What chance to pass the Life in the UK Test?

To settle permanently in the United Kingdom or to be granted British Citizenship most people now have to pass ‘The Life in the UK Test’.

Garuda Publications used data released by the UK government to arrive at pass rates for the current version of the test.

• The overall pass rate for the current Life in the UK test is 70%.   We found that the pass rate varies considerably depending on the country of origin of the person taking the test.
• The overall pass rate of EU citizens is 86%.  Pass rates from within the EU vary from 71% to 100%.

Pass rates by the EU country of origin of the person taking the test are given below:

1. Austria  71%
2. Belgium 75%
3. Bulgaria 84%
4. Croatia  92%
5. Cyprus  83%
6. Czech Republic  93%
7. Denmark 95%
8. Estonia 87%
9. Finland 86%
10. France  87%
11. Germany 91%
12. Greece 91%
13. Hungary 90%
14. Ireland  95%
15. Italy 92%
16. Latvia 80%
17. Lithuania 81%
18. Luxembourg 100%
19. Malta 100%
20. Netherlands 81%
21. Poland  87%
22. Portugal 80%
23. Romania 79%
24. Slovakia 88%
25. Slovenia 100%
26. Spain 89%
27. Sweden 86%

The overall pass rate for those originally from outside the EU was 68%. Pass rates from outside the EU vary from 33% to 100%

• For example:
  • Lao 33%
  • Afghanistan 40%
  • Syria 67%
  • Nigeria 69%
  • India 74%
  • Canada 95%
  • Iceland 100% (small sample)

See our full report ‘Life in the UK Test Pass Rates 2017’ to look up the pass rates for individual countries.

Life in the UK Test Pass Rates 2017

Source data:  www.gov.uk – Knowledge of language and Life in the UK test results, 2009 to 2014, 30 April 2014  FOI release 30799