How to book the Life in the UK test: cost and centres

Where to book the Life in the UK test

Book online through GOV.UK's official booking service. The test costs £50 and GOV.UK says to book at least 3 days in advance; sooner slots cost extra. You need an email address, a debit or credit card and an accepted form of ID.

GOV.UK says its Life in the UK Test booking service is the only official government service for booking the test. Start from the GOV.UK Life in the UK test page and book from there.

What you need before you start

GOV.UK lists three things you need to book:

• an email address
• a debit or credit card
• an accepted form of ID

Check which documents count before you begin. The ID requirements guide explains what to use when you book and what to bring on the day.

Think about any help you need at the test as well. GOV.UK says you can make special requests when you book, for example if you have a disability and need extra equipment or help accessing the centre.

The official booking service's help pages say the test system lets you adjust the font size and the screen background colour, and that headphones are provided so you can listen to audio of the questions.

Booking the test step by step

1. Start from the GOV.UK Life in the UK test page, rather than an advert or another website.
2. Have your email address, card and ID ready.
3. Choose 'Make a booking'. The official booking service's help pages say the first page after this asks about specific requirements, so tell it about any special arrangements you need.
4. Choose a test centre and a time. A slot less than 72 hours away, outside the core hours or on a Sunday costs extra, as the table below shows.
5. Pay the £50 test fee, plus any extras you chose, with your debit or credit card.
6. Save the date, time and centre somewhere you will see them, and set a reminder well before the 72-hour point, while a change is still free.

What the Life in the UK test costs

GOV.UK says the test costs £50. The official booking service's help pages list optional extras, which are charged on top of that fee.

The same help pages say a Sunday test within 72 hours is charged only one extra fee, £25 or £30, rather than two. GOV.UK says that if you do not pass, you can rebook as many times as you need, but you pay each time. The results guide covers what happens after the test.

Waiting times and short-notice tests

GOV.UK says you must book at least 3 days in advance. The official booking service's help pages say you can sit the test as early as 24 hours after booking, but that this is a paid optional service. Put together, a standard £50 booking needs at least 3 days' notice, and a sooner slot costs extra.

The same help pages say you can typically get a session within a month, and you will not have to wait more than two months.

Choose a date that leaves you time to revise, not just the first free slot. A few timed mock tests can show which topics still need work, and how to prepare sets out a simple revision routine.

Life in the UK test centres

GOV.UK says there are over 30 test centres in the UK, and you choose where to take your test when you book. You book online, but you sit the test at the centre you pick, so there is no need to find a centre before you start booking.

The official booking service's help pages say there is also one test centre outside the UK, and only serving members of the British Armed Forces and their dependants can use it.

GOV.UK says you cannot bring children or other family members with you to the centre. If you would normally travel with family or need childcare, sort that out before you choose a time.

Rescheduling, cancelling and refunds

The official booking service's help pages say you can change the time and date free of charge up to 3 days (72 hours) before your test. Within 72 hours, you would have to cancel and pay for a new test, and the fee for the old booking is not refunded.

GOV.UK says you get a refund if you cancel at least 3 days before the test. The £50 goes back to the card you used to book, and you do not need to contact UK Visas and Immigration. The GOV.UK cancellations and refunds page has the details.

Official booking and the test helpline

GOV.UK gives the test fee as £50. If a booking page asks for more when you have not chosen an optional extra, look closely at what you are paying for and check that you started from GOV.UK.

GOV.UK lists these contact details for the Life in the UK Test Helpline:

• email: support@lituk.psionline.com
• telephone: 0800 015 4245
• hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm

Whether you need the test at all depends on your situation. Who needs the test for settlement and citizenship gives the general picture, and GOV.UK's immigration adviser finder can help you find advice for your own case.