# I was not allowed to sit the Life in the UK Test



## havefaith1 (May 12, 2016)

Hello,

I would like to share my today's experience regarding the Life in the UK test.
As per the title, I was not allowed to sit the test today (grrrr…how annoying!)
I got to the test centre and I was so happy to finally do it and get it over with, but unfortunately, they refused me due to the different names on my proof of ID (maiden name/passport) and poof of address (married name/bank statement)
Like in the US, people in the UK change their names when they get married, it is ridiculous they didnt let me sit the test just because of using my marriage name. Is this normal?

•	The Gov.co.uk website says: on the day of your test you must bring with you The photo ID which you registered with and One of the following with your name and postcode on it: A water, gas or electricity bill
•	A council tax bill
•	A letter or document from the Home Office with your name and address on it
•	A UK driving licence
•	A bank statement/credit card statement

It only says that you should show the same ID which I registered with, but it doesn’t say that the name on your proof of address must match exactly the name on the ID you registered with. Thats why i thought my bank statement on my married name would be fine!! 

When i arrived to the test centre I presented my passport (the one i registered with) and my latest bank statement. The name on my passport is obviously on my maiden name which is for example: Dxxxxxx Axxxxx Smith and my bank statement is on my married name Dxxxxxx Axxxxx Johnson.
After i tried to explain that i was married and Johnson is my married name, they told me i would not be allowed to sit the test and i will have to re-book it and pay for it again.

I told them again that I am married to a UK Citizen and that’s why I use my marriage name. I showed the the US marriage certificate and they said we CAN NOT accept that as valid as it is not a UK marriage certificate, and then i told them I cant have a UK Marriage certificate because we got married in the US which is a valid certificate in the UK as well.
The lady was really miserable, not nice at all (she was not of British origin and spoke broken English), she hardly gave me any time to explain myself). All she said at the end was that the Home Office would not accept my proof of address as I have it on a name different than my maiden name on my pasport and asked me to leave the room.

All my supporting documents like (NHS letters, Bank statements, Council tax, etc) that I submitted as proof of address and cohabitation for my last FLR (m) were all on my married name (Johnson) while my passport is on my maiden name (Smith) and I have had no problem with my application with the Home Office. 

So, my question is: why does the Home Office accepted my papers like that with the different last names on my docs for my Visa extension FLR(M) and not now for the Life in the UK test? The test is also past of the Home Office too, isn't it?

Does it mean i should change my name on all my supporting documents to my maiden name (as it appears in my passport) now that i am due to apply for ILR(SET)?

It is so annoying guys, and on top of everything else, i need to wait until i get my new bank statement with the change in name on it and then pay again for another test which will delay my ILR application date.

I hope this helps, and that you guys have the chance to change the name on your proof of address to what it says on your official ID on time so you are allowed to sit the test.


Cheers and good luck!


----------



## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Different countries have different ways to handle the name changes that are "customary" with marriage. In the UK, I gather that you do need to formally change your name on your documents if you choose to use your husband's family name rather than your own. 

It's fairly simple to change your name on a US passport - though if you change it more than a year after the passport was issued in your maiden name, you wind up simply applying for renewal of your passport however early (and paying for the renewal). Have you changed your name on your US Social Security record yet? The IRS may not accept your tax return if you file under a different name from what the Social Security office associates with your US SS number.


----------



## havefaith1 (May 12, 2016)

Hi Bevdeforges,

Thank you for your reply!

I have not changed my name officially in the US yet. The point is that I cant understand why the Home Office always accepted my Bank Statements as good for my previous visas with my married name on them while my passport is on my maiden name?

It is the Home Office does the Life in the UK test and the visas/immigration applications, so I think it is a big discrepancy...
It is so silly, why a bank statement can be good to prove your address to apply for a visa and not to sit a test?

I think I am going to write to the Home office with a complaint.

Thank you for your help.

Cheers


----------



## WestCoastCanadianGirl (Mar 17, 2012)

It’s nothing personal against you... it’s more intended to keep people from registering to sit the exam and then sending in someone to sit it for them. 

And yes, they’re really strict about everything matching.... when I sat the exam 7 years ago, they turned a couple of people (men) away because the ID that they presented wasn’t what they had registered with... it wasn’t enough that the names matched on everything but since the ID presented wasn’t what was used to register, the gents forfeited their £50 exam fee and had to wait a minimum of a week to become eligible to try to sit the test again (this was probably a good thing for one of them as he had asked me what book I used to study, while we were waiting to be checked in).


----------



## PurpleSkies (Oct 11, 2015)

WestCoastCanadianGirl said:


> It’s nothing personal against you... it’s more intended to keep people from registering to sit the exam and then sending in someone to sit it for them.
> 
> And yes, they’re really strict about everything matching.... when I sat the exam 7 years ago, they turned a couple of people (men) away because the ID that they presented wasn’t what they had registered with... it wasn’t enough that the names matched on everything but since the ID presented wasn’t what was used to register, the gents forfeited their £50 exam fee and had to wait a minimum of a week to become eligible to try to sit the test again (this was probably a good thing for one of them as he had asked me what book I used to study, while we were waiting to be checked in).


Am really sorry to read about your experience - it must have been awful for you 

Agreed with WestCoasyCanadianGirl 

I had forgotten about the impersonation part 

There was an investigation by the BBC a few weeks ago about how people were impersonating others and paying “agents” to pass the Life in the UKtest


----------



## clever-octopus (May 17, 2015)

> So, my question is: why does the Home Office accepted my papers like that with the different last names on my docs for my Visa extension FLR(M) and not now for the Life in the UK test? The test is also past of the Home Office too, isn't it?


As part of your Home Office applications you also need to submit your marriage certificate and any 'linking' documents which would corroborate a name change. The person working at the LITUK test (administered by LearnDirect) doesn't have the same task as a UKVI caseworker. They have no way of telling whether the addressee on your correspondence is the same individual as on your identity document, and it really isn't their job to figure it out. It's really not ridiculous for them to refuse you when you've submitted documents in two different names...



> she was not of British origin and spoke broken English


Her ethnic origin has nothing to do with LearnDirect's policies, which she was adhering to (LearnDirect is the provider of the LITUK test on behalf of UKVI but they are not UKVI, they are a private company)

I agree that if you are going to use your married name exclusively then you should change it in your passport and immigration documents


----------



## havefaith1 (May 12, 2016)

Hi everyone,

Thank you very much for your replies.
I have settled down now and have come to terms with it.
I am now working on changing my name on my official correspondence to my maiden name. It will make things way easier and avoid confusion.

Thanks guys.

Cheers


----------



## anders10 (Jun 15, 2013)

Here is the BBC thing ... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-47047719

I took the test last month and they really searched me. I had to take off my glasses and watch for inspection and they looked under my hair and my ears.


----------



## LMH71 (Jan 2, 2019)

anders10 said:


> Here is the BBC thing ... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-47047719
> 
> I took the test last month and they really searched me. I had to take off my glasses and watch for inspection and they looked under my hair and my ears.


Thanks for sharing this it was a very interesting read. I'm surprised people will resort to cheating on a 24 question test. It is either pure laziness or just plain stupidity on there own parts for doing it. The questions on this test aren't that hard. I've been reading through the book at leisure and a lot of it I already knew because its common sense. There are things in that book that are totally useless but besides that. I find the irony people go to these levels to commit fraud frightening, because it just makes the process harder for everyone else. especially if you are doing everything your suppose to.


----------



## havefaith1 (May 12, 2016)

LMH71 said:


> Thanks for sharing this it was a very interesting read. I'm surprised people will resort to cheating on a 24 question test. It is either pure laziness or just plain stupidity on there own parts for doing it. The questions on this test aren't that hard. I've been reading through the book at leisure and a lot of it I already knew because its common sense. There are things in that book that are totally useless but besides that. I find the irony people go to these levels to commit fraud frightening, because it just makes the process harder for everyone else. especially if you are doing everything your suppose to.


I totally agree with you LMH71. It is those lazy cheaters that have created all these problems for us who want to honestly pass this test and we have to pay for their dishonesty! Its is so unfair.

Cheers!


----------



## LMH71 (Jan 2, 2019)

havefaith1 said:


> I totally agree with you LMH71. It is those lazy cheaters that have created all these problems for us who want to honestly pass this test and we have to pay for their dishonesty! Its is so unfair.
> 
> Cheers!


Amen to that. I take gabapentin and I got a letter in the mail last week stating it was being made a class c scheduled drug. I went into the doctor today to ask what that was all about and the doctor told me people are pretending they have back ailments so that they can sell the drugs and a really surprising situation is that some little old ladies are selling tizanapam to top up there social security checks. Its like what the hell is going on with society.


----------

