CitizenReadyBooking the Life in the UK Test: Cost, Rules and Refunds
You can only book the real test through the official service on GOV.UK. Other websites that offer to book for you add fees for something you can do yourself in a few minutes, and some are scams.
The facts
- Cost: £50 per attempt, paid when you book.
- When: you must book at least 3 days (72 hours) before the test date.
- Where: when you book, you choose from the test centres nearest to the address you register with (there are over 30 centres across the UK).
- What you need to book: an email address, a debit or credit card, and an accepted form of ID. The name you book under must exactly match the ID.
- On the day: bring the original of the same ID you booked with.
- Cancellations: cancel at least 3 days (72 hours) before your test to get a refund. If the centre cancels your test, you can ask for a refund.
- If you fail: you must wait at least 7 days before retaking, and you pay the £50 fee again. There is no limit on attempts.
What you will actually end up paying
The official fee is fixed: £50 for every attempt, booked on GOV.UK. It never varies by date or time, and it is never less — the test cannot be bought for under £50 anywhere. But what people actually spend differs, and this is where confusion comes from:
- Pass first time: £50. That is the whole cost of the test itself.
- One failed attempt: £100 (£50 + one £50 retake, after the 7-day wait).
- Third-party booking sites: some websites charge £75–£150+ to "book the test for you". They book the same £50 test through the official service and keep the difference — you can do the same booking yourself in a few minutes on GOV.UK.
- Optional extras: the official handbook (~£13), courses and tutoring — none are required to pass.
As a rule of thumb: if a site lists a test price below £50, it is not selling you the test — it is selling practice material (or a scam). If it lists a price above £50 for the booking, the extra is their fee, not the test's. The real test costs £50, paid on GOV.UK, every time.