English requirement
Approved B1 English tests (SELT) for citizenship
Only tests on the Home Office SELT list count. Pick a provider below to see the exact test name to book and the result you need.
The B1 test of each provider
Test to book
IELTS Life Skills B1 (Speaking and Listening)
| Minimum result | Pass |
| On the approved list since | 6 April 2015 |
| Result valid | 2 years |
A Secure English Language Test (SELT) is an English test the Home Office has approved for visa, settlement and nationality applications. For British citizenship you need B1 in speaking and listening, and in the UK 4 tests are approved at that level: IELTS Life Skills B1 (Speaking and Listening) from IELTS SELT Consortium (minimum Pass); LanguageCert International ESOL SELT B1 (Speaking and Listening) from LanguageCert (minimum 60/100); PTE Home B1 from Pearson (minimum Pass); Trinity GESE Grade 5 from Trinity College London (minimum Pass). They are sold only by Trinity College London, IELTS SELT Consortium, LanguageCert, Pearson, the 4 providers allowed to run SELTs inside the UK. A result counts only if the test is on the approved list, was sat at an approved centre and was awarded within 2 years of your application. You send no certificate: you quote the SELT unique reference number printed on your result, and the caseworker checks it in the provider's online verification system. Leaving the number out can lead to a refusal, according to the Home Office SELT guidance updated on 12 October 2026.
Is my English test result still valid?
Valid for this application?
Yes
| Two-year limit | 20 January 2027 |
| Used for ILR | no |
| Level needed | B1, speaking and listening |
Guide AN: a B1 speaking and listening test used for settlement can be relied on again for naturalisation.
Questions, dates and fees by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
The 4 B1 tests at a glance
All 4 assess the same two skills at the same level, so none is "easier" in the eyes of the Home Office. The differences are practical: which centres are near you, how soon a date is free, and the format of the speaking part. The table repeats the minimum result printed on the Home Office list of approved tests taken in the UK, and the date each test joined it.
| Test to book | Provider | Minimum result | On the list since |
|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS Life Skills B1 (Speaking and Listening) | IELTS SELT Consortium | Pass | 6 April 2015 |
| LanguageCert International ESOL SELT B1 (Speaking and Listening) | LanguageCert | 60/100 | 3 April 2020 |
| PTE Home B1 | Pearson | Pass | 21 May 2020 |
| Trinity GESE Grade 5 | Trinity College London | Pass | 6 April 2015 |
Note the LanguageCert line: the pass mark is a score out of 100, not a simple pass, so a candidate who scores below 60/100 has not met the requirement even if the certificate shows a result. The other three are graded pass or fail at this level.
Book the SELT version, not a look-alike
Each provider sells tests that are not SELTs, and the names are close. The Home Office SELT guidance lists the exact products that count: "IELTS for UKVI" or "IELTS Life Skills"; "LanguageCert International ESOL SELT", "LanguageCert Academic SELT" or "LanguageCert General SELT"; "PTE Academic UKVI" or "PTE Home"; and Trinity College London's "Secure English Language Tests for UKVI", meaning Integrated Skills in English (ISE) or Graded Examinations in Spoken English (GESE). A Trinity GESE taken at a school for a non-UKVI purpose, or a PTE Academic without "UKVI", will not be accepted.
The four-skill tests on that list (IELTS for UKVI, PTE Academic UKVI, Trinity ISE and the LanguageCert Academic and General SELT) are also accepted for citizenship if they show B1 or higher in speaking and listening, since Guide AN asks for "B1 CEFR or higher". They are longer and add reading and writing, so most citizenship applicants who have no other use for them book a two-skill test.
The LanguageCert change of 6 July 2025
From 6 July 2025 the LanguageCert ESOL SELT four-skill test was replaced by the LanguageCert Academic SELT and General SELT. The guidance says a four-skill ESOL SELT result already held stays valid for its 2 years. The two-skill LanguageCert International ESOL SELT B1 used for citizenship is still on the list.
On the day and after
Book in the exact name shown on your passport or identity document: if your surname has changed but your passport has not, the booking stays in the passport name. Bring an original, valid document with your photo; a passport, a convention travel document or a stateless persons travel document works everywhere, an eVisa share code works for tests in the UK, and an expired BRP or BRC is accepted only up to 24 months after its expiry and no later than 31 December 2026. Emergency travel documents are refused. Candidates who need extra equipment or help with access ask for it when booking.
Results are checked online, so keep the result email safe and note the reference number with the award date. The checker below tells you whether that date still works for the day you plan to apply; centres by city are on the test centres page.