Life in the UK test results: the short answer
The official booking service's help pages say you should get an email with your unique reference number (URN) within 10 minutes of finishing the test. If you pass, you need that number for your citizenship or settlement application. If you fail, GOV.UK says you can rebook as many times as you need, but you pay the £50 fee each time.
GOV.UK says you must score 75% or more to pass. The Life in the UK test format guide explains the number of questions, the time limit and what the test covers.
How and when you get your Life in the UK test result
The official booking service's help pages say the email with your URN should arrive within 10 minutes of the test. Each test you take has its own URN. You can also see all your test results in the results tab of your Life in the UK account.
If your result has not arrived within 24 hours, those help pages say to contact the helpline. Check your junk folder first. GOV.UK lists the Life in the UK Test Helpline as:
- Email: support@lituk.psionline.com
- Telephone: 0800 015 4245
- Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm
What your unique reference number is for
GOV.UK says you need your unique reference number to complete your citizenship or settlement application. The Home Office uses it to check that you passed.
Copy the number somewhere safe as soon as the email arrives, with the date you sat the test. You will want it to hand when you fill in your application.
If you took the test before 17 December 2019, you have a letter with a test reference ID instead of a URN. If you have lost that letter, GOV.UK says to send a letter explaining this with your citizenship or settlement application.
If you pass the Life in the UK test
GOV.UK says you do not need to take the test again if you have already passed it. Its example is applying for citizenship after passing the test for settlement. Keep your URN, or your test reference ID letter, where you can find it later.
Under Appendix KOL UK of the Immigration Rules, you meet the Knowledge of Life in the UK requirement by providing a valid digital reference number from an approved provider showing that you passed the test.
Whether your own application needs the test, and who is exempt, is covered in the Life in the UK test for ILR and citizenship.
What happens if you fail the Life in the UK test
GOV.UK says you can rebook the test as many times as you need. You have to pay each time, and the test costs £50.
Book again through GOV.UK. If you have read about a fixed waiting period before a retake, check the dates the booking service actually offers you. The booking guide walks through each step.
A failed attempt is useful information about where to focus next. For context, the pass-rate guide covers the Home Office's official figures for all test takers.
How to prepare before you retake the test
A new date helps most when the time before it goes on the topics that caught you out.
- On the day, write down the topics that felt uncertain while you still remember them.
- Go back to the official handbook for those topics. Close it and explain each one aloud.
- Try practice questions on the same topics. Note every wrong answer and every guess.
- Take a fresh timed mock test and review each mistake by its cause: a missing fact, two confused ideas or a rushed read.
- Pick a test date that leaves time to repeat this for your weakest topics.
Learn Britain's questions are original practice questions, not real test questions. Treat a practice score as feedback on that material, not a prediction. The mock test review guide explains how to learn from each result.
If your visa or application deadline is close
Whether a failed test affects your plans depends on your own situation, which a general guide like this cannot assess.
If a deadline is close, get advice before you decide what to do. GOV.UK points you to the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) Adviser Finder to find a registered immigration adviser.
Refunds and complaints about your test
GOV.UK sets out when you can get your money back:
- Cancel at least 3 days (72 hours) before your test and you get a refund. The £50 goes back to the card you booked with.
- Cancel or rearrange within 3 days of the test and there is no refund.
- If the test centre cancels your test, you can ask PSI for a refund within 3 months of the test date.
You cannot ask for a refund if you brought the wrong ID, were ill, were late, did not bring the right documents or refused to have your photo taken.
To complain, contact PSI within 3 months of the test date. Email complaints@lituk.psionline.com or call 0800 015 4245. You will get a response within 10 working days. The full rules are on the GOV.UK cancellations, refunds and complaints page.
Common questions
How many times can you take the Life in the UK test?
As many times as you need. GOV.UK says you pay each time you rebook, and the test costs £50.
Does a Life in the UK test pass expire?
GOV.UK says you do not need to take the test again if you have passed it before, for example when you apply for citizenship after passing it for settlement. Keep your reference number safe so you can give it in your application.
Do you get a certificate when you pass the Life in the UK test?
GOV.UK says that if you pass, you get a unique reference number to use in your citizenship or settlement application. If you took the test before 17 December 2019, you have a letter with a test reference ID instead.
What if I have lost my Life in the UK test pass letter?
Pass letters with a test reference ID come from tests taken before 17 December 2019. If you have lost yours, GOV.UK says to send a letter explaining this with your citizenship or settlement application.
How many mistakes can you make in the Life in the UK test?
GOV.UK says you need a score of 75% or more to pass. The test has 24 questions, so that means at least 18 correct answers and no more than 6 wrong. In revision, aim to be comfortably above that on questions you have not seen before, rather than working to the minimum.
What should I do if my result email has not arrived?
The official booking service's help pages say the email should come within 10 minutes. Look in the results tab of your Life in the UK account, and contact the helpline if nothing has arrived within 24 hours.
Go straight to the source
Keep these official sources handy as you revise.
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