Approved UK SELT Tests: Which English Test to Book for Your Visa

A Secure English Language Test (SELT) is an English test approved by the UK Home Office for visa, settlement and citizenship applications. Right now only five providers can deliver one: the IELTS SELT Consortium (IELTS for UKVI and IELTS Life Skills), Pearson (PTE Academic UKVI and PTE Home), LanguageCert (Academic SELT, General SELT and International ESOL SELT), Trinity College London (ISE and GESE, in the UK only) and PSI Services (Skills for English UKVI, outside the UK only). The test you need depends on your visa route: work and study routes need a four-skill test (reading, writing, speaking and listening), while family, settlement and citizenship routes need a speaking and listening test. Only the exact test names on the Home Office list count, so "IELTS Academic", "PTE Academic", TOEFL and the Duolingo English Test cannot be used. This guide lists every approved test by level, explains how to choose and book one, and covers the test-day rules that cause refusals.

What a SELT is and when you need one

When a UK visa route requires you to prove your English, a SELT is one way to do it. Others include a degree taught in English or being a national of a majority English-speaking country. UKVI's guidance splits the routes into two groups.

Test type	Skills tested	Routes (UKVI list)
Four-skill ("4-facet")	Reading, writing, speaking, listening	Health and Care Worker, High Potential Individual, Innovator Founder, Minister of Religion, Scale-up Worker, Skilled Worker, Start-up, Student, Temporary Work – International Agreement (private servants in a diplomatic household, entry clearance)
Two-skill ("2-facet")	Speaking and listening	Citizenship, International Sportsperson, parent, partner, Representative of an Overseas Business, settlement (indefinite leave to remain)

The level you need (A1 to C2 on the CEFR) depends on the route and the stage of your application, and it is set in the guidance for each route. For example, most new Skilled Worker applicants have needed B2 since 8 January 2026; see our guide to the UK visa B2 English requirement. Settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027 will need B2 speaking and listening; see our guide to the UK settlement English requirement.

The five approved SELT providers

Which providers you can use depends on where you sit the test.

Provider	Approved test names	In the UK	Outside the UK
IELTS SELT Consortium	IELTS for UKVI; IELTS Life Skills	Yes	Yes
Pearson	PTE Academic UKVI; PTE Home	Yes	Yes
LanguageCert	LanguageCert Academic SELT; LanguageCert General SELT; LanguageCert International ESOL SELT	Yes	Yes
Trinity College London	Integrated Skills in English (ISE); Graded Examinations in Spoken English (GESE)	Yes	No
PSI Services (UK) Ltd	Skills for English UKVI	No	Yes

Source: UKVI SELT guidance, "Approved test providers" and "Find an approved test", read 10 November 2026.

Four-skill tests and minimum scores by level

These are the minimum scores the Home Office lists for each four-skill test. You must reach the score in every skill, not as an average.

Test	B1	B2	C1	C2
IELTS for UKVI	4.0	5.5	7.0	8.5
PTE Academic UKVI	43	59	76	85
LanguageCert Academic SELT	40	60	75	90
LanguageCert General SELT	40	60	75	Not listed
LanguageCert International ESOL SELT (level-specific exam)	33/50	33/50	33/50	33/50 (listening 25/50)
Trinity ISE (UK only)	ISE I pass	ISE II pass	ISE III pass	ISE IV pass
Skills for English UKVI (outside UK only)	B1 pass	B2 pass	C1 pass	C2 pass

Source: Home Office lists of approved SELTs taken in and outside the UK, read 10 November 2026. Scores are per skill.

The LanguageCert International ESOL SELT and Trinity ISE are level-specific exams: you sit the exam for the level you need (for example ESOL SELT B2, or ISE II for B2) and must pass it. IELTS, PTE and the LanguageCert Academic and General SELTs are single exams where your score decides the level.

Speaking and listening tests by level

For family, settlement and citizenship routes, a speaking and listening test is enough. These are the approved two-skill tests on the current lists:

Level	In the UK	Outside the UK
A1	IELTS Life Skills A1; LanguageCert ESOL SELT A1 (60/100); PTE Home A1; Trinity GESE Grade 2	IELTS Life Skills A1; LanguageCert ESOL SELT A1; PTE Home A1; Skills for English UKVI A1 (2 component)
A2	IELTS Life Skills A2; LanguageCert ESOL SELT A2 (60/100); PTE Home A2; Trinity GESE Grade 3	IELTS Life Skills A2; LanguageCert ESOL SELT A2; PTE Home A2; Skills for English UKVI A2 (2 component)
B1	IELTS Life Skills B1; LanguageCert ESOL SELT B1 (60/100); PTE Home B1; Trinity GESE Grade 5	IELTS Life Skills B1; LanguageCert ESOL SELT B1; PTE Home B1; Skills for English UKVI B1 (2 component)
B2 and above	No two-skill test was listed at B2 or above on 10 November 2026. Every approved B2 test was a four-skill test (see the table above).

This gap matters because UK settlement moves to B2 on 26 March 2027. A four-skill test includes speaking and listening, but it also tests reading and writing, so it is a bigger exam. The Home Office may add new B2 speaking and listening tests before then; we could not find any official announcement, so check the list before booking.

How to choose the right test

All approved tests at the same level are equally valid for UKVI. The UKVI guidance says "It is for you to decide which test to take." Practical differences decide which one suits you:

• Availability near you. Check the approved test centre lists on the UKVI page. Not every provider runs tests in every country, and UKVI warns that you may have to travel.
• Format. Some tests are computer-based and some include a face-to-face speaking exam. If you speak more confidently to a person, a test with a live examiner may suit you better; if you type faster than you write, a computer-based test may help.
• Level-specific or scored. A scored test (IELTS for UKVI, PTE Academic UKVI, LanguageCert Academic or General SELT) shows your exact level and can be reused for a later application at the same or lower level. A level-specific pass/fail exam is aimed at one level only.
• Familiarity. If you have already prepared for IELTS or PTE for university, the UKVI version of the same brand may feel familiar; check the provider's site for any differences in format before you book. Our IELTS score calculator helps you track practice scores.

TOEFL iBT and the Duolingo English Test are not on the Home Office lists. They are widely used for university admission, as our guides to the TOEFL 1–6 scale and the Duolingo English Test explain, but they cannot be used as a SELT.

How to book and what to bring

Book directly on the provider's own site. UKVI links to each one: IELTS for UKVI, Pearson SELT tests, LanguageCert SELT, Trinity SELT and Skills for English.

1. Use the name exactly as on your passport. UKVI says the booking details must match your identity document. If your surname has changed, book in the name on your passport, or change the passport first.
2. Check third-party agents carefully. UKVI recommends official channels. If you use an agent, check they are recognised by the test provider and charge the same as, or less than, the provider's own price.
3. Expect a date within about four weeks. UKVI says you should be able to take a test within 28 days of booking, but not always at the nearest location.
4. Bring an original, valid photo ID. A passport works everywhere. In the UK you can also use your eVisa with a share code. An expired biometric residence permit or card is accepted only until 24 months after expiry or 31 December 2026, whichever is sooner. Emergency travel documents are not accepted.
5. Ask for adjustments when you book. If you have a disability and need extra equipment or help, request it at booking.

Results, reference numbers and validity

• Unique reference number. After you pass, you receive a SELT reference number, which you must include in your application or it may be refused. It is called UER (Trinity), UKVI number (IELTS), Candidate URN (LanguageCert), SELT URN (Pearson) or URN (PSI).
• No certificate upload. UKVI checks results online through each provider's verification system.
• Two-year validity. A result is valid for two years from the date it is awarded, and the test must have been awarded within two years before your application.
• Same sitting. Where skills are examined and awarded together, you need the required score in every skill in the same combined test. Some providers let you resit one failed component; check their terms first.
• Use it in or outside the UK. A test taken in the UK can be used for overseas applications, and a test taken abroad can be used for applications made in the UK.

How to prepare for your SELT

A SELT tests the same English as any other exam. What changes is the pressure: you need the minimum in every skill on one day. A simple plan:

1. Take a timed practice test of your chosen exam and record each skill separately. Your weakest skill decides whether you pass.
2. Aim above the line. If you need 5.5 in IELTS for UKVI, aim for 6.0 or more in practice in every skill.
3. Train listening with real speed English. See our guide on how to improve English listening.
4. Practise speaking out loud, every day. Use our free Speaking Lab to work on pronunciation and intonation, and record longer answers.
5. Get feedback on writing if you take a four-skill test. Our exam preparation courses and free lessons cover B1 to C1.

Common problems that cause refusals

Most SELT problems are administrative, not about English. Based on the rules in the UKVI guidance, these are the ones to check before you apply:

Problem	What the rules say	What to do
Wrong test version	Only tests and levels on the Home Office list are approved	Check the exact test name on the list before paying
Wrong centre	The test must be sat at an approved test location	Book only through the provider's SELT booking page
Result too old	It must be awarded within two years before your application date	Note the award date and plan your application around it
Missing reference number	Without the SELT reference number the application may be refused	Copy the number exactly from your result
Name mismatch	Booking details must match your identity document	Book in your passport name, even after a name change
Score below the line in one skill	The required score applies to every relevant skill in the same combined test	Check each skill, not only the overall result
No ID on test day	You cannot sit the test without valid, original photo ID	Bring your passport or another accepted document

If you already hold a SELT from an earlier application, check whether it is still within two years and at the level your new route needs. A B1 result from an earlier visa will not meet a B2 requirement.

What this article cannot tell you

• Which level your route needs. Levels are set in the guidance for each visa route and change over time. Check your route's GOV.UK page.
• Prices and dates. Fees and availability vary by country and centre, so we have not listed them.
• Future list changes. The Home Office updates the lists of tests and centres often (the centre lists were updated several times in October and November 2026). The tables here reflect the lists we read on 10 November 2026.
• Your individual case. For exemptions, degree equivalence or complex histories, take advice from a regulated immigration adviser.

This page is independent guidance from Oxford English Global. It contains no affiliate links, and we receive nothing from any test provider mentioned.