Life in UK test

[xrootx]

Hi,
I am planing to apply ILR on tier 1, 5 years basis in mid Jan 2015. Could anybody please suggest what is the best time to do Life in UK test. The reason I am asking is if I appear in test ,say this month or next is there any chances of test content change etc in coming few months. If HO change anything then do I have to do the exam again ?

Thanks

[Casa]

Once passed, the test doesn't need to be re-taken even if the content changes.

[xrootx]

Once passed, the test doesn't need to be re-taken even if the content changes.

thanks

[fahimmirza]

https://www.gov.uk/life-in-the-uk-test
The following is what the above link has to say about taking the Life in the UK test:
“Who should take the test
You have to take the Life in the UK Test if you’re aged 18 to 65 and wish to become a British citizen
You don’t have to take it again if you’re applying to become a citizen and already passed it as part of your settlement application.”

I did my ESOL Entry Level 2 with the life in the UK test combined in April 2013 and was granted my ILR on basis of these qualifications. Now I am eligible to apply for British nationality as I came on a spouse visa. Kindly I would like to know that do I have to pass again a) life in the UK test and b) knowledge of English Language Test.

I enquired several agencies and the Immigration Office over the phone and they all confirmed that though I had to pass English at Level B1 (Which I have done a few month ago)
However I phoned today Nationality Checking Service, Manchester. They insisted that I should take separately again the life in the UK test. They said with 98 per cent certainty that without the above certificate my application will be returned and I will lose my fee. I am not sure whether or not I should take a risk and send of my application. I would be grateful for the advice from the forum members.

[WR1]

The ESOL and Life in the UK test has never ever been combined in any context as far as I'm aware, so you couldn't have done a combined test.

I think you are confusing it with the way the system worked in the past. At one point, it was sufficient that the Life in the UK test was considered to be sufficient for a individual's English level to be at a satisfactory level, but there was no combined ESOL within the test.

It was possibly to either apply for ILR or BC with either the ESOL or Life in the UK test, and you could choose to do either one. From 28 October 2013, the Home Office changed the rules now that you must submit BOTH ESOL and Life in the UK test for applying for ILR/BC.

The English requirement needs to be at Level B1 of the CEFR, this would be Cambridge ESOL Entry 3 or above. Can you confirm which test you have done, the ESOL Entry 2 or the ESOL Level 2 test as there is no test labelled ESOL Entry Level 2 (they are two different category tests). The ESOL tests and their levels are as follows:

ESOL Entry 1 A1
ESOL Entry 2 A2
ESOL Entry 3 B1
ESOL Level 1 B2
ESOL Level 2 C1

If you have already done the Life in the UK test, then you don't need to do it again. You just need both Life in the UK test and English Level B1 or BC. If you also have English at Level B1, then you don't need to take that again either, You can submit both tests with your application.

[fahimmirza]

The question was for my wife. Thanks for your reply: She did ESOL Entry level 2 with contents of the Life in the UK built in, in July 2013. She did not do the Life in the UK test separately. However this year she has passed ESOL 3 (listening, speaking and writing) from the City and Guild. I hope the certificate from the City and Guild will be accepted by the Home office for the nationality purposes. Could you please confirm?
Also she has enrolled for a 8 weeks course in the Life in the UK at a local private college. The course seems to be quite demanding and certainly, in my view, requires the knowledge of English above the ESOL 3. In my opinion it is around at GCSE level. She is working on the practice papers and seems to be scoring quite good marks, though she finds it quite hard to understand some of the questions, particularly on the British History. I think she understands some of the keyword of the questions and guesses her options on the basis of these key words. She is working on the same lines as she did for her driving theory test – keep ticking, checking and memorizing the correct answers. Will it help if she is given the translation of all the text book and the test papers in her mother tongue? Is there a pool of questions out of which a set of 24 questions are selected, or the questions are made out differently for each test.

[WR1]

When a ESOL test is taken, a subject topic is chosen in order to test the speaking and listening elements. Topics can be anything the examiner picks, ranging from talking about holidays to transportation etc.. The topic for your wife had been Life in the UK as a chosen topic, this is not the same as the Life in The UK being built in, just a topic to talk about in order to assess the English, nothing more.

Have a look at the link below, this is a list of acceptable qualifications the Home Office will accept and see if the ESOL is within the list:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... _tests.pdf

As you have discovered, your wife will need to take the Life in the UK test in addition to the English test already taken. You can search to see if the contents of the Life in the UK can be studied in a different language if that helps, but do note that the test needs to be taken in English. You can also request to listen to the questions at the test centre in addition to reading them, this may help further.

You should also note that though there are many practice questions out there, no one has access to the actual questions that are in the actual test, so memorising the answers to the practice answers will do no good. My Mrs did the test recently and the questions were completing different even to the official practice questions and answer book by the test organisers. Its better to learn key dates and events and I would recommend your wife study from the official life in the UK book 3rd edition first, then attempt practice questions.