Life in the UK Test: Government and the Law
Updated October 27, 2026
The government chapter of the official handbook is packed with facts about how the UK is run. Here are the key ones, followed by free practice questions. Some details in the handbook are now out of date; answer as the handbook does.
Parliament and elections
- The UK is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch as head of state.
- The constitution is not written down in any single document.
- The country has 650 constituencies, each electing one Member of Parliament (MP) by “first past the post”.
- A general election must be held at least every five years. If an MP dies or resigns, a by-election is held.
- The voting age is 18 (lowered from 21 in 1969).
- The House of Commons debates are chaired by the Speaker, who is politically neutral.
- Members of the House of Lords are not elected. They include life peers, some hereditary peers and senior bishops of the Church of England.
Government
- The Prime Minister lives at 10 Downing Street and has a country house, Chequers.
- The cabinet includes the Chancellor of the Exchequer (the economy), the Home Secretary (crime, policing and immigration) and the Foreign Secretary (relationships with other countries).
- The second-largest party forms the opposition, led by the Leader of the Opposition, with a shadow cabinet.
- Civil servants are politically neutral.
Devolved governments
| Body | Where | Notes from the handbook |
|---|---|---|
| Scottish Parliament | Edinburgh (Holyrood) | Formed in 1999; 129 MSPs |
| Welsh Assembly (now called the Senedd) | Cardiff | Formed in 1999; 60 members |
| Northern Ireland Assembly | Stormont, Belfast | Set up after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement |
Free practice questions
-
How often must a general election be held?Answer: AGeneral elections must be held at least every five years.
-
Who is responsible for the economy?Answer: DThe Chancellor of the Exchequer is responsible for the economy. The Home Secretary covers crime, policing and immigration.
-
How many parliamentary constituencies does the handbook say the UK has?Answer: CThe handbook says the UK is divided into 650 constituencies, each electing one MP.
-
How are members of the House of Lords chosen?Answer: BMembers of the House of Lords are not elected. They include life peers, a number of hereditary peers and senior Church of England bishops.
-
Who chairs debates in the House of Commons?Answer: CThe Speaker chairs debates in the House of Commons, keeps order and is politically neutral.
-
Where does the Scottish Parliament sit?Answer: AThe Scottish Parliament, formed in 1999, sits at Holyrood in Edinburgh. The Northern Ireland Assembly meets at Stormont.
Pass the Life in the UK Test on your first try
- All 338 questions on British values, the countries of the UK, history, modern society, and government and the law
- An explanation for every answer, with the handbook chapter it comes from
- Unlimited full 24-question practice tests, mixing every chapter like the real test