Lesson T1.2.3

T1.2.3 Elections Quiz: KS3 Citizenship, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T1.2.3, Elections: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Citizenship (National Curriculum), Unit 1: Democracy and government, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is a general election?

    • An election for local councillors only
    • An election for all the MPs in the House of Commons
    • An election for members of the House of Lords
    • An election for the Speaker

  2. What is a by-election?

    • An election held on the same day as all the other constituencies in the country
    • An election to choose the Prime Minister directly by the voters in the country
    • An election for the members of the House of Lords who are due to retire
    • An election held to fill a single vacant seat between general elections

  3. What is a candidate?

    • A person who checks ballot papers
    • A person who stands for election in a constituency
    • A person who chairs a debate in the Commons
    • A person who funds a political party

  4. What is a manifesto?

    • A form used to register a polling station for use in local elections
    • A document setting out the policies a party plans to carry out if it wins
    • A list of votes cast in a constituency after the count is completed
    • A set of rules that governs how Parliament conducts its business each year

  5. Which of these is the maximum length of a UK Parliament before a general election must be held?

    • Three months
    • Five years
    • Ten years
    • Two years

  6. Why are election campaigns important in a democracy?

    • They mean candidates do not need to be honest
    • They replace the need for debate in Parliament
    • They guarantee that the winning party will remain in power
    • They allow voters to hear about the candidates and their policies

  7. In a constituency, Party A wins 20,000 votes, Party B wins 15,000 and Party C wins 5,000. Which party wins the seat under first past the post?

    • No one, because no party has more than half the votes
    • Party C
    • Party A
    • Party B

  8. A candidate is said to have 'lost their deposit'. What does this mean?

    • They received less than a set share of the votes, so their deposit is forfeited
    • They were disqualified for breaking election rules during the campaign period
    • They were refused permission to stand by the returning officer for the seat
    • They had too many votes to be counted correctly in the final result

  9. Which of these describes a coalition government?

    • A government elected directly by citizens in a national vote on the programme
    • A government with only one MP who holds the balance of power in the Commons
    • A government formed by the monarch alone, without any support from Parliament
    • Two or more parties working together to form a government in the Commons

  10. What is the main purpose of an electoral commission?

    • To pay candidates' campaign costs out of public money each year
    • To make sure elections are run fairly and are open and honest
    • To choose the winners of each constituency in the general election
    • To decide the boundaries of the monarch's lands across the country

  11. Why do constituency boundaries sometimes change?

    • Parties can move constituencies to suit themselves before each election
    • The monarch chooses new boundaries each year after consulting the Speaker
    • Voters can request changes to their constituency in every election
    • Population changes mean each MP should represent a similar number of voters

  12. Which statement about political campaigns is most accurate?

    • Candidates are not allowed to speak to voters at all during the campaign
    • Candidates may only campaign in the House of Lords during the session
    • Campaigns are run by the monarch's office to make sure they are fair
    • Candidates can use leaflets, meetings and social media to tell voters about their policies

  13. Which of these is a reason that a seat might be vacant between general elections?

    • The Prime Minister has been re-elected
    • The House of Lords has voted to dissolve Parliament
    • The MP has died or resigned
    • A new party has been formed

  14. In a constituency, the winning candidate has 12,000 votes and the second place has 11,500 votes. What is the margin of victory?

    • 500 votes
    • 12,000 votes
    • 23,500 votes
    • 11,500 votes

  15. Which factor is most likely to limit the influence of a small party under first past the post?

    • It is funded by the monarch, which limits its ability to campaign effectively
    • It has too many members in the House of Lords and so cannot win seats
    • It is not allowed to campaign in the constituencies where it is standing
    • Its supporters are spread thinly across many constituencies, so it wins few seats

  16. What is the purpose of a hustings event?

    • A public meeting where candidates answer questions from voters
    • A court hearing about election fraud brought against a returning officer
    • A debate held only in the House of Lords on the outcome of a general election
    • A ceremony to open a new Parliament attended by the monarch and the Speaker

  17. Why might a government call a snap election?

    • To remove the monarch from office after a vote in the House of Commons
    • To ensure that no MPs need to campaign before the next scheduled election
    • To seek a fresh mandate or respond to a political crisis before the normal date
    • To appoint judges to the Supreme Court after a vote in both Houses

  18. A citizen wants to know whether a candidate is standing in their area. Which source would be most useful?

    • A list of the monarch's household members who are standing for election
    • The official list of candidates published for the constituency
    • A timetable of Parliament's debates for the year ahead in the Commons
    • A map of the House of Lords showing where each member sits

  19. Why is a deposit sometimes required from candidates?

    • To discourage frivolous candidates and cover administrative costs
    • To pay the MPs' salaries for the duration of the next Parliament
    • To fund the House of Lords and its work on public bills each year
    • To buy the polling stations that are used on election day

  20. Which independent bodies draw up constituency boundaries in the UK?

    • The Supreme Court
    • Political parties
    • The House of Lords
    • Boundary Commissions

All KS3 Citizenship quizzes