Back in 2005, after much procrastination and having been an immigrant to the United Kingdom for over three years, I decided it was time to apply for British citizenship. I found out that part of the process was that I would need to learn some facts about living in the UK. This was called The Life in the UK Test or Knowledge of Language and Life in the UK. I wasn’t very pleased to have to learn loads of material from a book and was totally negative about the whole thing and felt quite despondent.
My British-born husband then suggested that he create some questions for me from the official study book to help me get started. He went on to produce revision questions and answers from virtually every sentence from the study material. Quite a mammoth task for him but he persevered. This paved the way to help me in a great way to get the facts into my head, which isn’t always easy. He would regularly sit with me and run through the questions.
Back then the test only consisted of chapters 2 to 4 which was less to learn that it is today. When I felt ready to take the test I made an appointment at the test centre (I went to Egham). I took the test and completed this in less than 10 minutes. I passed first time.
Afterwards I thought to myself that if I was struggling with this, then surely there would be other people out there who would have a similar problem. I then decided to begin publishing the practice questions and answers that he had written. This was the start of Lancaster and Coull Publishers.
The first edition of the Life in the UK Test Citizenship Study Guide was published in April 2007, then updated and reprinted in April 2008. The package contains the study material including a very special addition, a companion software tutorial CD with revision questions and answers slotted in the back of the book. I believe this was a first for the UK.
In June 2007 Lancaster and Coull Publishers went on to create a series of publications which included Life in the UK Test Practice Questions for Citizenship and Settlement Tests – a practice questions and answers handbook with over 1,000 revision questions. This package included a software tutorial CD with interactive practice tests. This handbook and companion software disc has had various updates since publication. One of the most notable changes was to the software, to include English voice-over in both questions and answers and study material.
Since establishing the publishing business, Lancaster and Coull Publishers have produced many different types of study tools. In 2007 one of the items released included a ready-loaded personal player containing all of the study material in audio format. We received a letter of thanks from a customer who said: “What a fabulous idea. Very trendy.” Another item is the study material in audio format. A Windows PC-CD with voice-over software which has proved to be a very useful tool for someone who cannot read English very well.
In 2009 we were approached to develop a software package for Which? to include in the back of their book entitled How To Pass The Life In The UK Test.
One of the best things about being in this business is the feedback and comments from people who have used our study tools to prepare and revise for the test, and who have actually passed their tests first time. Some have said that they took less than 6 minutes to do the test and walk out of the test centre. What a pleasure to receive encouraging thanks from other immigrants and knowing that all of the hard work has not been for nothing.
I am a great believer in helping others to achieve what they want.
So, to all of those who have made the decision that they want to apply for British citizenship or are at a point in their lives where they have to prepare for their Life in the UK Test as I had to years ago, I have to say: Don’t wait, start today, you can do it (with a little help from a study tool).
Changes To The Life In The UK Test
As you may have heard on the news recently, David Cameron wants to crackdown on immigration and amongst other things, wants to include questions about British history and culture in the Life in the UK Test. This means that the test will have more material to learn. So the sooner the candidate starts, the less they will have to learn, and the sooner they will accomplish the task. I know, I know, it seems a lot of material but if you take it a chapter at a time, soon you will have revised a whole book. If you are using the practice/revision question software it makes it so much easier.
Don’t be daunted by the amount of study material that needs to be learnt… Make a start today! Click on the picture to read what this person said about his wife who passed the test easily after using the study guide with audio CD.
