Life in the UK Test — Pass Rate & Statistics

Official data from the Home Office, covering every year since the test was introduced.

74.1%

Pass rate (2025)

347,203

Tests taken (2025)

90,025

Tests failed (2025)

What the data shows

Roughly 1 in 4 people fail. The pass rate has sat between 68% and 75% for most years since 2014. That means around 90,000 people failed the test in 2025 alone — each paying £50 to retake it.

The test got harder in 2013. When the current version of the test was introduced in March 2013, pass rates dropped sharply — from around 85% in 2012 to below 61% by 2014–15. The new test requires a more detailed knowledge of history and government.

Demand is rising rapidly. The number of tests taken has more than doubled since 2016, reaching 347,000 in 2025. The surge reflects increased immigration to the UK since 2021.

The pass rate is recovering slightly. After a low point of 68.5% in 2022, pass rates have risen steadily. The most recent quarter (Q1 2026) shows 76.1% — the highest since 2020.

Annual pass rates (2010–2025)

Year	Tests taken	Passed	Pass rate
2025^*	347,203	257,178	74.1%
2024	317,555	223,928	70.5%
2023	276,998	192,004	69.3%
2022	199,728	136,755	68.5%
2021	198,586	143,837	72.4%
2020^†	172,973	136,724	79.0%
2019	170,061	138,923	81.7%
2018	159,566	128,421	80.5%
2017	130,983	92,164	70.4%
2016	133,490	86,178	64.6%
2015	174,923	106,530	60.9%
2014	165,738	100,958	60.9%
2013^‡	152,457	117,125	76.8%
2012	151,036	128,709	85.2%
2011	179,849	138,644	77.1%
2010^§	137,995	100,546	72.9%

^* 2025 figures may not be directly comparable with pre-2024 Q3 data — from Q3 2024 the Home Office moved citizenship test data to a separate publication.

^† 2020 figures affected by COVID-19 test centre closures (Q2 2020 saw only 16,653 tests taken).

^‡ The current, harder version of the test was introduced in March 2013; 2013 figures span both versions.

^§ Data available from Q2 2010 only.

Source: Home Office Migration Transparency Data, table LUK_01. Updated quarterly.

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