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Chapter 5 · Government and law

Life in the UK test questions: The UK government, the law and your role

27 free practice questions on the uk government, the law and your role, with the answer and an explanation for each. The full question bank has 153 questions on this chapter. Practise them all in the app, with instant feedback and smart review of the ones you get wrong.

The development of British democracy

Question 1 · Select ONE answer

Which of these best describes democracy?

  1. A system in which the adult population has a say in government, by voting directly or by electing representatives
  2. A system in which the monarch makes all the important decisions
  3. A system in which only property owners are allowed to vote
  4. A system in which one party governs without holding elections
Show answer

A system in which the adult population has a say in government, by voting directly or by electing representatives

In a democracy, adults have a say in how the country is run, either by voting on decisions themselves or by choosing representatives to decide for them. The UK is a parliamentary democracy in which voters elect MPs.

Question 2 · Select ONE answer

At the start of the 19th century, who could vote in elections for MPs?

  1. Men over 21 who owned a certain amount of property
  2. All men and women over 18
  3. All men over 21, whether or not they owned property
  4. All adults who could read and write
Show answer

Men over 21 who owned a certain amount of property

Around 1800 Britain was not a democracy in the modern sense. Only a small group could vote: men aged over 21 who owned property of a certain value. The right to vote was then widened in stages over more than a century.

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The British constitution

Question 3 · Select ONE answer

Why is the British constitution often described as 'unwritten'?

  1. It is not set out in a single document
  2. It exists only as spoken tradition, with no written laws at all
  3. It has never been debated in Parliament
  4. It applies only to England and not to the rest of the UK
Show answer

It is not set out in a single document

The UK has no single constitutional document. Its rules are spread across many sources, including Acts of Parliament, long-standing conventions and decisions of the courts.

Question 4 · Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE?

One reason the UK has no single written constitution is that it has never had a revolution that permanently replaced its whole system of government.

  1. True
  2. False
Show answer

True

Many countries wrote a constitution after a revolution or independence. The UK's system instead grew gradually over centuries; even the republic of the 1650s ended with the return of the monarchy in 1660.

Question 5 · Select the correct statement

Which of these statements is correct?

  1. The British constitution draws on several sources, including Acts of Parliament, conventions and court rulings.
  2. The British constitution is a single document that can only be changed by a referendum.
Show answer

The British constitution draws on several sources, including Acts of Parliament, conventions and court rulings.

Because there is no single document, the UK's constitutional rules come from laws passed by Parliament, established practices known as conventions, and judgments made in the courts.

The government

Question 6 · Select ONE answer

What is the name for an area that elects one Member of Parliament (MP)?

  1. A constituency
  2. A ward
  3. A county
  4. A parish
Show answer

A constituency

The UK is divided into parliamentary constituencies. The voters in each constituency elect one MP to represent them in the House of Commons.

Question 7 · Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE?

An MP represents everyone living in their constituency, not just the people who voted for them.

  1. True
  2. False
Show answer

True

Once elected, an MP represents all the people in their constituency. MPs also help to make new laws, examine what the government is doing and debate important national issues.

Question 8 · Select TWO answers

Which TWO of these groups sit in the House of Lords?

  1. Life peers
  2. Senior bishops of the Church of England
  3. Local councillors
  4. Members of the Scottish Parliament
Show answer

Life peers and Senior bishops of the Church of England

Members of the House of Lords are not elected. Most are life peers appointed for their lifetime, and a number of senior Church of England bishops also sit there.

The handbook also lists hereditary peers. Most lost their seats in 1999, and the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026 ended the remaining hereditary seats on 29 April 2026. Some former hereditary peers have since returned as life peers.

Question 9 · Select ONE answer

In which year did it first become possible to appoint life peers to the House of Lords?

  1. 1958
  2. 1918
  3. 1832
  4. 1999
Show answer

1958

Life peers were introduced in 1958. Before then, most members of the House of Lords were hereditary peers who had inherited their seats. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister.

Question 10 · Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE?

When a life peer dies, their title passes to their eldest child.

  1. True
  2. False
Show answer

False

A life peerage lasts only for the holder's lifetime and cannot be inherited. Life peers have usually had distinguished careers, for example in politics, business, law or the arts.

Question 11 · Select ONE answer

What is one of the main roles of the House of Lords?

  1. Checking proposed laws and suggesting changes to them
  2. Electing the Prime Minister
  3. Representing individual parliamentary constituencies
  4. Organising local council elections
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Checking proposed laws and suggesting changes to them

The House of Lords examines laws passed by the House of Commons to make sure they are fit for purpose, and can propose amendments or new laws. It also holds the government to account.

Question 12 · Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE?

The House of Commons has the power to overrule the House of Lords.

  1. True
  2. False
Show answer

True

The House of Commons, whose members are elected, is the more important of the two chambers. It can overrule the House of Lords, although this power is not used often.

The UK and international institutions

Question 13 · Select ONE answer

What is the Commonwealth?

  1. A voluntary association of countries, most of which were once part of the British Empire
  2. A military alliance of European and North American countries
  3. An organisation that makes laws for all its member states
  4. A trading group whose members share a single currency
Show answer

A voluntary association of countries, most of which were once part of the British Empire

The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of independent countries that support each other and work together on democracy and development. Most members were once part of the British Empire, but a few that were not have also joined.

Question 14 · Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE?

The Commonwealth has no power over its members, although it can suspend a country's membership.

  1. True
  2. False
Show answer

True

Membership of the Commonwealth is voluntary and it cannot make laws for its members. It can, however, suspend a member country, for example if it stops respecting democracy.

Respecting the law

Question 15 · Select ONE answer

Which type of law is used to settle disputes between individuals or groups?

  1. Civil law
  2. Criminal law
  3. Electoral law
  4. Military law
Show answer

Civil law

Civil law deals with disagreements between people or organisations, such as a landlord and a tenant arguing over repairs. Criminal law covers crimes, which are usually investigated by the police or another authority, such as a council or HM Revenue & Customs, and punished by the courts.

Question 16 · Select TWO answers

Which TWO of these are examples of matters dealt with under civil law?

  1. A tenant's dispute with a landlord about repairs
  2. A customer's complaint about faulty goods
  3. Selling illegal drugs
  4. Carrying a weapon in public
Show answer

A tenant's dispute with a landlord about repairs and A customer's complaint about faulty goods

Housing disputes and consumer rights are civil matters, as are disputes with employers and unpaid debts. Selling drugs and carrying a weapon are crimes, so they fall under criminal law.

Question 17 · Select ONE answer

Which of these is a criminal offence in the UK?

  1. Carrying a weapon in public, even if it is for self-defence
  2. Choosing not to join a trade union
  3. Refusing to take part in a street survey
  4. Keeping kitchen knives at home
Show answer

Carrying a weapon in public, even if it is for self-defence

It is a crime to carry a weapon in public, and wanting to protect yourself is not a lawful excuse. The other choices are all lawful.

Question 18 · Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE?

It is a criminal offence to sell tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18.

  1. True
  2. False
Show answer

True

Selling cigarettes or other tobacco products to a person under 18 is against the law throughout the UK.

The law is going further: under the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026, from 1 January 2027 it will be illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009, whatever their age.

Question 19 · Select TWO answers

Which TWO of these are criminal offences in the UK?

  1. Buying alcohol for someone under 18
  2. Buying or selling illegal drugs
  3. Not voting in a general election
  4. Not attending a place of worship
Show answer

Buying alcohol for someone under 18 and Buying or selling illegal drugs

Buying alcohol for an under-18 is a crime (apart from a narrow exception in some parts of the UK for 16- and 17-year-olds having a drink with a meal), and so is buying or selling illegal drugs. Voting is not compulsory in the UK, and people are free to choose whether to follow a religion.

Fundamental principles

Question 20 · Select ONE answer

In which year did the UK sign the European Convention on Human Rights?

  1. 1950
  2. 1945
  3. 1973
  4. 1998
Show answer

1950

British lawyers and diplomats helped to draft the Convention, and the UK was one of the first countries to sign it, in 1950. The Human Rights Act 1998 later brought its rights into UK law.

Question 21 · Select ONE answer

Which law brought the rights set out in the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law?

  1. The Human Rights Act 1998
  2. The Equality Act 2010
  3. The Bill of Rights 1689
  4. The Parliament Act 1911
Show answer

The Human Rights Act 1998

The Human Rights Act 1998 made the Convention's rights part of UK law, so government bodies and other public authorities must act in a way that respects them.

Taxation and driving

Question 22 · Select ONE answer

What is PAYE (Pay As You Earn)?

  1. The system in which employers deduct income tax from employees' wages
  2. A tax added to the price of goods in shops
  3. A benefit paid to people who are out of work
  4. A scheme for paying road tax in monthly instalments
Show answer

The system in which employers deduct income tax from employees' wages

For most employees, the right amount of income tax is taken from their pay automatically by their employer through PAYE. The money goes to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), the government department that collects taxes.

Question 23 · Select ONE answer

How do self-employed people pay their income tax?

  1. Through self-assessment, by completing a tax return
  2. Their customers deduct it through PAYE
  3. Their local council collects it with Council Tax
  4. It is taken automatically from their National Insurance number
Show answer

Through self-assessment, by completing a tax return

People who work for themselves pay their own tax through self-assessment. They complete a tax return, which can be done online, and pay what they owe to HMRC.

Question 24 · Select TWO answers

Which TWO of these are types of income on which income tax may have to be paid?

  1. Wages from a job
  2. A pension
  3. A National Lottery prize
  4. A birthday present from a relative
Show answer

Wages from a job and A pension

Income tax can be due on wages, profits from self-employment, pensions, taxable benefits and income from property, savings and dividends. Lottery wins and personal gifts are not taxed as income.

Your role in the community

Question 25 · Select ONE answer

Which of these is one of the shared responsibilities expected of everyone living in the UK?

  1. Respecting and obeying the law
  2. Joining a political party
  3. Attending a place of worship
  4. Owning your own home
Show answer

Respecting and obeying the law

Shared responsibilities include obeying the law, respecting the rights and opinions of others, treating people fairly, looking after yourself and your family, helping others and caring for the environment. Joining a party or following a religion is a personal choice.

Question 26 · Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE?

Keeping noise down and putting your rubbish out on the correct day are ways of being a good neighbour.

  1. True
  2. False
Show answer

True

Being considerate, for example by keeping noise down, keeping your garden tidy and putting rubbish and recycling out on the right day, helps you get on with the people around you. Introducing yourself when you move in is a good start.

Question 27 · Select ONE answer

Which of these is an example of volunteering?

  1. Helping at an animal rescue charity in your spare time without pay
  2. Working as a paid shop assistant at weekends
  3. Paying your National Insurance contributions
  4. Serving on a jury after being summoned
Show answer

Helping at an animal rescue charity in your spare time without pay

Volunteering means working for a good cause without being paid. Examples include helping animals, youth work, befriending, improving the environment and fundraising for charity. Jury service is a civic duty rather than volunteering.

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