Key Facts
| IELTS Life Skills A1 fee (British Council London Central test centre) | GBP 185.00 |
|---|---|
| IELTS Life Skills A2 fee (British Council London Central test centre) | GBP 185.00 |
| IELTS Life Skills B1 fee (British Council London Central test centre) | GBP 185.00 |
| English level for a first family visa application | At least level A1 |
| Reuse of a B1 result for family settlement | B1 or higher, reusable after 5 years |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
IELTS Life Skills is a speaking and listening test at CEFR level A1, A2 or B1 that you sit with an examiner and one other candidate, and it appears on the Home Office list of Secure English Language Tests (SELTs). It has no reading or writing component and no band score, because the result is Pass or Fail. IELTS describes A1 as the level for visas for the family of a settled person, A2 as the level for an extension to a family, spouse or partner visa, and B1 as the level for citizenship or indefinite leave to remain.
Two candidates are tested together, so practising speaking in pairs against the four criteria the examiner uses tends to be the most useful preparation, whichever level your application needs. The level depends on the route, which makes it worth checking your own route on GOV.UK before you book, and the tasks, the marking and the difference from IELTS for UKVI are set out below.
What is IELTS Life Skills?
IELTS Life Skills is a single test of speaking and listening, built around everyday subjects such as work, transport and the weather, and it is available in the UK and internationally. You take it with an IELTS examiner and a second test taker, at A1, A2 or B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Reading and writing are not tested, so it suits adults whose route asks only for speaking and listening evidence.
Topics cover personal details, family and friends, buying goods, work, health, leisure, education or training, transport, housing and weather. Each level is designed to check that you can listen and respond, make your meaning clear and talk with other people. An examiner assesses you across a set of criteria during the session, and the tasks become more demanding as the level rises.
Which level is needed for the visa?
The level depends on your route, and IELTS describes A1 as the level for visas for the family of a settled person, A2 as the level for an extension to a family, spouse or partner visa (offered only in the UK), and B1 as the level for citizenship or indefinite leave to remain.
GOV.UK's family visa guidance sets out the same progression: a first application needs at least A1, an applicant who passed A1 needs at least A2 in speaking and listening to extend, and a result at B1 or higher can be used again for settlement. You can also choose to take a higher-level test. For any other route, the guidance for that route names the level, so read it before you book.
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Expert TutorI gained an MA and MPhil at Girton College, Cambridge, and am a British Council certified counsellor. I specialise in Oxbridge preparation and university admissions, and teach A-Level English Literature, French and German, using the discursive, oral-first style of an Oxbridge supervision.
Enquire about this tutorHow long is the test and what do the tasks involve?
A Life Skills session lasts between 16 and 22 minutes, and you take it with an examiner and a second test taker. The tasks build on each other from one level to the next, so a B1 candidate is expected to manage every A1 and A2 task as well.
At A1 you respond to simple stories, statements, questions and single-step instructions on familiar topics. At A2 you handle straightforward information, short stories, explanations and instructions, and talk with others to reach shared understanding. By B1, learners follow straightforward explanations and instructions, communicate with appropriate formality, make relevant points and respond to what others say.
- A1 tasks: describing things, giving opinions, sharing personal information, saying what you prefer, requesting details or descriptions, agreeing and disagreeing, explaining and justifying, making decisions and suggestions, and choosing options
- A2 adds: comparing, prioritising, planning and persuading
- B1 adds: showing contrast, cause, reason or purpose, narrating, asking about past or future events, and expressing future certainty or possibility
How is IELTS Life Skills marked?
IELTS Life Skills is marked Pass or Fail, with no band score attached. An IELTS examiner assesses your speaking and listening across four criteria: obtaining information, conveying information, speaking to communicate and engaging in discussion.
A Pass means you can use the result for your visa application, and a Fail means the result cannot be used for it. The result names the level and the outcome, for example Life Skills B1 followed by Pass, so the level you sit is the level your application relies on.
How should learners prepare for IELTS Life Skills?
Begin by writing out the task list for your level and turning each task into a spoken prompt, because the test is built from those tasks. At B1, for example, telling a partner what happened last week, asking what they plan to do next month and explaining why one option suits a situation cover narrating, asking about past or future events and giving reasons.
Practise in pairs from the start, since you are tested alongside another candidate and engaging in discussion depends on responding to what the other person says. Take turns as speaker and listener, answer your partner's point before adding your own, and give them room to speak when you finish.
Check each round against the four criteria in the order the examiner uses them. Did you ask clear questions and use the answers, give accurate and relevant details, make your meaning clear to a stranger first time, and keep the exchange going by agreeing, disagreeing or building on a point? Recording the session on a phone and replaying it with those four questions tends to show what to fix first. IELTS also provides practice papers and audio exercises for listening practice.
How does IELTS Life Skills differ from IELTS for UKVI?
IELTS Life Skills tests Listening and Speaking only and reports Pass or Fail, whereas IELTS for UKVI tests Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking and reports band scores. IELTS for UKVI is the same as any other IELTS test, with additional security measures required by the UK Government.
The two tests serve different routes. IELTS for UKVI is used for visas that require CEFR level B1 in four skills, B2 or C1, such as Skilled Worker and degree-level Student visas, and Life Skills is used for visas that require A1, A2 or B1 in two skills, such as family visas, indefinite leave to remain and British citizenship. The test named in your route's guidance is the one to book.
Related guides
- What is IELTS? Format, versions and scoring
- English requirements for UK visas by route
- IELTS Reading question types
- Official IELTS practice tests
- IELTS for UKVI
- IELTS test fee in the UK
- IELTS results, validity and remarks
- IELTS score to CEFR level
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Frequently asked questions
- Is it possible to take a higher IELTS Life Skills level than the visa requires?
- Yes, GOV.UK's family visa guidance says you can choose to take a higher level test. A result at A2 or above from your first application can be used again for an extension, provided the test provider has not withdrawn the certificate. Sitting the higher level means preparing the extra tasks, such as comparing and persuading at A2 or narrating at B1, so check that the extra preparation suits your plans.
- Is IELTS Life Skills required if the English requirement is exempt?
- Exemptions on the GOV.UK family visa page include applying as a child, applying as an adult coming to be cared for by a relative, being over 65, having a physical or mental condition that prevents you from meeting the requirement, and holding nationality of listed countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA. Anyone given an exemption earlier needs to pass a test at level A1 for the next stage, so keep that in mind.
- Is IELTS Life Skills a Secure English Language Test?
- Yes. GOV.UK lists IELTS Life Skills among the approved SELTs from the IELTS SELT Consortium, alongside IELTS for UKVI, and IELTS describes it as a test on the UK Home Office list. A SELT must be taken with an approved provider, which is why a result from an unapproved test cannot stand in for it.
- Where can applicants check which level their own application needs?
- GOV.UK says the level depends on the route you are applying for, and each route has its own guidance page. For a family visa, the knowledge of English page sets out the levels for a first application, an extension and settlement. IELTS also directs applicants to UK Visas and Immigration from inside the UK, or the British Embassy or High Commission from elsewhere, to confirm the level.
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