Key Facts
| SELT result validity | 2 years from the date the test is awarded |
|---|
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
A B2 English test for the Skilled Worker visa is a Secure English Language Test (SELT) that shows reading, writing, speaking and listening at level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). GOV.UK sets the same B2 level for Health and Care Worker applications. A test is only one of the routes, since a UK school qualification, a degree taught in English, listed nationality or a previous successful application can also meet the requirement.
The Home Office accepts SELTs from a short list of approved providers, and each test has its own minimum score for every skill. Sponsors and applicants can check the approved list before booking, which avoids sitting a test that UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) does not recognise.
What English level does the Skilled Worker visa require?
Skilled Worker applicants must prove they can read, write, speak and understand English to at least level B2 on the CEFR scale, and GOV.UK gives the same wording for the Health and Care Worker visa. B2 sits in the Independent User band, above B1 and below C1.
The requirement covers all four skills together, which is why the approved tests report a separate result for reading, writing, speaking and listening. A strong result in three skills does not offset a shortfall in the fourth, because the minimum applies to each one.
How can you meet the English requirement?
There are five ways to meet it: pass an approved SELT, hold a qualifying degree, hold a qualifying UK school qualification, be a national of a listed country, or rely on English already proved in a previous successful visa application.
A UK school qualification counts if it is a GCSE, an A Level, a Scottish National Qualification at level 4 or 5, or a Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English, and the education began before the age of 18. A degree-level qualification awarded by a UK institution and taught in English also counts, even if you studied outside the UK. Ecctis assesses a degree from a non-UK institution taught in English, issuing a code that confirms the qualification is equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree or higher and was taught in English.
Applicants with none of these qualify through a SELT. The test must be taken with an approved provider, and the result is checked online using a unique reference number.
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Enquire about this tutorWhich approved tests meet level B2?
Approved four-skill tests at B2 come from IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT, Pearson and Trinity College London, and each lists a minimum grade for every skill. The table below shows the B2 rows exactly as the Home Office list gives them for tests taken in the UK.
The approved providers in the UK are Trinity College London, IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT and Pearson. Outside the UK they are PSI Services (UK) Ltd, IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT and Pearson, and PSI's test is Skills for English UKVI. The two-skill speaking and listening tests, such as IELTS Life Skills and PTE Home, serve other routes. Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, Scale-up Worker and several other work routes need all four skills.
What does B2 mean in reading, writing, speaking and listening?
At B2 a person can understand the main ideas of complex text on concrete and abstract topics, interact with enough fluency that regular conversation with native speakers is possible without strain, and write clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects.
In reading, B2 means reading articles and reports about contemporary problems in which the writers take particular attitudes or viewpoints, and understanding contemporary literary prose. In listening, it means following extended speech and lectures, and even complex lines of argument, when the topic is reasonably familiar, plus understanding most television news and current affairs programmes.
Speaking at B2 covers taking an active part in discussion in familiar contexts, accounting for and sustaining views, and presenting clear, detailed descriptions while explaining a viewpoint on a topical issue with advantages and disadvantages. Writing at B2 means an essay or report that passes on information or gives reasons for or against a point of view.
Do any applicants need a different level or no proof at all?
Yes: some applicants need B1 or no proof, and the Skilled Worker page sets these out by situation. Anyone extending or updating a visa they held before the date GOV.UK names needs B1 and does not have to prove it again. Switching from a Health and Care Worker visa needs no proof, and switching from a different visa needs B2.
Nationals of Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the British overseas territories, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and the USA do not need to prove English.
Doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives need no proof if they have passed an English assessment accepted by their regulated professional body. Vets may need to show they passed an English Language assessment with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
How can sponsors and applicants check before applying?
The check starts with the Home Office lists of approved Secure English Language Tests, which give the CEFR level and minimum grade for each test, with one list for tests taken in the UK and one for tests taken outside it.
A test counts only if it is on the approved list, was taken at an approved test location and was awarded within the validity period before the application date. Where several skills are awarded together, the required score must come from the same test centre provider. Book in the exact name on your passport or identity document, and use the provider's own booking page, because some third-party sites falsely claim Home Office affiliation.
After the test you receive a unique reference number, labelled differently by each provider, and you enter it in the application. No documents are submitted, since the result is verified online. Sponsors can ask to see that number.
- Trinity College London: UER
- IELTS: UKVI number
- LANGUAGECERT: Candidate URN
- Pearson: SELT URN
- PSI: URN
How should you prepare for a four-skill test?
Preparation works best when it follows the way the result is reported, which is one minimum score in each of the four skills. Start by sitting a practice test from your chosen provider, record the four results separately, and identify the skill furthest below the minimum in the table above.
Give most of your practice time to that skill first, then rotate through the others each week so none drops back. For reading and listening, use the B2 descriptors as a checklist: summarise the writer's viewpoint in an article, then follow a lecture or news programme and note the line of argument.
For speaking and writing, record or draft answers on topical issues, then check them against the B2 statements: are advantages and disadvantages given, are views sustained with reasons, is the text clear and detailed? A teacher or exam-trained tutor can mark this against the same descriptors, which gives feedback tied to the level you need.
Related guides
- English requirements for UK visas by route
- SELT tests explained
- B1 English test for citizenship and ILR
- English test for a spouse visa
- LanguageCert SELT
English tuition for adults with Taylor Tuition
Adults who come to us for English usually know the situation they need it for, whether that is a job, a test or daily life in the UK, so lessons start with a level check against the CEFR scale and are then built around the tasks the learner actually faces.
English for adults is taught one-to-one or in small groups, at every level from beginner (CEFR A1) to proficient (C2), online or in person in central London. Fees start from £50 per 50-minute session and depend on tutor level, there is no registration fee and the initial consultation is free. Employers can book programmes for staff and are invoiced directly.
Read more about our English tuition for adults, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.
For IELTS, see our IELTS preparation tutors.
Frequently asked questions
- Is B2 the same as IELTS 5.5?
- For the UKVI route, the approved list gives IELTS for UKVI a minimum of 5.5 in each of listening, speaking, reading and writing as the B2 requirement. The equivalent minimums differ between tests, so a score from one provider cannot be converted by arithmetic. Check the approved list row for the test you plan to sit, and confirm the score is reached in all four skills.
- Can a test taken outside the UK be used for a UK application?
- Yes. GOV.UK states that tests taken in the UK can be used for UK and overseas applications, and tests taken overseas can be used for UK applications. The test must still be on the approved list, taken at an approved test location, and awarded within the validity period before the application date.
- What happens if a candidate passes three skills but misses the fourth?
- The required score applies to every relevant component, so a shortfall in one skill means the requirement is not met by that result. GOV.UK says resits of a failed component may be allowed in certain circumstances, so read the provider's terms first. If several skills are awarded together, the scores must come from the same test centre provider.
- Does a degree taught in English replace the test?
- It can. A degree-level qualification awarded by a UK institution and taught in English counts, even if studied outside the UK. A non-UK degree taught in English needs an Ecctis assessment code confirming it is equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree or higher and was taught in English.
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