Can you use notes in the Life in the UK test? Test-day rules explained
No — you cannot use notes in the Life in the UK test. The test is strictly closed book: notes, copies of the official handbook, dictionaries, phones and even wristwatches are all banned from the test room, and your belongings go into a locker before you sit down. You are also searched before entering and monitored throughout. The good news is you do not need notes — the test is multiple choice, you can flag questions and come back to them, and you only need 18 out of 24 (75%) to pass.
- Notes, handbook copies and any written material are banned from the test room
- Phones, smartwatches, wristwatches and smart glasses must go in a locker
- You are searched before entry and monitored during the test
- You can flag questions, skip them and return before submitting
- Pass mark: 18 of 24 questions (75%) — you can get 6 wrong
- Cheating is reported to the Home Office and the police, with no refund
What you cannot bring into the test room
The official booking service is explicit: you cannot take copies of the Life in the UK handbook or any other written material into the test room. That rules out notes, revision cards, printed practice questions and dictionaries — including bilingual dictionaries. The test is taken in English (or Welsh or Scottish Gaelic on request), and no translation aids are permitted.
Electronic devices are banned too: mobile phones, smartwatches, ordinary wristwatches and smart glasses all have to be stored before you enter. Test centres provide lockers for your bag, coat, phone and anything else you are carrying. A clock is visible on screen during the test, so you will not miss your watch.
The only thing you must bring is the original ID document you used to book — not a photocopy or a screenshot. Staff will also take your photo to confirm your identity. If your ID does not match your booking exactly, or you refuse the photo, you will be turned away without a refund.
Security checks and monitoring on the day
Expect airport-style formality. After your ID check and photo, you will be searched before you can enter the test room to make sure nothing banned has slipped through. If you would prefer the check to happen in private, you can ask.
Once the test starts, staff monitor the room continuously. The test itself is 24 questions in 45 minutes, taken on a computer, and although the whole visit can take up to two hours with registration and security, most people finish the actual test comfortably inside the time limit. For a full walkthrough of the day from arrival to results, see our guide to what happens on the day of your Life in the UK test.
Can you skip questions and come back?
Yes. The on-screen test lets you move freely between questions, flag any you are unsure about, and change your answers at any point before you press finish. A sensible approach is to answer every question once — banking the easy marks — then use the review screen to revisit flagged questions with the time you have left.
This matters more than any crib sheet would. With 45 minutes for 24 questions, you have nearly two minutes per question, and most candidates finish with time to spare. Unanswered questions are marked wrong, so always select something before submitting.
How many questions can you get wrong?
The pass mark is 75%, which means 18 correct answers out of 24 — so you can get up to 6 questions wrong and still pass. There is no penalty for wrong answers beyond the lost mark, and every question carries equal weight. We break down exactly how the scoring works in our guide to the Life in the UK test pass mark.
You are told your result verbally at the centre shortly after finishing, and if you pass you will receive a unique reference number (URN) that the Home Office uses to verify your result when you apply for settlement or citizenship.
What happens if you break the rules
Cheating — or attempting to cheat — is treated as a serious offence. The official terms state that anyone caught will be stopped from taking the test, reported to the Home Office and the police, and may be prosecuted. It can also damage your settlement or citizenship application, you will not get a refund, and you may be barred from booking future tests.
Even lesser breaches have real consequences. Disruptive candidates are asked to leave without a refund, arriving late can mean your test is cancelled, and turning up with the wrong ID means you cannot sit the test at all — and at £50 per attempt, every forfeited booking is money gone.
The honest route is also the easier one. With a 75% pass mark, unlimited retakes and every question drawn from the official handbook, thorough preparation beats any shortcut. Take timed practice tests until you are consistently scoring above 18 out of 24, and you can walk into the test centre needing nothing but your ID.