Lesson T3.1.1

T3.1.1 Public institutions in society Quiz: KS3 Citizenship, Unit 3

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T3.1.1, Public institutions in society: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Citizenship (National Curriculum), Unit 3: Community and society, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is a public institution?

    • A voluntary group run by volunteers only, with no funding from the state
    • A private company that sells goods for profit to shareholders in the stock market
    • An organisation funded and run for the benefit of the public, such as a school or hospital
    • A political party's headquarters where its members plan campaigns and policies

  2. Which of these is an example of a public institution?

    • A football club owned by its fans
    • The National Health Service
    • A supermarket chain
    • A private gym

  3. Why are public institutions important in society?

    • They make profits for shareholders who invest in them through the stock market
    • They provide services that everyone can use, such as health care and education
    • They replace all private businesses so that the state controls the whole economy
    • They allow individuals to avoid paying taxes by using public services for free

  4. Which of these is a function of local councils?

    • Deciding the monarch's duties and the royal household's budget each year
    • Appointing judges to the Supreme Court after consultation with the monarch
    • Writing laws for the whole country that Parliament will pass in each session
    • Providing services such as waste collection and local planning for residents

  5. What does the term 'public sector' mean?

    • Political parties and their members who campaign for election to office
    • Organisations owned and run by the government or local authorities
    • Organisations run by volunteers only, with no paid staff or public funding
    • Businesses owned by private investors who aim to make a profit for shareholders

  6. Which of these is a benefit of public libraries?

    • They sell textbooks at a profit to pupils and students in the local area
    • They are funded only by private donations from wealthy individuals in the area
    • They give everyone free access to books, information and learning
    • They are open only to members of one club who pay an annual fee to join

  7. A council builds a new leisure centre funded by taxes. Who benefits?

    • The local community, which can use the facility
    • Only businesses that sell equipment for sport and leisure in the local area
    • Only the monarch's household, which pays for the facility to be built
    • Only the councillors who voted for it, who will use it for their own events

  8. Why are public institutions usually funded through taxation?

    • So that the government can avoid making decisions
    • So that private companies can make a profit
    • So that the monarch can choose which services to fund
    • So that services are available to everyone, whatever their income

  9. Which statement about the NHS is correct?

    • It is run by a single supermarket chain that funds health care in its stores
    • It provides free healthcare at the point of use for most people in the UK
    • It is governed by the Supreme Court, which sets the budget for each hospital
    • It only provides care to people who can pay in advance for each treatment

  10. What is meant by accountability in a public institution?

    • Being free from all checks and oversight by the courts or by Parliament
    • Being run by the monarch who approves each decision made by its staff
    • Being answerable to the public and to those who oversee it for its actions
    • Being owned by shareholders who receive a share of its profits each year

  11. Why do public institutions often publish annual reports?

    • To show how public money was spent and what was achieved
    • To raise money from private donors who want to fund its activities
    • To publish secret plans for the government in a private annual report
    • To avoid answering questions from the public about its spending and decisions

  12. Which of these is a role of the emergency services?

    • Choosing councillors who will represent each ward in local government
    • Responding quickly to fires, accidents and medical emergencies
    • Writing new laws for Parliament to consider in each session of the year
    • Setting interest rates for banks across the country each quarter

  13. What is a public consultation?

    • A private meeting between MPs and businesses that is kept out of public view
    • A legal hearing in a court about the rights of a local council
    • A vote on the monarch's duties held among the members of the royal household
    • A process where the public can give views on proposals before decisions are made

  14. Which of these best describes how a public institution should behave?

    • Serve only one political party
    • Make decisions in private without explanation
    • Favour people who donate money
    • Treat people fairly and act impartially

  15. A local hospital is said to be a public institution. Which feature supports this description?

    • It is owned by a single family
    • It is funded by taxation and open to the whole public
    • It serves only members of a club
    • It is run by a private company for profit only

  16. Why might a community value public parks?

    • They are closed to the public except on special days in the calendar year
    • They are run to make profits for shareholders who own the land and facilities
    • They provide free space for recreation, exercise and social contact
    • They are only for private events that charge an entry fee to all visitors

  17. Which of these is a way that public institutions are held to account?

    • Decisions made by a single unelected individual who answers to no one
    • Avoiding any checks by the courts and by the inspection of its work
    • Scrutiny by elected representatives and independent inspection bodies
    • Keeping all decisions secret so that the public cannot question them

  18. What is the main purpose of the police as a public institution?

    • To act as a private security company for businesses in the local area
    • To choose the government by advising the monarch on the outcome of elections
    • To protect the public and enforce the law fairly
    • To make profits from fines paid by people who break the rules of the area

  19. Which of these is an example of a public service provided by a local council?

    • Collecting household rubbish
    • Appointing the Speaker
    • Running the national railway network
    • Setting the national budget

  20. A public institution makes a decision that many people disagree with. What is the best way for citizens to respond?

    • Use lawful channels such as complaints, petitions or consultation responses
    • Refuse to pay any tax until the institution changes the decision it has made
    • Break the institution's property to show how strongly they feel about the issue
    • Stop all contact with the institution and tell others to do the same

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