24 questions: Can you pass the British citizenship test?

Israelis have been trying to get European passports for years, motivated by factors such as possibly moving abroad, free university education, shorter lines at border controls in Europe and because "it's always good to have it."

However, the United Kingdom is no longer part of the European Union. If you were thinking of moving to the UK (consisting of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), you should know that you need to pass a multiple choice UK citizenship test, with questions about the country, its history and the way of life there.

But the test is a subject of considerable controversy in the UK due to its difficulty, with many claiming that even British citizens would fail the test.

In 2022, the House of Lords called for the test to be reviewed, and Simon Murray promised to do so by June.

So if you want to apply for UK citizenship, you'll need to pay £50 and then take the test and get at least 75% correct. 

Will you be able to answer them all? Come and try – answers at the end.

1. Which Shakespeare play contains the line "To be or not to be?"

1. Romeo and Juliet
2. Henry V
3. Macbeth
4. Hamlet

2. What year was the United Kingdom established?

1. 1677
2. 1687
3. 1697
4. 1707

3. In World War II, the Allies fought the Axis. Which of the following countries was not part of the Axis?

1. Italy
2. Hungary
3. Japan
4. Germany

4. Many of Charles I's parliamentarians were part of a Christian denomination that advocated for a strict and simple religious doctrine. What were they called?

1. Presbyterians
2. Methodists
3. Baptists
4. Puritans

5. When did people in Britain first start farming?

1. Around 7,000 years ago
2. Around 6,000 years ago
3. Around 4,000 years ago
4. Around 5,000 years ago

6. What was the biggest source of employment in Britain before the Industrial Revolution?

1. Coal mining
2. Metalworking
3. Agriculture
4. Cotton farming

7. What happened after the May 2010 general elections?

1. The Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats formed a coalition
2. The Conservative Party and the Labour Party formed a coalition
3. The Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats formed a coalition
4. The Conservative Party won a majority

8. What happened in the year 1400?

1. England lost the Hundred Years' War
2. The Romans invaded England
3. English replaced Old French in Parliament and the Royal Courts of England
4. The Battle of Hastings

9. In what battle did the Scots defeat the English in 1314?

1. The Battle of Caernarfon
2. The Battle of Rhodian
3. The Battle of Bannockburn
4. The Battle of Conway

10. What was the name of the first prime minister?

1. Sir Francis Drake
2. Robert Walpole
3. Oliver Cromwell
4. Charles Edward Stewart

11. What time do the pubs usually open from Monday to Saturday?

1. 10 a.m.
2. 11 a.m.
3. 12 p.m.
4. 1 p.m.

12. Which of these expressions does not come from cricket?

1. To hit a sticky wicket
2. Match abandoned due to rain
3. Hole in one
4. Playing straight bat

13. In which two months can the Hindu holiday of Diwali take place?

1. April or May
2. September or October
3. May or June
4. October or November

14. Which of these statements about the European Union is false?

1. It was founded by six Western European countries
2. It was founded by the countries that signed the Treaty of Rome in 1957
3. It has 18 member states
4. EU Law is legally binding in the UK

15. What is the capital city of Scotland?

1. London
2. Edinburgh
3. Cardiff
4. Belfast

16. Which of these relates to criminal law and not civil law?

1. Labor law
2. Drinking in an alcohol-free zone
3. Debt
4. Housing law

17. Civil servants must belong to a political party

• True
• False

18. When do young people get their National Insurance number?

1. Before their 15th birthday
2. Before their 17th birthday
3. Before their 18th birthday
4. Before their 16th birthday

19. A free press means that what is written in the newspaper isn't controlled by the government 

• True
• False

20. MPs from the second-largest party form their own cabinet. What is it called?

1. The opposition cabinet
2. The shadow cabinet
3. The secondary cabinet
4. The deputy cabinet

21. What do young children think Father Christmas (British Santa) brings them on Christmas Eve?

1. Presents
2. Christmas tree
3. Sweets
4. Pies

22. In which country within the United Kingdom is the village of John o'Groats?

1. Northern Ireland
2. Wales
3. England
4. Scotland

23. What is the name of the Paralympic sprinter who won the London Marathon six times and holds 16 Paralympic medals?

1. David Weir
2. Sir Chris Hoy
3. Kelly Holmes
4. Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson

24. What was the name of the 1833 law that abolished slavery throughout the British Empire?

1. Abolition Act
2. Act of Freedom
3. Bill of Rights
4. Act of Cancellation

Answers:

1. D: Hamlet
2. D: 1707
3. B: Hungary
4. D: Puritans
5. B: Around 6,000 years ago
6. C: Agriculture
7. C: The Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats formed a coalition
8. C: English replaced Old French in Parliament and the Royal Courts of England
9. C: The Battle of Bannockburn
10. B: Robert Walpole
11. B: At 11 a.m.
12. C: Hole in one
13. D: October or November
14. C: There are 18 member states
15. B: Edinburgh
16. B: Drinking in an alcohol-free zone
17. False
18. D: Before their 16th birthday
19. True
20. B: Shadow cabinet
21. A: A gift
22. D: Scotland
23. D: Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson
24. A: Abolition Act