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Rules checked 12 October 2026

What is a SELT test?

A Secure English Language Test is an English test the Home Office approves for visa and citizenship applications. Five providers offer them, and only their SELT versions count.

The English level each UK visa needs
ApplicationLevel and skills
Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker, first applicationB2, reading, writing, speaking and listening
Scale-up Worker or High Potential IndividualB2, reading, writing, speaking and listening
Student, degree levelB2, reading, writing, speaking and listening
Student, below degree levelB1, reading, writing, speaking and listening
Partner or parent, first visaA1, speaking and listening
Partner or parent, extending after 2.5 yearsA2, speaking and listening
Settlement, partner or long residenceB1, speaking and listening before 26 March 2027; B2, speaking and listening from that date
British citizenshipB1, speaking and listening
  • 5Approved providers
  • 2 typesFour skills, or speaking and listening
  • A1 to C2Levels on the list
  • 2 yearsHow long a result counts
Check your visa's English ruleTake the free B2 check

The tests in plain words

  • IELTS SELT Consortium: IELTS for UKVI (four skills) and IELTS Life Skills (speaking and listening).
  • Pearson: PTE Academic UKVI (four skills) and PTE Home (speaking and listening).
  • LanguageCert: Academic SELT and General SELT (four skills) and International ESOL SELT (speaking and listening at A1, A2 or B1).
  • Trinity College London: ISE (four skills) and GESE (speaking and listening). In the UK only.
  • PSI Services: Skills for English UKVI, four or two components. Outside the UK only.

Three rules for every SELT

  • The test must be on the approved list.
  • You must sit it at an approved test centre.
  • It must have been awarded in the two years before the date you apply.

Questions

What does SELT stand for?

Secure English Language Test. It is the Home Office name for the English tests it accepts for visa and citizenship applications.

Is normal IELTS a SELT?

No. Only IELTS for UKVI and IELTS Life Skills count. Standard IELTS Academic or General Training is not on the list.

Which SELT is easiest?

None is easier at the same level: each is set to the same CEFR level. Choose by format, centre and date; the speaking and listening tests are the shortest.

Do I need a SELT if I have a degree in English?

Often not. An academic degree taught in English, from the UK or confirmed by Ecctis, proves your English on most routes.

On GOV.UK

Prove B2 before you pay for the test

Book your test when your mocks say your English is ready.

  1. ListeningOne recording, 10 questions10 min
  2. ReadingOne passage, 6 questions12 min
  3. Language8 grammar and vocabulary questions6 min
  4. WritingA letter, read for feedback20 min
  5. SpeakingA two-minute answer, read for feedback3 min

B2 Visa English

£49 once. No VAT is charged.

Four timed B2 mocks in all four skills, marked against our B2 line, for 12 months.

  • Four B2 mocks: Listening, Reading, Language, Writing and Speaking
  • Every answer marked, with the reason it is right
  • Writing and Speaking read against the band descriptors, quoting your words
  • Your first sitting of each mock saved, so you can see your progress
  • A plan from today to your test date

Access for 12 months, until 13 October 2027. Sit all four B2 mocks, the last at least four weeks after the first. If your last mock is below our B2 line and no higher than your first, we refund the £49 in full. Or ask for a full refund within 14 days of paying, for any reason.

By paying you agree to our Terms and get access straight away, which ends your 14-day cancellation right. Your full refund within 14 days, for any reason, still applies.