Tim Elkington, managing director of Enhance Media who carried out the survey said: "People in Canterbury clearly love the internet but you might have trouble finding a WiFi connection in Torquay."

Unsurprisingly, people working in IT had the highest average score at 75 (out of 100), followed by those in the design/creative sector and then marketing.

Students were among those registering the lowest score - 48, below the test average of 53. But the survey does include questions about applying for a job and buying something for over £1,000 which are less likely to apply to students.

Enhance Media hopes that by providing in-depth insight into how the UK is using the internet, the survey will become the web-user equivalent of the Consumer Prices Index, which monitors the nation's shopping habits.

Already the idea has been taken up in Europe, including in France, where the test is known as the "test de culture geek."