Life in the UK test pass rate: Home Office figures

What is the Life in the UK test pass rate?

In the year to June 2026, 75.9% of Life in the UK tests taken were passes: 322,949 out of 425,612. These are Home Office figures about all tests taken, not results from Learn Britain.

The figures come from table LUK_01, 'Tests taken in relation to Applications', in the Home Office release Visas, status and immigration data: April to June 2026. It was published on 27 August 2026 as part of the Home Office's Migration transparency data.

Every pass rate on this page is calculated from the counts in that table: passes divided by tests taken, rounded to one decimal place. The section on reading the figures explains why.

Life in the UK test statistics by period

The table below compares the two most recent quarters with two longer periods from the same release.

The rate for the year to June 2026 is about five percentage points higher than for the year to June 2025. Both recent quarters sit close to the yearly figure.

Pass rates for settlement and citizenship

The table splits tests by the kind of application they relate to. In the year to June 2026, 227,800 tests were linked to settlement applications and 186,629 of them were passes, a rate of 81.9%. Of the 195,583 tests linked to citizenship applications, 134,819 were passes, a rate of 68.9%.

The table reports counts, not reasons, so it cannot tell you why the citizenship rate is lower. Avoid reading more into the gap than the numbers show.

Which route applies to you is a separate question. Who needs the test for settlement and citizenship covers that. For advice on your own application, use GOV.UK's find an immigration adviser service.

Record numbers of tests taken

January to March 2026 had 126,822 tests, the most in any quarter since the table starts in April to June 2010.

The rise shows over a full year too. In the year to June 2026, 425,612 tests were taken, against 302,520 in the year to June 2025. Because the table counts tests, it cannot show whether more people sat the test, more people sat it again, or both.

How to read the pass-rate figures

Keep these points in mind before you quote or compare a figure.

• The table counts tests taken. It does not show how many different people took them or which were first attempts, so a pass rate for tests is not the same as the share of people who eventually pass.
• The table's notes say the data are based on defined reports supplied and reconciled by PSI Services, and are not subject to detailed checking by the Home Office.
• For January to March 2026, the table prints a pass rate of 70.1%, but its own counts give 76.1%. That is why every rate here is worked out from the counts.
• Alongside settlement and citizenship, the table has an 'other applications' category for tests taken for research, journalistic and academic purposes. The two main groups therefore do not add up to the full total.

To check for a newer release, look at the Home Office's Migration transparency data page and note which period any figure covers.

How many mistakes are allowed?

GOV.UK says you must score 75% or more to pass. It gives the pass mark only as a percentage, but with 24 questions that means 18 correct answers. You can get up to 6 questions wrong and still pass.

The test format guide covers the questions, the time limit and what the test covers. To rehearse the 24-question format, try a timed mock test. Learn Britain's questions are original practice questions, not real test questions, so a mock score is feedback rather than a prediction.

Is the Life in the UK test hard?

In the year to June 2026, about 3 in 4 tests were passes and about 1 in 4 were not. For tests linked to citizenship applications, the rate was lower, at 68.9%.

A national rate describes all tests taken, not your own chances. A better guide to your readiness is whether you can recall facts from every topic without prompts, including the ones you find dull.

If you do not pass, GOV.UK says you can rebook the test as many times as you need, but you have to pay each time. What happens after your result explains the next steps. Since each attempt costs a fee, it is worth preparing properly before you book through GOV.UK.

How to prepare sets out a revision method, and how to use mock tests shows how to learn from each wrong answer.