Home/Practice exams/Exam 9
The civil service and 1939–45Life in the UK Test practice exam 9
Paper 9 tests the machinery that keeps working whichever party wins, alongside the Second World War and Remembrance.
What this paper is like
Practice exam 9 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 9 is always exam 9 — useful if you want to re-sit it after revising and compare scores honestly. The civil service, the Second World War, remembrance.
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 9, shown with the answer and the reason behind it. The other 21 are in the timed paper.
Sample question 1
Which statement about the civil service is correct?
- Civil servants are politically neutral and serve the government of the day — correct
- Civil servants are elected at a general election
- Civil servants are appointed by the monarch personally
- Civil servants must belong to the governing party
Why: The civil service is chosen on merit, is politically impartial, and continues in post when the government changes.
Sample question 2
On what date did the D-Day landings begin?
- 6 June 1944 — correct
- 1 September 1939
- 8 May 1945
- 11 November 1918
Why: Allied forces landed in Normandy on 6 June 1944, beginning the liberation of western Europe.
Sample question 3
When is Remembrance Day?
- 11 November — correct
- 5 November
- 26 December
- 23 April
Why: Remembrance Day marks the end of the First World War in 1918. Poppies are worn and a two-minute silence is held at 11am.
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.