Key Facts
| English level, first partner application | at least level A1 (CEFR) |
|---|---|
| English level, settlement as a partner | B1 |
| SELT result validity | 2 years from the date the test is awarded |
| Time to get a test after booking | within 28 days |
| Trinity provisional result and certificate | emailed by 9am the day after the exam; certificate link within 4 to 7 days |
| LANGUAGECERT A1 Speaking and Listening fee | from £160.00 |
| LANGUAGECERT minimum score for UK visas | 60/100 |
| LANGUAGECERT result turnaround | 3 working days |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
The spouse visa English test is a speaking and listening Secure English Language Test, or SELT, taken at CEFR level A1 for a first partner application, A2 for an extension after an A1 pass (A1 if you were exempt first time) and B1 for settlement. The partner route tests only those two skills, and the result must come from a provider on the GOV.UK list, such as the IELTS SELT Consortium, Trinity College London, LANGUAGECERT, Pearson or PSI Services.
Applicants over 65 and nationals of listed countries are among those exempt, and a qualifying degree taught in English can prove the level without a test, so the first check is whether the requirement applies to you at all. Where it does, the level depends on your stage of the route, and each provider assesses speaking and listening in a way you can practise for directly.
What English level does a spouse visa need?
A partner needs CEFR level A1 in speaking and listening for the first application, A2 for the extension after 2.5 years and B1 for settlement after 5 years. Reading and writing results are ignored on this route, so a pass on a four-skill test is judged on speaking and listening alone.
Someone who passed at A1 first time needs A2 for the extension, whereas a result at A2, B1, B2, C1 or C2 can be reused provided the provider has not withdrawn the certificate. An applicant who was exempt on the first application needs an A1 test at the extension. At settlement a B1 or higher result can be reused, and the Life in the UK test sits alongside the English requirement. You may sit a higher level than the one required, and it satisfies the lower one.
Which tests meet the requirement?
Inside the UK, a partner can take a SELT with Trinity College London, the IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT or Pearson, and outside the UK the providers are PSI Services, the IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT and Pearson. Only the speaking and listening versions are needed for a partner, although the GOV.UK page lists every approved test name.
The test must be taken at an approved secure test centre, and the result must still be on the Home Office approved list and not withdrawn by the provider.
- IELTS SELT Consortium: IELTS Life Skills, or IELTS for UKVI
- Trinity College London: Graded Examinations in Spoken English (GESE), and Integrated Skills in English (ISE)
- LANGUAGECERT: International ESOL SELT, General SELT or Academic SELT
- Pearson: PTE Home, or PTE Academic UKVI
- PSI Services: Skills for English UKVI
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Enquire about this tutorWho is exempt from the English requirement?
You do not need to prove English if you are over 65, have a physical or mental condition that prevents you from meeting the requirement, or are extending as a partner or parent after 5 years on a family visa. Children and adults coming to be cared for by a relative are also exempt, and so are 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.
A degree-level qualification awarded by a UK institution and taught in English also meets the requirement, even if you studied abroad, and the certificate is the evidence. A degree from outside the UK needs an Ecctis assessment confirming that it is equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree or higher and was taught in English.
Home Office guidance adds an exemption for circumstances that prevent you from meeting the requirement, and a disability exemption needs medical evidence.
What does an A1 or A2 test involve?
Every partner SELT is a short spoken exam in which your listening is assessed through the same session as your speaking. IELTS Life Skills is taken with one examiner and one other test taker, takes around 20 minutes and is not scored, so the result is a Pass or a Fail. The A1 sample frame has four phases: 4 to 5 minutes of personal questions on name, nationality, work or study, where you live and free time; 5 minutes in which each candidate asks the other questions after 1.5 minutes of preparation; 4 minutes listening to two recordings and answering questions; and 3 to 4 minutes of discussion.
Trinity GESE is one to one with an examiner. A1 is Grade 2 at 6 minutes, A2 is Grade 3 at 7 minutes and B1 is Grade 5 at 10 minutes, the last with a prepared topic followed by conversation. At a Trinity SELT centre the exam runs on a tablet set up by a steward, with the examiner joining by video conference.
LANGUAGECERT A1 Speaking and Listening is computer based at an approved centre and lasts 8 to 9 minutes, in five parts.
The IELTS level descriptors show how the levels differ. At A1 you listen and respond to simple narratives, statements, questions and single-step instructions, and talk with another person about familiar topics. At A2 you respond to straightforward information, short narratives, explanations and instructions, and talk with one or more people to reach shared understanding. Appropriate formality and relevant points are also needed at B1.
- Part 1: personal information questions
- Part 2: role play in social situations
- Part 3: exchanging information about an image or set of images
- Part 4a: listen to a short monologue and answer questions
- Part 4b: a short uninterrupted talk on a topic the interlocutor gives you
How do you book a Home Office approved test?
Book through the website of an approved provider, using the links on the GOV.UK page for SELTs, and choose the speaking and listening test at your level. The name on the booking must match your passport or identity document, and Trinity asks you to bring proof of identity to the centre.
Buy only from the provider or its verified partners, because LANGUAGECERT warns against unauthorised sellers and GOV.UK advises checking third-party prices against the provider's own. After a pass you receive a SELT unique reference number, labelled UER by Trinity, UKVI number by IELTS, Candidate URN by LANGUAGECERT, SELT URN by Pearson and URN by PSI, and you enter it on your application.
How should candidates prepare for the test?
Preparation works best when it follows the order of the test itself: personal questions first, then asking questions, then listening, then extended speaking. Start by answering questions about your name, nationality, work or study, home and free time aloud in full sentences. Next practise asking questions on a topic with a partner, using the preparation time to write short question prompts, which IELTS allows at A1. Then practise listening to two short recordings and answering a specific question about each, making brief notes as you listen.
Check your practice against the published descriptors. IELTS describes assessment as whether you can listen and respond, make your meaning clear, and talk with other people. Record yourself, then ask whether you answered the question asked, whether a listener could follow each sentence, and whether you responded to what the other speaker said. Use the official sample tests and practice materials from IELTS, Trinity and LANGUAGECERT, because they show the exact task types for your provider and level.
Related guides
- English requirements for UK visas by route
- SELT tests explained
- B1 English test for citizenship and ILR
- B2 English test for the Skilled Worker visa
- LanguageCert SELT
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Frequently asked questions
- How long is a spouse visa English test result valid for?
- A SELT result is valid for a fixed period counted from the date the test is awarded, and the figure is in the key facts. Trinity certificates are valid for life as evidence of achievement, yet Trinity has recommended that the Home Office accept only recent ones for visa use. Booking your test close to your application date keeps the result comfortably inside its validity.
- Is the A1 English test pass or fail?
- IELTS Life Skills is not scored and gives a Pass or a Fail, and a Fail means the result cannot be used in your application. LANGUAGECERT sets a minimum score for UK visas, which the key facts record. Trinity examiners assess you in a one to one conversation, and the page lists no pass mark.
- Can applicants take a higher-level test than their visa needs?
- Yes, you may take a higher level than required, and the result satisfies the lower level. Some applicants sit A2 or B1 at the first application so that the result can be reused at the extension or at settlement, provided the provider has not withdrawn the certificate and the result is accepted when you apply.
- What should be sent to the Home Office after passing?
- You enter your SELT unique reference number on the application form. Trinity labels it UER, IELTS calls it the UKVI number, LANGUAGECERT uses Candidate URN, Pearson uses SELT URN and PSI uses URN. The Home Office can then check your pass on the provider's verification system, so the booking name must match your passport.
- Do applicants still need a test if they have a degree?
- Not if the degree is at bachelor's level or above and was taught in English. A UK degree needs only the certificate, even if you studied abroad. A degree from outside the UK needs an Ecctis assessment confirming equivalence to a UK bachelor's degree and that it was taught in English. You can reuse a previous Ecctis assessment.
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