In order to apply for ILR, you need to pass the Life in the UK test
https://www.gov.uk/life-in-the-uk-test
https://www.gov.uk/life-in-the-uk-test
I found this quite a daunting task. I first bought all the 4 books mentioned here:
https://www.officiallifeintheuk.co.uk/shop
https://www.officiallifeintheuk.co.uk/shop
And started reading through them when I had COVID in December, 2020 ( a few weeks before we had planned to apply for our ILR - https://omarsguidelines.blogspot.com/2020/12/i-caught-covid-19.html)
I found them very boring and eventually lost interest and started binge watching TV shows instead.
I started asking around on Facebook groups and other colleagues who had been through this recently and they all said the same thing:
Do 1-16 tests and all the exam questions here:
https://lifeintheuktestweb.co.uk/tests/
Do 1-16 tests and all the exam questions here:
https://lifeintheuktestweb.co.uk/tests/
Apparently, they too had tried to read the books and lost interest.
BOOKING THE TEST
Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, there were limited slots available and the center closest to us was in Leeds, a 2 hour drive from where we lived.
Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, there were limited slots available and the center closest to us was in Leeds, a 2 hour drive from where we lived.
As my wife and I both had to give it and could not arrange childcare ( the center had clear instruction not to bring any children or anyone who was not appearing in the test), we decided to book our tests on separate dates. My wife had her test first and I had mine 10 days later.
PREPARING FOR THE TEST
We did the questions from the aforementioned websites again and again. The books were helpful as a reference like the list of wives of Henry VIII. But I would not suggest reading them cover to cover especially if you have a short attention span like mine.
We did the questions from the aforementioned websites again and again. The books were helpful as a reference like the list of wives of Henry VIII. But I would not suggest reading them cover to cover especially if you have a short attention span like mine.
My wife made notes based on the pool bank as well however I found doing the questions in the pool bank repeatedly very helpful. I kept doing them till I got 100%.
It took me maximum 2 hours to do the whole pool bank like this and I did it for a week.
THE TEST
As mentioned above, only the candidates are allowed to enter the building. We booked our tests on weekends so parking was not an issue.
As mentioned above, only the candidates are allowed to enter the building. We booked our tests on weekends so parking was not an issue.
They do a very thorough checking, ask you to put your belongings in a locker and you can then enter the exam room.
It is all computer based - you do 2 questions as practice just to get used to the system and then the actual test.
My wife did hers in 3 minutes and I did mine in 5.
The total time allocated for this is 45 minutes.
RESULT
You get an email to login to your account 5 to 10 minutes after giving the test and you get a reference number with the result stating whether you have passed or not. We both passed.
You get an email to login to your account 5 to 10 minutes after giving the test and you get a reference number with the result stating whether you have passed or not. We both passed.
Overall, we did learn quite a lot about politics, things in general so it was not a total waste of time. But just like medical exams, there is a method to prepare for this test. In this case, it is to study smart by doing pool questions and not wasting your time on the books which you will forget within a few hours of reading through them.
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