For the vast majority of those seeking UK settlement or British Citizenship passing the Life in the UK Test is a mandatory hurdle on that journey.
EU citizens have not been created equal when it comes to passing the Life in the UK Test
| Ranking | Nationality of origin | Life in the UK Test Pass Rate (%) |
| 1 | Luxembourg | 100% |
| Malta | ||
| Slovenia | ||
| 2 | Denmark | 95% |
| Ireland | ||
| 3 | Czech Republic | 93% |
| 4 | Croatia | 92% |
| Italy | ||
| 5 | Germany | 91% |
| Greece | ||
| 6 | Hungary | 90% |
| 7 | Spain | 89% |
| 8 | Slovakia | 88% |
| 9 | France | 87% |
| Poland | ||
| Estonia | ||
| 10 | Finland | 86% |
| Sweden | ||
| 11 | Bulgaria | 84% |
| 12 | Cyprus | 83% |
| 13 | Lithuania | 81% |
| Netherlands | ||
| 14 | Latvia | 80% |
| Portugal | ||
| 15 | Romania | 79% |
| 16 | Belgium | 75% |
| 17 | Austria | 71% |
| Source data: www.gov.uk – Knowledge of language and Life in the UK test results, 2009 to 2014, 30 April 2014 FOI release 30799 | ||
The Life in the UK Test is a glorified English comprehension test. You study the official text, pay your £50, and if you get 18 out of 24 multiple choice questions correct (75%) you get a bit of paper that you need for later in the UK settlement process.
Does it matter that EU citizens originating from different countries have different pass rates?
Looked at from one perspective passing the Life in the UK test establishes a minimum standard required of British citizens.
Considered in a different way one might argue that the Life in the UK test clearly favours EU citizens from some countries over others. Is that fair and equitable?
There’s a third factor specific to EU citizens and BREXIT here – reciprocity. How would you fare in a, potentially life changing, written language test conducted in a foreign language?
What’s your perspective?
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Life in the UK Test pass rates of EU citizens – what’s your perspective
Life in the UK Test Pass Rates
In March 2017 Garuda Publications published its analysis of the Life in the UK Test results from April 2013 to February 2014 as released by the UK Government under FOI. These provide the most up to date publicly available data on the pass rates of the current test by nationality of origin.