The two tests most people outside the UK take, side by side
If you are applying from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, the Philippines or the Gulf for a partner visa, an extension, settlement or citizenship, the GOV.UK SELT guidance (updated 12 October 2026) gives you four approved providers outside the UK: PSI (Skills for English UKVI), the IELTS SELT Consortium, LanguageCert and Pearson. Trinity is UK only. This page covers the two that are least understood: LanguageCert International ESOL SELT, a short speaking and listening test with a live examiner, from INR 14,040 in India; and Skills for English UKVI, a longer computer-based test with no examiner present at all. They are opposites in format, and the right one for you depends less on price than on whether you speak better to a person or to a screen. IELTS Life Skills and PTE Home have their own pages.
| LanguageCert ESOL SELT (Speaking and Listening) | Skills for English UKVI (speaking and listening) | |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | LanguageCert | PSI with Qualifications Scotland |
| Approved (GOV.UK) | In the UK and outside | Outside the UK only |
| Levels, speaking and listening | A1, A2, B1 (General SELT A2 to C1 and Academic SELT B1 to C2 are the four-skills tests) | A1, A2, B1 (B1 and B2 also as four-skills tests, per its SELT page) |
| Who you speak to | A real examiner, one to one, on a computer-based test | A computer; "no examiner/assessor present" |
| Length | A1 8 to 9 min; A2 9 to 11 min; B1 11 to 13 min | A1 30 min; A2 35 min; B1 50 min |
| Pass mark | "at least 60 out of 100" | Pass or fail at the level; threshold not published |
| Results | Provisional "in a few minutes"; official in 3 working days (level pages and FAQ); "3-5 working days" on the home page | "as little as 3 to 5 days" (SELT page); "within 14 days ... within 28 days maximum" (FAQ) |
| Fee | "from ₹14040.00" as served in India; varies by country | Not published; shown during booking |
| Retake product | Take2, bought at the original booking | None; rebook after the result |
| Centres | "200+ locations worldwide", "120+ countries" | "over 130 countries outside of the UK"; Afghanistan and Ukraine closed |
| Reference number | Candidate URN on the test report | URN "generated for each candidate for each test attempt" |
Both are taken at a test centre. Neither is available online for UKVI purposes: LanguageCert's FAQ says "All SELT exams must be taken in person at an authorized test centre. This isn't a LANGUAGECERT policy" but "a strict UKVI requirement that applies to all SELT providers", and Skills for English's FAQ says "All the Skills for English tests are computer-based and are taken at an authorised test centre." For the level your route needs, start at which test do I need.
LanguageCert ESOL SELT: 8 to 13 minutes with a live examiner, part by part
Per the LanguageCert B1 Speaking and Listening page, read 21 October 2026, the test is a "one-to-one computer-based speaking and listening test with an examiner", lasting "11-13 minutes" at B1. The A1 page gives 8 to 9 minutes and the A2 page 9 to 11. The same four parts appear at every level, with the fourth split into 4a and 4b. LanguageCert's wording is in quotation marks.
| Part | LanguageCert's description | What that means in the room |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | "Answer simple questions about yourself" | Name, where you live, family, work, routine. Short full sentences. |
| Part 2 | "Start a conversation and respond appropriately in everyday situations" | The examiner sets a situation (at a shop, with a neighbour, on the phone) and you open the exchange, then respond to what the examiner says. Practise it on purpose: you must speak first. |
| Part 3 | "Look at one or more images and talk about what you see" | Picture description. Our advice: at B1, add a comparison or an opinion. |
| Part 4a | "Listen to a short talk and answer questions" | The listening check inside the speaking test. You hear a short recording and the examiner asks about it. |
| Part 4b | "Give a short, uninterrupted talk on a topic provided by the examiner" | A mini long turn on a topic you are given on the spot. Our advice: a few sentences at A1 and A2; at B1, add a reason and an example. |
Marking and results, per the level pages: "You need at least 60 out of 100 to pass", "Provisional results in a few minutes", "Official results 3 working days", and the result is "valid for 2 years from the test date" for UK visa purposes. The home page's "Fast results in 3-5 working days" is the longer promise; the FAQ matches the level pages with "Official Test Report, 3 working days after your exam" for International ESOL SELT. Fee: the home page as served in India lists "from ₹14040.00" for A1, A2 and B1 alike; the level pages say "Test fees vary by country and local currency". Booking is through the "Check test availability" search on selt.languagecert.org; rescheduling is free "up to 72 hours before your exam start time" and carries an administrative fee inside 72 hours, per the FAQ. On the day, "Bring along your valid photo ID for identification purposes" and arrive "30 minutes prior to the test starting time"; the FAQ says it must be "the identical photo ID used when booking", and lists passports, EU ID cards, travel documents, BRPs and BRCs and government ID cards, with an eVisa accepted if the test is booked at least 48 hours ahead.
LanguageCert's preparation page carries three practice papers per level for International ESOL SELT A1 to B1 with two audio interview samples per level, a qualification handbook and candidate webinars. Use them to hear what a 60-out-of-100 performance sounds like; nothing on this page replaces that.
Skills for English UKVI: computer, no examiner, part by part
Per the Skills for English SELT page, read 21 October 2026, the test is "entirely computer-based with no examiner/assessor present", available "in one of our Home Office-approved test centres in over 130 countries outside of the UK", with speaking and listening tests of 30 minutes at A1, 35 at A2 and 50 at B1. The detail comes from the Test Information Sheets (version 2.0, effective October 2023) linked from the prepare page. The A1 and B1 sheets state: "You will speak to the computer, not a real person; the computer asks the questions and records your answers. After each question, you will hear a beep. You answer each question after each beep. There is a clock on the screen to show you how long you can speak."
The speaking test: three parts
| Part | A1 (Test Information Sheet) | B1 (Test Information Sheet) |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1, warm-up, not assessed | Five fixed questions, 10 seconds each: "What is your name? Can you spell your first name, please? Where are you from? What is your date of birth? What do you do?" | The same five questions, 10 seconds each. "Part 1 of the Speaking test is NOT assessed." |
| Part 2, two topics | "five questions per topic, so ten questions in total"; each heard once; "You have 15 seconds to answer each question after each beep." Topics: family, likes and dislikes, food, weather, daily routines and leisure, homes, things you can and cannot do, describing people, simple past events and future plans. | Ten questions on two topics, "20 seconds to answer each question". Topics "include family, work, society, culture, past events, future plans, hopes and aspirations", with follow-ups such as "Why or why not?" and "Explain your answer". |
| Part 3, role card | "5 prompts or questions about a situation" such as shopping or inviting a friend; the situation and prompts are on screen; "35 seconds to give each answer". | A role card with 5 prompts; "1 minute to read through the role card, think about your response and make notes"; then "up to 4 minutes to speak about the prompts". Scenarios "include giving advice to a friend, exploring a local or global issue, or describing plans and aspirations." |
| Marking | "Examiners listen to your talk in both Parts 2 and 3 and give you a mark for both parts" | "Trained and qualified examiners mark your responses to Part 2 and Part 3 ... based on your whole performance across both parts". The sheet adds that missing one bullet point "won't matter too much". |
The listening test: three parts, every recording twice
| Part | A1 | B1 |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | 5 short recordings of 30 to 60 words, one three-option multiple choice question each | 10 short recordings of 60 to 90 words, one three-option question each |
| Part 2 | One conversation between a man and a woman, 200 to 250 words, 5 questions | One conversation, 650 to 750 words, 10 questions, with "1 minute to read the questions before the recording starts" |
| Part 3 | One speaker (a voicemail or announcement), 120 to 160 words, 5 drag-and-drop sentence completions from ten options | One monologue, 10 drag-and-drop sentence completions |
| Rule | "You will hear each recording twice. You have time to read the questions before the recordings start and time to check your answers after." Notes are allowed and collected at the end. The sheets warn that "You will always hear something about the wrong answers (the distractors) in the recording, so you must listen for the details for each option." | |
Results: the SELT page says "results available in as little as 3 to 5 days", and the FAQ says "We aim to have your test results within 14 days of you taking your test. This will be within 28 days maximum." If your visa deadline is tight, plan on 14 days, not 5. The FAQ also states that a "Unique Reference Number (URN) is generated for each candidate for each test attempt", that results are "valid for up to two (2) years" from issue, that you can cancel "more than 5 days in advance" for an automatic refund, and that after a fail you "may book for another Test after receiving your previous Test result", with a recommended 28-day gap. The fee is not published: "The cost of you test depends on the test type you need and where you intend to take it", shown at bookmyskillsforenglish.com. Per the availability page, centres in Afghanistan and Ukraine are closed.
- The Test Information Sheets for A1, A2 and B1, with full sample tasks and scripts.
- The Speaking Mark Schemes, which give "an overview of how Skills for English tests are marked", and the Annotated Responses, sample answers for each level.
- The A1 to B2 Grammar and Vocabulary lists. The page says they are not a definitive list, but they show what each level expects.
Which to pick: by country, by nerves, by deadline
| If this is you | Lean towards | Why (from the official pages) |
|---|---|---|
| You freeze when a stranger watches you speak | Skills for English | No examiner present; you speak after a beep with a clock on screen; notes allowed |
| You freeze when there is no face to read | LanguageCert | A real examiner asks and responds; the test is 8 to 13 minutes, so the ordeal is short |
| Your application date is close | LanguageCert | Provisional result in minutes, official in 3 working days; Skills for English says 3 to 5 days on one page and up to 14, maximum 28, in its FAQ |
| You want to know the price before you decide | LanguageCert | "from ₹14040.00" is on the home page in India; Skills for English shows the fee only during booking |
| You need a second chance built in | LanguageCert | Take2 at checkout; Skills for English has no retake product |
| Your listening is weaker than your speaking | Either, but prepare differently | Skills for English plays every recording twice and lets you read the questions first; LanguageCert's 4a is one short talk inside a live test |
| You are in the UK | LanguageCert (or Trinity, IELTS Life Skills, PTE Home) | GOV.UK lists Skills for English outside the UK only |
| You are in Dhaka, Lahore, Lagos, Manila, Ahmedabad or Dubai | Check the GOV.UK outside-UK centre list | Both providers state wide coverage (LanguageCert 120+ countries, Skills for English 130+); the GOV.UK approved-centre spreadsheet, updated 12 October 2026, is the list that counts |
Our fees, booking and centres page turns the GOV.UK centre lists into a table by country, and the first-language pages for Bengali, Gujarati, Tagalog, Arabic and Yoruba speakers and Punjabi, Urdu and Hindi speakers say which sounds each test's marker, human or machine-recorded, hears first.
LanguageCert-style practice: 12 items with model answers
All items below were written by TalkDrill to the shape of LanguageCert's four parts. They are not LanguageCert questions. Model answers are given at A1 (two short sentences) and B1 (three or four sentences with a reason), so you can see the gap between the levels.
Part 1: questions about yourself
| # | Examiner asks | A1 model | B1 model |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Where do you live? | I live in Lahore, in Johar Town. I live with my parents. | I live in Johar Town in Lahore, with my parents and my younger brother. We've been there about ten years, since my father changed jobs. |
| 2 | What do you do every day? | I get up at six. I cook breakfast and I go to work. | I'm usually up by six, I make breakfast for the family and I'm at the clinic by eight. I work as a receptionist, so my day is mostly phone calls and appointments. |
| 3 | Tell me about your family. | I have one brother and two sisters. My husband is in England. | I'm the eldest of four. My husband has lived in Birmingham for three years, which is why I'm taking this test, and my sisters are both still at university. |
| 4 | What do you like doing in your free time? | I like cooking and I watch dramas. On Friday I visit my aunt. | I enjoy cooking, especially trying recipes from videos, and I watch a lot of Turkish dramas. On Fridays I usually go to my aunt's, because the whole family gathers there. |
Part 2: start a conversation in a situation (you speak first)
| # | Situation the examiner gives | A1 opening and reply | B1 opening and reply |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | You are at a pharmacy. You need medicine for a headache. Start the conversation. | "Hello. I have a headache. Do you have some medicine, please?" (Examiner: "Yes, these tablets. Take two.") "Thank you. How much is it?" | "Good morning. I've had a headache since yesterday and paracetamol isn't helping. Could you suggest something stronger?" (Examiner: "Are you taking any other medicine?") "No, nothing else. I'm not allergic to anything either, as far as I know." |
| 6 | Your neighbour is making a lot of noise at night. Talk to her. | "Hello. I am your neighbour. The music is very loud at night. Can you make it quiet, please?" (Examiner: "Oh, sorry.") "Thank you. My baby sleeps at nine." | "Hi, sorry to bother you. I'm from the flat downstairs. The music has been quite loud after eleven this week, and my daughter has school in the morning. Would you mind turning it down after ten?" (Examiner: "I didn't realise, sorry.") "No problem at all, I just wanted to mention it before it became an issue." |
| 7 | You want to open a bank account. Talk to the bank clerk. | "Hello. I want to open an account, please. What do I need?" (Examiner: "Your passport and a letter with your address.") "OK. I have my passport. I can bring the letter tomorrow." | "Hello, I'd like to open a current account. I've recently moved here, so I'm not sure which documents you need." (Examiner: "A passport and proof of address.") "I've got my passport with me. For the address, would a tenancy agreement be acceptable, or does it have to be a bill?" |
| 8 | You are late for an appointment. Phone the clinic. | "Hello. My name is Rani. I have an appointment at ten. I am late. The bus is slow. Can I come at ten thirty?" (Examiner: "Yes, that's fine.") "Thank you very much." | "Hello, this is Rani Patel. I have a ten o'clock appointment with Dr Khan, but my bus has been stuck in traffic for twenty minutes. I should be there by half past. Is that all right, or would you rather I rebooked?" (Examiner: "Half past is fine.") "Thank you, I appreciate it. I'll come straight to reception." |
Part 3: pictures (described in words here; use similar photos on your phone)
| # | The picture | A1 model | B1 model |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | A family eating together at a table; a grandmother serving rice; a child laughing. | This is a family. They are eating dinner. The grandmother is giving rice to the children. Everyone is happy. | This looks like a family dinner at home, probably a special day because everyone is together. The grandmother is serving rice, and the little boy is laughing at something his father said. It reminds me of Friday dinners at my aunt's. |
| 10 | Two pictures: a crowded bus and a woman cycling in a park. | In the first picture the bus is full. In the second picture a woman is riding a bicycle. I like the bicycle. | The first picture shows a very crowded bus, probably in rush hour, and the second a woman cycling through a park on a sunny day. I'd prefer the bicycle for short trips because it's healthier and you don't wait, but in my city the roads are not safe enough, so most people take the bus. |
Part 4b: a short uninterrupted talk
| # | Topic given | A1 model (four sentences) | B1 model (about a minute) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Your favourite place in your town | My favourite place is the park near my house. It is big and green. I go there with my children. We play and we eat ice cream. | My favourite place is Jinnah Park, about ten minutes from our house. I go there most evenings with my children because it's the only large green space nearby and it's safe after dark, with lights along the paths. What I like most is that you see every kind of family there. If I move to the UK next year, it's the place I'll miss first. |
| 12 | A skill you would like to learn | I want to learn to drive. In England you need a car. My husband can teach me. I will take lessons next year. | I'd like to learn to drive, mainly because in the town where my husband lives the buses stop early and the children's school is a long walk. I've already read the theory book, and the plan is to take lessons as soon as I arrive and sit the test within six months. I'm a bit nervous about driving on the left, but my husband managed it, so I think I can too. |
Run items 5 to 8 with the AI in TalkDrill's role-play mode, which plays the pharmacist, neighbour, clerk or receptionist and makes you open the exchange. More Part 1 style questions at each level are in the 150-question practice bank.
Skills for English-style practice: 10 timed questions and 2 role cards
Written by TalkDrill to the shape of Parts 2 and 3 in the Test Information Sheets. The skill that decides Skills for English is answering a recorded question inside a time limit, after a beep, with nobody nodding. Set a timer: 15 seconds per answer at A1, 20 at B1. Say something in the first two seconds, even "Well, at the weekend...", because silence is the enemy of a recording.
Part 2, topic set A: daily routine and home (A1, 15 seconds each)
- What time do you get up? Model: I get up at six o'clock on work days. At the weekend I get up at eight.
- What do you have for breakfast? Model: I usually have paratha and tea. Sometimes I have bread and an egg.
- Who lives with you? Model: I live with my husband and my two sons. My mother-in-law lives with us too.
- What is your favourite room? Model: My favourite room is the kitchen. It is big and I like cooking there with my sister.
- What did you do yesterday evening? Model: Yesterday evening I cooked dinner and I helped my son with his homework. Then I watched TV.
Part 2, topic set B: work and plans (B1, 20 seconds each)
- What do you like most about your job? Model: The people, mainly. I work on the reception of a clinic, so I meet fifty or sixty patients a day, and helping someone who is worried feel calmer is satisfying. The pay is average, but the days go quickly.
- Would you prefer to work from home or in an office? Why? Model: In an office, honestly. At home there are always children and relatives, and I find it hard to concentrate. In an office you leave work at work, which matters when you have a family.
- What skills do you need for your job? Model: Patience first, then organisation, because you're juggling phone calls and people at the desk at the same time. Basic computer skills too, since all the appointments are on the system now.
- How has work changed in your country in the last ten years? Model: A lot of it has moved online. Ten years ago my father queued at the bank every month; now he does it on his phone. Young people also change jobs much more often than our parents did, which older people find strange.
- What are your plans for the next two years? Model: To join my husband in the UK, first of all, which is why I'm sitting this test. After that I'd like to retrain as a healthcare assistant, because there's demand and my clinic experience will help. Longer term, nursing, if I can manage the study alongside the children.
Part 3 role card (A1): inviting a friend to dinner (35 seconds per prompt)
Role card and model responses (written by TalkDrill)
Situation: You want to invite a friend to dinner at your home on Saturday. 1. Say who the friend is. "My friend is Sara. She works with me at the shop." 2. Say why you want to invite her. "I want to invite her because it is her birthday on Saturday. She is far from her family." 3. Say what you will cook. "I will cook chicken biryani and a salad. She likes spicy food." 4. Say what time she should come. "She can come at seven o'clock. We eat at eight." 5. Ask if she can bring something. "Can you bring a cake, please? And can you bring your sister?"
Part 3 role card (B1): advising a friend about moving to a new city (1 minute to prepare, up to 4 minutes to speak)
Role card and model talk (written by TalkDrill)
Situation: Your friend has been offered a job in a city 300 kilometres away and is not sure whether to accept. Give your advice. 1. Describe the job and the city. 2. Explain the advantages of moving. 3. Explain the disadvantages. 4. Suggest how your friend could decide. 5. Say what you would do.
Model talk, about two and a half minutes: "So, the job is a team-leader position at a logistics company in Karachi, which is a big step up from what you're doing now, and Karachi is huge, with far more opportunities than our town. The main advantage is obviously the salary, which is nearly double, and the experience would open doors later. The second advantage is that your cousin already lives there, so you wouldn't be alone in the first months. On the other hand, rent in Karachi would eat a lot of that extra money, and you'd be far from your parents, who are getting older. The commute could also be long; a friend of mine spends two hours a day in traffic there. If I were you, I'd ask the company for a week to decide, visit your cousin, look at a couple of flats near the office and work out the real monthly budget. Then talk to your parents honestly. Personally, I would take it, because you're twenty-eight and this is the age to try, and if it doesn't work out you can come back with better experience. But I'd set a limit, say two years, and review it then."
Record each role card answer and listen for three things the Annotated Responses praise: covering every prompt, giving a reason for each point, and using linking words such as "on the other hand", "if I were you" and "personally". For the listening half, the listening practice quiz gives you one new conversation a day with the kind of distractor the Test Information Sheets warn about.
Results, reference numbers, retakes and the two-year rule
| LanguageCert ESOL SELT | Skills for English UKVI | |
|---|---|---|
| When | Provisional in minutes; official Test Report in 3 working days (level pages, FAQ); home page says 3 to 5 | "as little as 3 to 5 days" (SELT page); "within 14 days ... 28 days maximum" (FAQ) |
| What you put on the visa form | The Candidate URN from the test report | The URN generated for that attempt |
| Validity | "Valid for 2 years from the test date" | "valid for up to two (2) years" from the date results are issued |
| After a fail | Take2 re-sit if bought at the original booking; otherwise a new booking | Rebook after the result is received; a 28-day wait is recommended |
| Rescheduling | Free up to 72 hours before; fee inside 72 hours | Cancel more than 5 days ahead for an automatic refund |
The Home Office rule sits above both: per the GOV.UK SELT guidance a SELT is valid for two years from the date it is awarded, and Appendix English Language asks for a pass "in the 2 years before the date of application". The reuse rule for an older B1 on the family route, and what happens if a provider withdraws a certificate, are on our results and validity page.
How to practise for either test in two weeks
- Day 1: download the provider's own material. LanguageCert: the three practice papers and the audio interview samples for your level from selt.languagecert.org/Preparation. Skills for English: the Test Information Sheet, the Annotated Responses and the Grammar and Vocabulary list for your level from skillsforenglish.com/test/prepare.
- Days 2 to 5: Part 1 and Part 2 questions, ten a day, recorded. LanguageCert candidates answer a person: use TalkDrill's AI mock interview so a voice asks the follow-up. Skills for English candidates answer a timer: set 15 or 20 seconds and start speaking inside two seconds.
- Days 6 to 8: situations and role cards. Items 5 to 8 above in role-play mode for LanguageCert; the two role cards above, prompt by prompt, for Skills for English.
- Days 9 to 11: listening. One short talk a day with three questions written by a family member; for Skills for English, insist on hearing it twice and reading the questions first, because that is the real format.
- Days 12 to 13: one full timed mock in the real shape: 12 minutes end to end for LanguageCert B1; 50 minutes with the listening for Skills for English B1. Then rest the voice.
- Day 14: check the booking shows the right level and the exact name on your ID, confirm the centre address from the booking email, and arrive early: LanguageCert asks for 30 minutes.
The 14-day roadmap runs the same plan for every provider, and the UK visa English test hub has the route matrix and the 26 March 2027 change strip. Official sources for this page: LanguageCert SELT and its A1, A2 and B1 pages, Preparation page and FAQ; Skills for English SELT, its prepare page, FAQ and the A1 and B1 Test Information Sheets (version 2.0, October 2023); and the GOV.UK SELT guidance. All read 21 October 2026.