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IELTS tests for UK Visas and Immigration

If you are going to or staying in the UK, there is an IELTS test for you.

In addition to the IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training tests, a new test called IELTS Life Skills has been introduced.
 
IELTS Life Skills is the test for people who need to prove their speaking and listening skills at Levels A1, A2 or B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). This will be a single test covering speaking and listening skills.

Learn more about IELTS for UKVI (Academic and General Training) and IELTS Life Skills.
 
IELTS tests for UK Visas and Immigration are managed by the IELTS SELT Consortium, which comprises British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment. 

Are you entering a bachelor degree or higher in the UK?

UKVI has confirmed that these changes do not affect you if you are entering directly at degree level or higher at a Higher Education Institution (HEI) in the UK. Higher Education Institutions currently choose their own method of testing students’ English language ability for entry onto their courses and this will not change. See 'Tier 4 Student Visa' below.

Tier 4 Student Visa (without a presessional)

If you are applying for a Tier 4 Student Visa to enter a university that is a Tier 4 Sponsor to study a bachelor or postgraduate degree, you must meet the English language level set by the institution. All British universities and colleges accept IELTS results. Tier 4 Student Visa applicants can apply to the UK universities
listed here with an IELTS result from any of the 1,100 IELTS test locations worldwide unless the institution has additional requirements.

IELTS for UKVI (Academic) delivered on computer IELTS Computer Delivered

IELTS for UKVI is available on paper. The Academic version of the test is also available on computer at a limited number of centres in China, Hong Kong, Edinburgh, Manchester and Cambridge - UK, India, Malaysia, Japan, Rio de Janeiro - Brazil and Lagos - Nigeria. Click here for more information. 

IELTS used for UK visa applications FAQs

Register for IELTS for UKVI 

Please check the IELTS UKVI Decision-Making document (PDF, 1.4MB) for more information.

Learn more about the test
girl attends university lecture
IELTS for study

Thousands of education and training providers all over the world use IELTS results to select their students.

IELTS test taker in the workplace
IELTS for work

Many professional registration bodies and employers rely on IELTS as evidence of English language proficiency.

IELTS classroom - learning the four language skills
A test of four skills

IELTS is a task-based test covering the four language skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking).

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