# Cultural Test

Source: https://storiara.com/glossary/cultural-test
Last updated: 2026-09-14
Author: Charles Hirschhorn, Storiara

> A cultural test is a points-based assessment that decides whether a film or series counts as culturally national for incentive purposes. The production scores points for content, setting, language, where the work is done, and who does it, and must reach a pass mark. In the UK, the BFI's film test awards up to 35 points and a film needs 18 to pass.

## Why countries use one

Incentives are paid with public money, and most governments want that money to support local culture and local jobs. A cultural test turns that aim into a checklist. In the UK it is the gate to the Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit, which pays 34% for film. Films applying for the enhanced 53% rate for lower-budget productions also have to show they meet the budget condition and a creative connection requirement, according to the BFI.

Australia takes a different approach for its [producer offset](https://storiara.com/glossary/producer-offset). Instead of a points table, Screen Australia applies a Significant Australian Content test that weighs the subject matter, where the project was made, and who made it.

## Scoring a hypothetical film

The BFI's film test has four sections. Here is how a UK and US financed thriller, set in New York but shot at a UK studio with a mostly British cast and crew, might score. The section maximums are from the BFI. The scores are illustrative, and the BFI's guidance notes explain how each section breaks down.

| Section | Maximum | Example score | Why it scores |
|---|---|---|---|
| A: Cultural content | 18 | 6 | English language, a British lead character, US setting |
| B: Cultural contribution | 4 | 1 | Some claim to British creativity |
| C: Cultural hubs (where work is done) | 5 | 5 | Shooting, VFX, and post in the UK |
| D: Cultural practitioners (nationality of key people) | 8 | 7 | UK director, writer, most cast and crew, US composer |
| Total | 35 | 19 | Pass at 18 |

Nineteen points is a pass, but it is thin. Replacing the director with a non-qualifying one or moving post out of the UK could drop the film below 18, which is why producers lock the points before signing key deals.

## Where applicants go wrong

The common error is treating the test as a formality and scoring it after hiring. By then the director, composer, and post house are contracted and the points are fixed. The second error is confusing passing the test with receiving money. Passing makes the film British for tax purposes. The credit itself still depends on [qualified spend](https://storiara.com/glossary/qualified-spend), which under AVEC is capped at the lower of 80% of core expenditure or the UK core expenditure incurred.

## Related pages

If a film can't pass, an official [co-production treaty](https://storiara.com/glossary/co-production-treaty) may be the better route. The [United Kingdom incentive page](https://storiara.com/incentives/united-kingdom) covers the credit rates, and [the cultural test explained](https://storiara.com/blog/the-cultural-test-how-to-qualify-for-international-film-incentives) goes through other countries' tests. For how the credit fits in a capital stack, see [film financing](https://storiara.com/learn/film-financing).

## Frequently asked questions

### How many points do you need to pass the UK cultural test for film?

18 out of 35. The points are spread across cultural content (up to 18), cultural contribution (up to 4), cultural hubs (up to 5), and cultural practitioners (up to 8).

### Does a film have to be set in the UK to pass?

No. A film can pass on work done in the UK and the nationality of its cast and crew even if it is set elsewhere, which is why many international productions based at UK studios qualify.

### Is there another way to qualify as British?

Yes. A film certified as an official co-production under one of the UK's treaties can qualify for the expenditure credit without passing the cultural test.

### Who certifies the result?

The BFI certifies British films on behalf of the government. Productions usually apply for interim certification before or during the shoot and final certification after completion, with supporting documents.

## Sources

- [BFI, Cultural test for film](https://www.bfi.org.uk/apply-british-certification-tax-relief/cultural-test-film)
- [BFI, About UK creative industry expenditure credits](https://www.bfi.org.uk/apply-british-certification-expenditure-credits/about-uk-creative-industry-expenditure-credits)