English tests for UK visas: what SELT means and what to book
A normal IELTS or PTE certificate may not be accepted for a UK visa. Here is what to book instead.
If you are applying for a UK visa, the English test you book matters as much as the score you get. We have seen people sit a regular IELTS test, do well, and then learn it could not be used for their visa.
What SELT means
The UK government asks for a Secure English Language Test, or SELT. It is taken at an approved test location with extra identity and security checks. GOV.UK lists five approved providers, including IELTS for UKVI and PTE Academic UKVI. You have to book the UKVI version by name, and IELTS for UKVI is now taken on computer only. A result is valid for two years.
Four skills or two?
- IELTS for UKVI tests all four skills and is used for the higher level requirements.
- IELTS for UKVI Life Skills at A1, A2 and B1 tests only Listening and Speaking, and is used for some family and settlement routes.
What score do you need?
It depends on your visa. Requirements range from CEFR level A1 to C1. For example, new Skilled Worker applicants have needed level B2 since 8 January 2026. People who already held the visa before that date and are extending it still need B1.
You may read that the Home Office is building its own new English test. As of September 2026 that has not started, so the approved list on GOV.UK is still the one that counts. Check it again just before you book.
A Skilled Worker visa applicant books a test.
What to do this week
- Find your visa's English requirement on the UK government website.
- Write down the level you need and the list of approved tests.
- Book the UKVI version by name, at an approved centre.
- Prove your English language abilities with a SELT, GOV.UK
- Skilled Worker visa: knowledge of English, GOV.UK
- IELTS for UKVI, IELTS.org
- PTE Academic UKVI, Pearson PTE
- Updates to IELTS test delivery, IELTS.org
Exam rules change. Always check with the exam provider and the organisation you are applying to.
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