Augustine

8) Who was voted the greatest Briton of all time in 2002?

a) Isaac Newton, b) Winston Churchill, c) Alexander Fleming, d) Mo Farah 

9) Which two houses form the UK Parliament? (choose two)

a) House of Lords, b) House of Members, c) House of Commons, d) House of Fraser

10) When did women get the right to vote at the same age as men? 

a) 1918, b) 1928, c) 1938, d) 1948

11) Who is the head of the Church of England?

a) The Prime Minister, b) The Archbishop of Canturbury, c) The Pope, d) The Monarch

12) What sort of event is the Grand National?

a) Rugby match, b) Golf tournament, c) Horse race, d) Tennis tournament 

13) When is Christmas Day?

a) December 24, b) December 25, c) December 26, d) December 27 

14) What type of literature are the Canterbury Tales?

a) Poems, b) Novels, c) Jokes, d) Fables

15) Who supported King Charles I during the Civil War?

a) Roundheads, b) Suffragettes, c) Quakers, d) Cavaliers 


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Answers: 1b; 2a; 3c; 4c; 5a; 6a; 7c; 8b; 9a&c; 10b; 11d; 12c; 13b; 14a; 15d

In our slimmed-down version, 12 out of 15 correct is a pass.