I just tried one test... I got 73%. Not bad, but not enough to pass!! And I've lived in the UK my entire 35 years. That's a tricky test....

Buy the main book and the study guides - official ones only not the other rubbish on the market. learn it by rote that is the only way to do it.
My OH did it last year and I helped him learn the stuff it is not easy but it is just a matter of learning by rote and then watching for the little trick questions

I did 4 tests and passed 2 of them. Some questions you just have to guess, like what %age of the population lives in Scotland. There are also some answers that I thought were wrong or a matter of opinion. It's a bad test.

Now to the OP, I assume you are a US citizen. If so what happens if you don't like the UK and want to move back when your husband no longer as a GC?

Not sure if this question was asked to me. Anyway, if so, I love the UK but have never lived there so we will have to see if I make it or not. I have no family here in the US and family (in-laws) in the UK. I'm sorry but I don't know the lingo on this forum so what do you mean by OP and is GC green card? If green card is correct, if I wanted to move back, I would have to come back on my own. He won't leave England again to come back to the US. Sorry for being stupid about OP & GC but if you don't know, you have to ask, right?

Which one is the main book & study guides?

I didn't mean the test was easy without studying, I mean if you study a bit it is easy. To put it in context, I'm a member of a few forums and no American (or Canadian, Aussie or Kiwi for that matter) has ever failed the test that I've heard of. Most finish in several minutes and don't need the 45 minutes you get.

I don't think they want you to fail at all. That's not the idea behind the test. They just want you to know a bit about the country you are making home. It's only like the US citizenship test and you'd have to pass the test to get UK citizenship anyway, even if, like my husband, you got Indefinite Leave To Remain before the test got introduced. At least having already passed the test, you don't need any additional test should you choose to go the extra step and naturalise.

I believe they may do classes for Life in the UK like they do citizenship classes in the USA, but like the USA, these classes are not really aimed at native English speakers.

OP = original poster, GC = yes green card.

The test syllabus largely reflects the priorities and ideology of the Labour Party which introduced it.

All HMSO publications: Life in the UK study guide, practice questions and the main book something like pathway to citizenship can not remember left the books with someone else.

Loads of folk jumped on the bandwagon and produced guides etc but these are the official ones - think there is a CD too but did not get that. Some questions on the official site.

Just learn it by rote and read the questions carefully as there seems to be the odd trick question eg The main reader may say that 54.5% of the population do not have passports in the UK (not a real question but an example) and the test may ask what % do have passports? Needs careful reading.

I got 79% but I guessed quite a few, and I thought some of the questions were irrelevant when it comes to fitting in over here. Does knowing where has the most police officers matter?

Knowing about food and drink and customs might, but the one question about food was about a Christmas food, and only one answer had Christmas in it.

What ones would you add?

What about: What's a bank holiday?
1. An event once a decade when all customer debts to banks are wiped out.
2. A holiday touring the great banks of Europe.
3. A statutory hoilday in the UK.

Not sure my last definition is technically accurate.

Bev