Key Facts
| Level GOV.UK states for citizenship and settlement | an English qualification at B1, B2, C1 or C2 level |
|---|---|
| Speaking and listening level in caseworker guidance | B1 level or above |
| Validity of SELT results | 2 years from the date the test is awarded |
| Time to take a SELT after booking | within 28 days of booking |
| Trinity ILR level by route | B2 Speaking & Listening for most ILR applicants; B1 for BN(O), HM Armed Forces and Domestic Worker routes |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
The B1 English test for UK citizenship and ILR is a Secure English Language Test (SELT) in speaking and listening at level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), sat with a Home Office approved provider. GOV.UK asks applicants aged 18 or over, whether they are applying for citizenship or to settle through indefinite leave to remain, to show their English with a qualification at B1, B2, C1 or C2 level or with a degree taught or researched in English.
Applicants who are exempt, or who already hold a B1 qualification accepted for an earlier application, may not need to sit a new test. Because the level required for settlement can differ by immigration route, checking the guidance for your own route before booking avoids sitting a test that your application will not accept.
When does the B1 English test apply to ILR and citizenship?
The B1 English test applies when you are 18 or over and apply either for British citizenship by naturalisation or to settle in the UK through indefinite leave to remain, unless an exemption covers you. GOV.UK caseworker guidance describes the language element as a speaking and listening qualification in English at B1 level or above, and applicants usually prove it with a SELT taken at an approved test centre.
The required CEFR level depends on your immigration route, so some settlement routes keep B1 whilst others ask for a higher level; your own route guidance confirms which applies. GOV.UK warns that an application will be refused if you send the wrong qualification. The Life in the UK test is a separate requirement that sits alongside the English one.
Who is exempt from the B1 English test?
You do not need to prove your English if you are aged 65 or over, if a long-term physical or mental condition makes you unable to take the test, or if you are a national of a listed majority English-speaking country. Medical exemption needs a completed exemption form from a doctor together with original medical reports. Nationals of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA are on the list, and Ireland is exempt for citizenship only. Nationals of other countries must still prove their English, even where English is an official language.
A degree taught or researched in English is an alternative to a test. Caseworker guidance says the degree must be academic instead of vocational, taught in English or delivered in a majority English-speaking country (excluding Canada), and confirmed by Ecctis, formerly NARIC. Applicants exempt on nationality grounds still have to pass the Life in the UK test.
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Enquire about this tutorWhich approved SELTs meet the B1 requirement?
Five providers hold Home Office approval to run SELTs for UK visas: Trinity College London, the IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT, Pearson and PSI Services (UK) Ltd. GOV.UK names the speaking and listening tests for settlement and citizenship, and the CEFR level of each sits in the separate approved tests list that the page links to, so confirm the level there before you book.
The B1 speaking and listening tests published by the test owners are Trinity GESE Grade 5, IELTS Life Skills B1 and LanguageCert International ESOL SELT B1 Speaking and Listening. The test names GOV.UK lists for each provider are:
- Trinity College London: Secure English Language Tests for UKVI, with ISE or GESE
- IELTS SELT Consortium: IELTS for UKVI or IELTS Life Skills
- LANGUAGECERT: International ESOL SELT, Academic SELT or General SELT
- Pearson: PTE Academic UKVI or PTE Home
- PSI Services (UK) Ltd: Skills for English UKVI
What do the B1 speaking and listening tests involve?
Each B1 speaking and listening test is a short, examiner-led spoken test lasting between about ten and twenty minutes, and the format differs by provider. Trinity GESE Grade 5 lasts ten minutes as a one-to-one conversation with an examiner, taken by video call or at a Trinity SELT centre on a tablet. It has two phases of up to five minutes each: a discussion of a topic you prepare in advance, built on five discussion points from a Topic Form you bring to the exam, and a conversation on two subject areas the examiner chooses from festivals, means of transport, special occasions, entertainment, music and recent personal experiences.
IELTS Life Skills B1 is taken with an examiner and one other test taker, and runs for around twenty minutes. Phase 1a has the two candidates question each other for two minutes on a topic. In Phase 1b each candidate gets one minute to prepare and talks for about one and a half minutes, after which the partner asks three questions. Phase 2a is a listening task on two recordings, first identifying the topic and then answering specific questions. Phase 2b asks the pair to plan something together and then discuss a topic.
LanguageCert International ESOL SELT B1 Speaking and Listening is a computer-based, one-to-one test of 11 to 13 minutes in five parts: personal information, role play, exchanging information, listen and respond, and a long turn. In the long turn you get 30 seconds to prepare, talk for about one and a half minutes on a topic the interlocutor gives you, and then answer follow-up questions. Examiners assess Listening and Responding, Interactive Communication and Task Fulfilment, Accuracy and Range of Grammar, Accuracy and Range of Vocabulary, and Pronunciation, Intonation and Fluency; the test is recorded for auditing.
How are SELT results checked, and can an earlier test be reused?
Providers check SELT results through the SELT online verification system, so you give your unique reference number in the application and send no certificate. The label for that number varies by provider: UER for Trinity, UKVI number for IELTS, Candidate URN for LANGUAGECERT, SELT URN for Pearson and URN for PSI. The name on your booking must match your passport or identity document, and the validity rule for results is recorded in the key facts.
A test passed for an earlier application can sometimes be reused. For citizenship, if you were granted indefinite leave on a B1 qualification, you meet the English requirement for naturalisation without a further test, even if that test no longer appears on the current approved list. For settlement, the qualification must be at B1, B2, C1 or C2 level, appear on the current list of recognised tests and have been accepted for another UK immigration application, such as the one that gave you permission to enter.
How should you prepare for a conversation-based B1 test?
Preparation for a conversation-based B1 test works best when you practise the long turn first, because every provider asks you to speak at length on a topic before or alongside the interactive tasks. For Trinity, choose a topic that is not one of the examiner's conversation subject areas, write one short phrase for each of the five discussion points, and practise talking about each for under a minute in linked sentences, because the whole topic phase lasts up to five minutes and includes the examiner's questions. The examiner expects you to ask at least one question in each phase and to avoid memorised recitation, so practise answering unplanned follow-up questions about your points.
Next, practise the language the criteria reward. Trinity lists talking about the future, expressing preferences, talking about recent and indefinite past events, giving reasons, stating the duration of events and quantifying, with the present perfect (for, since, ever, never, just), because, will and expressions such as "I prefer" as the language to practise. Make short answers of three or four sentences that each give a reason, an example and a comparison. Weak forms and contractions such as "I've been to" are listed under pronunciation, so candidates should say them aloud.
For IELTS Life Skills and LanguageCert, add listening practice with short announcements and messages, noting times, places and reasons, then answering questions aloud. Record every practice session, play it back against the published criteria (understanding and responding, completing the task, grammar range and accuracy, vocabulary, and pronunciation and fluency) and score each one honestly. Repeat the weakest criterion in the next session. Practising with a partner helps for IELTS Life Skills, since the test is taken with another candidate.
Related guides
- English requirements for UK visas by route
- SELT tests explained
- English test for a spouse visa
- B2 English test for the Skilled Worker visa
- LanguageCert SELT
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Frequently asked questions
- Can candidates take the B1 English test outside the UK?
- Yes, with some providers. GOV.UK lists Trinity College London as UK only and PSI Services (UK) Ltd as outside the UK only, whilst the IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT and Pearson test both in and outside the UK. Book through the provider's own website, and check that any third-party booking service charges the same as or less than the provider does.
- Do GCSE or A level English qualifications count instead of a SELT?
- No. GOV.UK states that other qualifications, such as GCSEs, A levels or NVQs, do not count, and that ESOL qualifications are accepted only if they are on the list of approved SELTs. A degree taught or researched in English is the other route, and it is assessed separately against the degree rules.
- Does the name on the test booking matter?
- Yes. GOV.UK says the name you book under must match your passport or identity document, because the result is verified online against the unique reference number you later enter in your application. A mismatch between the booking and your documents can create problems when the Home Office checks the result.
- Can candidates ask for adjustments if they have a disability or injury?
- LanguageCert offers access arrangements for candidates with learning difficulties, disabilities or temporary injuries, such as a reader or a scribe, applied for through its Reasonable Adjustment and Special Considerations Policy and agreed before the assessment. Other providers have their own policies, so ask the provider before you book.
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