How to take English B1 test for permanent residence in the UK? Approved exams and exemptions

I often receive messages like this in the background: "I have an IELTS score of 6.5. Do I need to take the B1 test again for permanent residence?" "My mother is 62 years old and can barely speak English. Can I be exempted from the test?" "I took the B1 certificate from a language school, is it useful?"

The last one's money wasted. Home Office does not recognize any of the B1 certificates issued by Language School.

On the road to permanent residence (ILR), Life in the UK Test everyone is paying close attention to it, but it is the English test that many people only find out at the last minute that they have stepped on a trap. Talk it through today.

What are the English requirements for permanent residence in the UK? Only test listening and speaking

When applying for permanent residence or naturalization, applicants over 18 years old must meet the so-called KoLL requirements (Knowledge of Language and Life), which are two things: : Life in the UK Test, plus English proficiency reaching CEFR B1.

The good news is that B1, which is used for permanent residence and naturalization, only requires Speaking and Listening. Reading and writing are not tested. This is different from the four tests required when applying for a work permit or spouse visa for the first time. The content of the test is much lighter.

The actual difficulty level of B1: Able to understand daily topics, make simple statements about familiar things and answer follow-up questions. It's not academic English, it's "English that you can live with".

What are the B1 exams recognized for permanent residence? Don’t choose the wrong 4 institutions

Must be Home Office approved SELT (Secure English Language Test) and must be tested at an approved test center. The currently approved providers are mainly the following:

📌 Trinity College London——GESE Grade 5 (Speaking + Listening, the most common choice), ISE I
📌 IELTS SELT Consortium——IELTS Life Skills B1
📌 Pearson——PTE Home B1
📌 LanguageCert——International ESOL SELT B1 (Speaking & Listening)

Two common misunderstandings: First, General IELTS is not equal to IELTS for UKVI. The qualifications of the test centers are different. If you choose the wrong version when registering, your scores will be invalid; second, there are multiple exams under the same brand, so be sure to look for the words "SELT", "for UKVI" and "Home Office approved". Before booking the exam, go to GOV.UK's approved list and check the institution and exam name again. It only takes two minutes.

There is also a time issue that is easily overlooked: SELT score is valid for within 2 years from the date of the test. Home Office’s naturalization application guidelines are very clear. Scores older than two years can no longer be used to support the application. If you plan to "take the exam first and then apply for permanent residence in five years", this plan will not work.

Can I be exempted from taking the exam if I have a degree? Degree Alternative Pathways in ILR English

Yes, and many Chinese in the UK have already been satisfied without knowing it. The rule is: if you hold an academic qualification taught in English and recognized by Ecctis (formerly UK NARIC) as equivalent to the British Bachelor/Master/PhD , you can replace the exam.

The easiest way to study for a degree in the UK is to submit the degree certificate directly, no additional certification is required. Overseas degrees (including domestic English-taught programs) must apply for two documents from Ecctis: a certificate of academic equivalency, plus a certificate of "English-taught". The application requires time and expense, so it is recommended to start two or three months in advance.

Who is exempt from the English requirement for permanent residence?

🔹 is under 18 years old or is over 65 years old on the day of application - directly exempted. This is particularly important for families whose parents come to the UK to reunite.
🔹 Long-term physical or mental illness resulting in inability to meet the standards - a doctor's certificate is required to explain how the specific illness affects study and exams. Template letters are often rejected.
🔹 Citizens of most English-speaking countries - the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, etc., just need to hold relevant passports.
🔹 has previously met at the same or higher level - for example, if you submitted B1/B2 SELT during the work permit stage, you usually do not need to retake it when you apply for permanent residence, but it still depends on whether the score is still valid.

A reminder to friends who are applying for a spouse visa: you need to submit A1 for the first time application and A2 for renewal. is not enough for permanent residence to use . After five years, you have to take the B1 test. This is the most common “discovery in the last month” path for spouses.

Will the English requirement for permanent residence in the UK be increased to B2?

The direction is clear. Starting from January 8, 2026, new applicants of for Skilled Worker, Scale-up, and High Potential Individual have requested B2. As for permanent residence, the government proposed to raise the threshold to B2 in the earned settlement reform. The planning time point is March 2027, which will be subject to the official announcement of Immigration Rules.

Let me give you a pragmatic suggestion: If your permanent residence date is after 2027, don’t bet that the rules will remain unchanged. , press B2 now to prepare . Anyway, high-level certificates will be backward compatible. If you are not sure when you will be five years old and whether your results are valid enough, you can use 永居计算器APP to calculate the date to the nearest day and then backtrack to the time of application. If it involves uncertain judgments such as exemption determination and medical certificates, you can also spend £5 on justiscript.com to get a written reply from a licensed British lawyer, which will be more reliable than guessing by yourself.

This article is for reference only. Please consult a licensed attorney for specific questions. Please refer to the latest announcement of GOV.UK for fees, examination list and rules.

[Data source] GOV.UK "Prove your knowledge of English for citizenship and settlement"; Home Office "Knowledge of language and life in the UK" guidelines (December 18, 2025 version); Immigration Rules Appendix English Language

💬 I want to hear everyone’s real experience: Which B1 program did you take? How was the exam room experience? What did the speaking examiner ask? If you took the degree exemption or age exemption, how long did it take to get the Ecctis, and did the materials get stuck? Let’s talk about it in the comment section. Later on, people rarely take detours.

If you find it useful, collect this article , and wait until the day when you need to book the exam and prepare materials to read it out. It is more reliable than searching for half a day at a time.

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