This article contains some tips from mine and many other people personal experience including mistakes you should avoid.
✅ Tips
Official Handbook: is it really needed?
When preparing for the test I bought the online handbook version (which is cheaper), however I immediately noticed that the content of the handbook is pretty much identical to many resources I could freely find online!
Not only that: I also found the official handbook poorly formatted (no images, schemes or mnemonic aids) and the practice tests are only available at the end of each macro section. This means: you would have to study the entire British history before starting to practice on any history topic!!
No thank you!
Instead this is the case where unofficial resources are actually better. Take this example: here is a course chapter on the The Role of UK Courts.
Lets analyze, here I got:
- A reasonable sized chapter, I can complete this a 5 minutes break!
- A audio overview, in case I want to listed while doing other things
- Highlights that help me easily find the important parts
- Graphics showing how UK courts are organized, which helped me so much memorise the structure
- A small test just on this part that I can take once finished!
Break Study Sessions into Small Chunks
Don’t try to memorise everything in one go. Short sessions improve focus and memory, especially for facts and dates.
Find a way to break the content into chunks that you can study in 5 minutes. Or use a resource which already breaks the content in small chunks: like this.
Go do one chunk whenever you want to take a 5 minutes break. That’s how I completed the entire course in about one week.
If you can allocate some dedicated time, a good routine is better than long, inconsistent study sessions.
- 30–45 minutes a day
- 4–5 days a week
- 2–4 weeks of total preparation
This is usually enough to pass comfortably.
Use Practice Questions Wisely
Practice tests are essential, take a quick practice test on the topics you already studied from time to time.
After each mock test:
- Review all incorrect answers
- Write down patterns (e.g., dates, history, politics)
- Go back to the handbook chapters covering those areas
Most learners fail because they avoid revising their weaknesses.
Once completed the course, try to do a full mock exam each day: after 3 days in a row with more than 20 correct answers you are ready to book the real exam.
Flashcards are Very Helpful
Flashcards help you remember dates and names. For my exam I used this app: Anki which uses spaced repetition. This strengthens memory far more than cramming.
I then download the “Life in the UK” deck.
You can also create your own deck and save information that you find particularly hard to remember.
The Android app and cards deck are also free.
Tell Someone
When learning about UK history and culture I was faced with tons of interesting facts I didn’t previously know. I often used these as topic of conversations with my wife or friends, which definitely helped me retain a lot more information than I had kept that content for me.
Some examples ?
- We learnt about haggis and talked about other traditional British food
- After learning about the Laurence Olivier Awards, my wife and I used that to decide which musical to watch next
- It is just fun sharing with friend how genuinely f****d up was the royal family
- I also found the story of Charles I and his execution very intriguing and worth sharing
Explaining a topic to a friend or family member helps you:
- reinforce difficult concepts
- identify gaps in your understanding
- memorise information more naturally
Teaching is one of the strongest learning techniques.
Get an Overview of UK History
Learning from the course is OK, but when it comes to British history you will really struggle to memorize it if the key events are not well ordered in your mind.
To make order in my brain and place events in the right order and place I found it useful to use a timeline like this one.
❌ Common Mistakes to Avoid
Relying Only on Practice Questions
Practice tests are helpful, but they don’t replace the course. The real test may include wording or facts you haven’t seen in the questions.
Ignoring Difficult Chapters
Lots of test-takers skip:
- British history
- The political system
- Key historical figures
But these are some of the most frequently tested sections.
Cramming
Cramming increases confusion and anxiety. Light review the day before is fine—deep study is not.
Memorising Without Understanding
Don’t just memorise words, understand the meaning. Questions may be rephrased in ways that test comprehension, not recall.
For UK History for example it is important to understand where to put things in time. In my case, it helped think relatively to one of these major events:
- Norman invasion
- Wars of the roses
- English civil war
- The glorious revolution
- Jacobite rebellion
Not Checking the Test Format Ahead of Time
Some people go into the exam without knowing:
- the number of questions
- the passing score
- what happens after the test
Knowing the format helps reduce stress and boosts confidence.