How to use this page
This is the list of official pages behind every number, date and rule on the UK visa English test hub, annotated so you know which page answers which question, and dated so you know when we last read it. Use it in three situations. Before you book, to confirm your level and that your centre is on the GOV.UK list. After you book, to find the provider's own practice material and identity rules. And whenever someone in a WhatsApp group tells you the rules have changed: open the GOV.UK page named here and read it yourself. Four pages do most of the work: the GOV.UK SELT guidance (who is approved, which routes need four skills), the approved tests and centres publication (the four spreadsheets the Home Office actually checks against), the route page for your visa (family, Skilled Worker, or english-language for settlement and citizenship), and your provider's format page. Everything else here is for the edge cases: exemptions, the legal text, the 2027 change, and the Life in the UK test that people confuse with the English test. If a page is marked unverified, we could not load it this week and we say so wherever its facts appear; the hub changelog records each re-check.
GOV.UK: the rules, route by route
| Page | What it answers | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Prove your English language abilities with a SELT | The approved providers in the UK (Trinity College London, IELTS SELT Consortium, LanguageCert, Pearson) and outside the UK (PSI Services (UK) Ltd, IELTS SELT Consortium, LanguageCert, Pearson); the exact test names that count; the nine four-skills routes and the six speaking and listening routes; the reference number each provider issues (UER, UKVI number, Candidate URN, SELT URN, URN); "Test results are valid for 2 years from the date the test is awarded." | Verified 21 Oct 2026; page updated 12 Oct 2026 |
| Family visa: knowledge of English | The partner and parent ladder: "at least level A1" for the first visa, "at least level A2 in speaking and listening" at the extension if the first pass was A1, a B1 or higher pass reused at settlement; the withdrawn-certificate caveat; exemptions (child applicants, adult dependent relatives, 65 or over, long-term condition, listed nationalities). | Verified 21 Oct 2026 |
| Prove your knowledge of English for citizenship and settling | Applicants aged 18 and over need "an English qualification at B1, B2, C1 or C2 level" or "a degree taught or researched in English"; "Your citizenship or settlement application will be refused if you send the wrong qualifications." | Verified 21 Oct 2026 |
| Exemptions | Aged 65 or over; unable because of a long-term physical or mental condition; nationals of Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the British overseas territories, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Ireland (citizenship only), Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, USA; settlement routes that do not re-prove English (Skilled Worker, Representative of an Overseas Business, Minister of Religion, International Sportsperson, Innovator Founder, International Agreement, Domestic Worker, Scale-up Worker and others listed). | Verified 21 Oct 2026 |
| Skilled Worker visa: knowledge of English | "At least level B2" on a SELT; extensions of a visa held before 8 January 2026 need B1 and "do not need to prove your knowledge of English again"; the same nationality list; the four alternatives: a UK school qualification in English (GCSE, A level, Scottish National 4 or 5, Higher or Advanced Higher), a UK degree taught in English, a non-UK degree confirmed by Ecctis, or a regulator's English assessment for doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives and vets. | Verified 21 Oct 2026 |
| Appendix English Language | The legal text. EL 6.1 (a pass within the two years before the application); EL 1.1(d) with the 26 March 2027 switch from "B1 level" to "B2 level" in the long-residence clause; EL 8 (a higher education provider may assess B2 for degree-level study). | Verified 20 Oct 2026 with a browser user agent; page updated 8 Oct 2026 |
| HC 1333 explanatory memorandum (14 October 2025) | Why the work routes moved: the requirement "for the Skilled Worker, High Potential Individual and Scale-up routes is increased from B1 Level to B2 Level", applying to "those seeking an initial grant of leave in a relevant route" from 8 January 2026, while those already holding B1 permission "will continue to be subject to a B1 level requirement where they are seeking an extension on the same route". | Verified 21 Oct 2026 |
Read the route page first and the legal text second. The guide pages are written for applicants and are usually right; Appendix English Language is where you go when a guide page is silent, as it is today on the settlement B2 date. The which-test page turns these seven pages into one matrix.
The approved tests and centres lists (ODS)
The publication Guidance on applying for UK visa: approved English language tests carries four attachments in ODS (OpenDocument spreadsheet) format: the list of approved tests taken in the UK, the list of approved tests taken outside the UK, the list of approved test centres in the UK and the list of approved test centres outside the UK. The change log on that page shows 262 entries since it was published on 11 September 2020, with centre refreshes on 25 September, 5 October and 12 October 2026 ("Updated the list of approved test centres in and outside the UK"). Verified 21 October 2026.
How to read them: an ODS file opens in LibreOffice, Google Sheets and recent Excel. In the outside-UK centres file, filter the country column for your country and the provider column for the test you want; the row gives the centre name and city. Book only a centre on that list, and keep a copy of the row (a screenshot with the file date) with your test booking, because approval is checked for the test date, not the application date. The fees, booking and centres page counts centres by country from the October 2026 files; treat it as a guide and confirm your centre in the current file before you pay.
Provider pages: format, fees, results
| Page | What it answers | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Trinity: SELT home | GESE Grades A1 to B1 (2, 3 and 5) GBP 160; ISE and higher-level GESE GBP 200; grade-to-level mapping (Grade 2 A1, Grade 3 A2, Grade 5 B1, ISE I B1, ISE II B2, ISE III C1); the 26 March 2027 settlement B2 statement and the three routes that stay at B1; "Our B2 Speaking & Listening test (GESE Grade 7) will be available later this year." | Verified 21 Oct 2026 |
| Trinity: SELT for UKVI | Which grade for which route; "Provisional GESE results are emailed by 9am the day after the exam, a link to access your digital certificate is emailed within 4-7 days"; Exam Protect, GBP 35, covering "one retake" and the right to "reschedule your test once"; "over 20 SELT test centres across the UK", "seven days a week". | Verified 21 Oct 2026 |
| Trinity: GESE Grade 2 (A1), Grade 3 (A2), Grade 5 (B1), Grade 7 (B2) | Grade 2: "6 minutes long", "a one-to-one speaking and listening test" taken on a tablet with the examiner by video conference. Grade 3: "7 minutes long", the same delivery. Grade 5: "10 minutes long and is split into two parts", a Topic prepared in advance with a Topic Form and a Conversation on "two subject areas chosen by the examiner". Grade 7: topic discussion, interactive discussion and conversation, 15 minutes, launching 26 March 2027, with a Study App in late October. | All four verified 21 Oct 2026 |
| ielts.org: IELTS for UKVI and Life Skills | The route table (Life Skills B1 for citizenship and indefinite leave to remain, A1 for the first family visa, A2 for the extension; IELTS for UKVI with 5.5 in each component for Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker); "The UKVI will only accept tests taken in person at an official IELTS for UKVI test centre." | Verified 21 Oct 2026 |
| ielts.org: IELTS Life Skills | "A single test covering speaking and listening skills"; "everyday subjects such as work, transport and the weather"; pass or fail; in person. It does not give minute counts, fees or result timings. | Verified 21 Oct 2026 |
| ielts.org: Life Skills test format in detail | "You will take the test with an examiner, and with one other test taker"; "around 20 minutes"; the tasks at A1, A2 and B1; A1 for the family of a settled person, A2 for an extension ("only offered in the UK"), B1 for citizenship or indefinite leave to remain. | Verified 21 Oct 2026 |
| Pearson: PTE Home | A1 for first family visas, A2 for extensions, B1 for settlement and citizenship; "pass/fail format"; 30 minutes; results "in as little as 48 hours"; valid two years from the test date; a unique reference number (URN) for the application; "at an official PTE test centre"; Pearson has "test centers in over 115 countries"; ID "original (not a copy)", in most cases a passport; the cost "depends on which country you take your test in". | Verified 21 Oct 2026 |
| LanguageCert SELT | ESOL SELT Speaking and Listening A1, A2, B1 "from INR 14,040" and General SELT (A2 to C1) and Academic SELT (B1 to C2) "from INR 16,430", as served to an Indian IP; "Fast results in 3-5 working days"; "SELT centres in 200+ locations worldwide, including the UK"; "Free re-sit option for the Speaking and Listening test"; centre delivery only is shown, so we make no online claim. | Verified 21 Oct 2026 |
| Skills for English: SELT | "Entirely computer-based with no examiner/assessor present"; A1 30 minutes, A2 35 minutes, B1 50 minutes speaking and listening (175 minutes four skills), B2 175 to 190 minutes; results "in as little as 3 to 5 days"; "over 130 countries outside of the UK"; the Skilled Worker B2 change "from 8 January"; no fee published. | Verified 21 Oct 2026 |
| Skills for English: test availability | Country availability; Afghanistan and Ukraine centres closed; booking through PSI's booking site. | Verified 20 Oct 2026 |
The four provider pages on this hub (Trinity GESE, IELTS Life Skills, PTE Home, LanguageCert and Skills for English) go through each format question by question and link the provider's own practice material.
Booking routes and reference numbers
Each provider books through its own site, and the GOV.UK SELT guidance names the reference number you will receive and must put on your application: Trinity a UER, IELTS a UKVI number, LanguageCert a Candidate URN, Pearson a SELT URN, PSI a URN. The Home Office checks that number on the provider's online verification system, so a paper certificate without the number is not enough. The booking entry points we have verified are the provider pages in the table above: Trinity's SELT pages carry its booking links for the 20-plus UK centres; ielts.org routes you to an IELTS for UKVI centre; Pearson books PTE Home from pearsonpte.com; LanguageCert books from selt.languagecert.org; PSI's availability page points to its booking site, bookmyskillsforenglish.com, which we have not loaded ourselves this week and therefore mark unverified. For every booking, use the passport you will use in the visa application; Pearson's page says the ID must be "original (not a copy)" and "valid and not expired", and each provider states its own ID rules at booking. What happens after the result, including the two-year rule and retakes, is on the results page.
What we could not verify this week
| Claim or page | What happened | What we do about it |
|---|---|---|
| British Council IELTS Life Skills page | takeielts.britishcouncil.org timed out twice on 20 October 2026 and again on 21 October 2026. | Not used. The Life Skills format (an examiner, one other test taker, around 20 minutes) comes from the ielts.org format page in the table above. |
| IELTS Life Skills fee | No official IELTS fee page for Life Skills was read on 20 or 21 October 2026. | No fee stated. The fees page will add it with its source when read. |
| LanguageCert online or at-home SELT | selt.languagecert.org shows centre delivery only; ielts.org states UKVI accepts in-person tests only. | The earlier hub line "LanguageCert also online" was removed. No online claim is made. |
| PTE Home item types | The Pearson format sub-page returned 404 at the URL tried on 20 October 2026. | The PTE Home page on this hub describes the test from the main pearsonpte.com/pte-home page only. |
| Skills for English fee | Not published on skillsforenglish.com. | Stated as "not published". |
| bookmyskillsforenglish.com | Not loaded this week. | Named as PSI's booking site per its availability page, marked unverified. |
| Trinity grade results | No Trinity page we read says how a GESE SELT result is reported beyond a pass at the level. | The hub says only that the Home Office needs a pass at your level. |
| Citizenship moving to B2 | No GOV.UK, Trinity or Appendix English Language text we read moves citizenship to B2. | Every page says B1 for citizenship on the pages read, and asks you to check GOV.UK on the day. |
| Centres in named cities | The fees page counts centres by country from the October 2026 files; this page and the first-language pages name no individual centre. | Filter the current ODS file yourself before you pay, as the section above explains. |
This table is the honest part of the page. A claim that is not in it and not in the two tables above is not on this hub.
Life in the UK, Ecctis and the pages people confuse with SELT
Life in the UK test (verified 21 October 2026): a separate requirement for settlement and citizenship, not an English test. GOV.UK: "24 questions about British traditions and customs", 45 minutes, "It costs £50", "You must book your test online at least 3 days in advance"; exempt if under 18, 65 or over, a long-term physical or mental condition with evidence, or already passed. A pass does not count towards the English requirement and the English pass does not count towards it. Ecctis: the body that confirms, for a non-UK degree, that it was taught in English and is equivalent to a UK qualification, named on the GOV.UK Skilled Worker and family visa pages as an alternative to a SELT; we link the GOV.UK pages that name it rather than Ecctis itself, because the service and fee pages change. IELTS Academic and General Training at an ordinary centre: not a SELT; only "IELTS for UKVI" taken at an IELTS for UKVI centre counts, per ielts.org. College ESOL and Skills for Life certificates: not among the SELTs the GOV.UK SELT guidance names. Appendix English Language EL 1.1(d) uses an A2 or ESOL entry level 2 speaking and listening qualification only in a narrow settlement exemption for partners, parents and adult children with 15 years' continuous residence, explained on the exemptions page. PTE Academic (not UKVI) and Trinity exams taken abroad: not SELTs; Trinity SELTs are UK only and Pearson's SELT products are PTE Academic UKVI and PTE Home, per GOV.UK.
A five-minute check before you book
- Level. Open the GOV.UK page for your route (family, Skilled Worker, or english-language for settlement and citizenship) and read the level today. If your settlement application will be on or after 26 March 2027, read Trinity's SELT page and Appendix English Language EL 1.1 for the B2 change and decide whether to apply earlier with B1.
- Skills. Confirm from the GOV.UK SELT guidance whether your route is speaking and listening or four skills. Partner, parent, settlement and citizenship are speaking and listening.
- Provider. In the UK: Trinity, IELTS, LanguageCert, Pearson. Outside: PSI, IELTS, LanguageCert, Pearson. Trinity does not exist outside the UK; Skills for English does not exist inside it.
- Centre. Find the centre on the provider site, then confirm it in the GOV.UK ODS list for your country before paying. Screenshot the row.
- Identity. Book with the passport you will use in the application; original on the day.
- Timing. Count back from your application date: the result must be within two years of it (GOV.UK, Appendix English Language EL 6.1), and you need the reference number in hand, so allow Trinity's 4 to 7 days for the certificate, Pearson's 48 hours, LanguageCert's and PSI's 3 to 5 days.
- Practice. Two weeks, fifteen minutes a day: the roadmap, the practice bank and the AI mock interview for the second question.
Dates for every exam we track, including any SELT change date once it is added to our calendar, are on the exam dates calendar. If you find an official page we have missed or a row that has gone stale, the feedback form on the hub reaches the person who maintains this list.