Could You Pass a UK Citizenship Test?


In 2013, well before any talk of a Brexit or the leaving of the European Union largely fuelled by growing resistance to immigration, officials in the UK changed the citizenship test for aspiring Britons to focus more on the UK's achievements and history rather than its laws and governmental functions. It's been well documented that the average UK citizen can't pass this test yet those seeking citizenship largely pass this survey of historic and cultural knowledge on the first attempt with an average score of around 90%. While we are curious to why anyone would want to live in that weather, the UK is a kingdom rich in history and tradition which its new citizens know better than those that wish to keep them out. Good luck with the following 50 questions.

Quiz WriterKyle


Did you know?

Big Ben Isn't a Clock

Big Ben is just the bell inside the clock tower. The tower is known as the Elizabeth Tower. The clock is known as the Great Clock. The origin of the bell's name isn't exactly known. But there are theories. One suggests it was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who was the First Commissioner of Works in the 1850s. Another says it was named after Ben Caunt, who was a champion heavyweight boxer of the 1850s. Commissioner or boxer? Who knows?

Either way, Big Ben refers to the bell, whose official name is actually the Great Bell, even though Big Ben is totally acceptable.

Warners of Norton was the one to introduce the Great Bell in 1856. It made its way to London by rail and sea. Upon arriving, it was placed on a carriage and pulled across Westminster Bridge by 16 white horses. Sounds like something out of a Disney movie!

Every day, the bell was tested for over a year until a crack appeared on the bell. When this happened, everyone was so ashamed that no one would accept the blame for the crack. Still, they replaced the bell the following year when repairs to the first bell were too high priced.

However, the new bell also cracked that same year, leaving a chimeless tower for four years. It took the Astronomer Royal to find a solution. He decided to turn the bell so that the hammer would hit a better, stronger section. The hammer was also replaced with a lighter one. Finally, a square was cut so that if it did crack, the crack wouldn't spread. In total, it ended up costing almost $30,000 to build, repair, and replace Big Ben. Pretty costly for the 1800s!

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