The Crown and the UK in the world

Fifteen practice questions on two parts of the Life in the UK syllabus that are often learned last: what the monarch does within the constitution, and the international organisations the UK belongs to.

The first half turns the phrase "constitutional monarchy" into concrete duties. A bill becomes law only with Royal Assent; at the State Opening of Parliament the monarch reads a speech that the government has written; the monarch formally appoints the Prime Minister and meets them regularly, with the right to advise, encourage and warn but not to decide. The questions keep asking the same thing from different directions — who decides, and who only takes part in the ceremony — because that is where applicants lose marks. No current office holder is named, so the set stays correct whoever is on the throne or in Downing Street.

The second half covers the UK's place in the world: the Commonwealth as a voluntary association of independent countries with the monarch as its head; the United Nations, founded after the Second World War, and the UK's permanent seat on the Security Council; NATO as a defensive alliance; and the Council of Europe, which is not part of the European Union and which the UK has not left. Two questions deal with the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998, which made Convention rights enforceable in UK courts. A final question separates the 2016 referendum from the date the UK actually left the EU, 31 January 2020 — worth knowing because some older guides were written while the UK was still a member.

Figures that have changed since older study guides were published, such as the number of Commonwealth members, are deliberately not asked. The questions use the formats of the real test — single answer, choose two, and "which statement is true?" — and every explanation says why the other options are wrong. This is quiz practice only; the test itself is 24 questions on a computer, with no feedback. Questions and explanations are Zestly's own, written from public sources; nothing is reproduced from the handbook.

• Describe the monarch's constitutional duties: Royal Assent, the State Opening and the appointment of the Prime Minister
• Explain the difference between the monarch's role and the government's decisions
• Describe the Commonwealth, the United Nations, NATO and the Council of Europe and the UK's place in each
• Explain what the Human Rights Act 1998 did and name rights protected by the European Convention
• Distinguish the 2016 EU referendum from the UK's departure on 31 January 2020

Practice material written by Zestly from public information on gov.uk, nhs.uk and legislation.gov.uk (Open Government Licence v3.0). Nothing is reproduced from the handbook 'Life in the United Kingdom: A Guide for New Residents'.