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The Lords and abolitionLife in the UK Test practice exam 16
Paper 16 focuses on the unelected chamber and on the abolition campaign, plus one of the country’s great musical institutions.
What this paper is like
Practice exam 16 follows the shape of the official test exactly: 24 multiple-choice questions, 45 minutes on the clock, and 18 correct answers needed to pass — 75%. You can flag questions and come back to them, and if you close the tab mid-paper we save your place so you can pick it up where you left off.
The paper is fixed, so exam 16 is always exam 16 — useful if you want to re-sit it after revising and compare scores honestly. The House of Lords, abolition, music.
Topic mix in this paper
| Topic | Questions |
|---|---|
| History and key dates | 5 |
| Government, elections and Parliament | 4 |
| Culture, sport and traditions | 4 |
| Geography of the UK | 3 |
| The UK today | 2 |
| Values and principles | 2 |
| The law and your role | 2 |
| People who shaped Britain | 2 |
Three questions from this paper
These are real questions from exam 16, shown with the answer and the reason behind it. The other 21 are in the timed paper.
Sample question 1
How do most members of the House of Lords take their seats?
- They are appointed, not elected by the public — correct
- They are elected by the public every five years
- They inherit their seats without exception
- They are chosen by the House of Commons
Why: Most peers are appointed for their achievements. A small number of hereditary peers remain, and some senior bishops sit as Lords Spiritual.
Sample question 2
In which year was the slave trade abolished throughout the British Empire?
- 1807 — correct
- 1833
- 1776
- 1865
Why: The Act of 1807 abolished the trade in enslaved people; the 1833 Emancipation Act then abolished slavery itself across the Empire.
Sample question 3
Where is the annual series of classical concerts known as the Proms held?
- The Royal Albert Hall — correct
- The Royal Opera House
- The Barbican
- Symphony Hall
Why: The BBC Proms run for eight weeks each summer at the Royal Albert Hall in London, ending with the Last Night.
How to use this paper
- Sit it cold, once. No notes, no pausing. A first score tells you what you actually know.
- Read every explanation in the results, including the ones you got right by guessing.
- Revise the weak topic in the handbook chapters, then re-sit this same paper.
- Move on to a paper you have not seen once you are scoring 21 or more here.