Closed petition Revise the UK citizenship test to ensure it supports meaningful integration

Closed on 14 April 2022

The ‘Life in the UK’ test is meant to prepare applicants for UK citizenship. Most countries have a civics test, however the UK’s has come under repeated criticism as its questions are often trivial and inconsistent. The test should be revised to ensure it helps applicants “integrate into society”.

An array of topics are covered from entertainment trivia to facts on people a native citizen would be unlikely to know. As pointed out by Dr Brooks in ‘Life in the UK Citizenship Test: Is It Unfit For Purpose’ (2013) it “no longer requires knowledge about the NHS…how to report a crime or contact an ambulance and other everyday knowledge…all new citizens should know. Instead, applicants must know the age of Big Ben and the height of the London Eye.” It serves no purpose and should be revised.