Do I also need the B1 English test?

What is a B1 English test?

A B1 English test checks that you can speak and understand English at level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, or CEFR. For citizenship and settlement it is a speaking and listening test. That is very different from the Life in the UK Test, where you read questions and choose answers on a computer.

The test has to be a Secure English Language Test, which GOV.UK shortens to SELT, taken with an approved provider. Other qualifications, such as GCSEs, A levels or NVQs, do not count.

Do I need B1 English for ILR?

Usually yes, unless you are exempt. Settling in the UK and becoming a British citizen are two different applications. Today they both ask for the same level of English. From 2027 they do not. So it is worth knowing which application you are making before you book anything.

For settling in the UK, which GOV.UK also calls indefinite leave to remain, the level today is CEFR B1 or above. That level is going up. The rule that sets it is Appendix KoLL of the Immigration Rules, and it now gives the level by the date you apply. Before 26 March 2027 the level is B1. On or after 26 March 2027 it is B2, which is the next level up. That is paragraph 2.2 of the appendix, and you can read it on GOV.UK today.

The change was made by the statement of changes to the Immigration Rules published on 5 March 2026, numbered HC 1691.

Which settlement routes move to B2?

The rise to B2 covers many settlement routes, but not all of them. It covers the family routes for partners and parents, Skilled Worker, long residence and a list of other work and family routes. The Hong Kong British National (Overseas) route, for example, still asks for B1, with no change date. The House of Commons Library said the same in September 2026. Only certain routes are affected for now, and the government is still considering whether to extend B2 more widely. So check the rules for your own route.

Why does GOV.UK's English page not mention 2027?

The GOV.UK page called Prove your knowledge of English for citizenship and settling still says a qualification at B1, B2, C1 or C2 level will do, and it does not mention 2027 at all. For an application made today that is still right. For a settlement application made on or after 26 March 2027 on a route that has moved, it is not, because the rule itself now asks for B2. When a guidance page and the rule disagree about a date, go by the rule, which is Appendix KoLL.

Do I need B1 English for citizenship?

Yes, unless you are exempt. For applying for British citizenship, the level is CEFR B1 or above, and that has not changed. The 2027 change is about settlement. It does not name citizenship. We explain the difference in full in is the English requirement for settlement changing.

Which B1 tests are accepted?

Where the level is B1, a qualification at B1, B2, C1 or C2 all count, because they are all at B1 or above. If you take the test in the UK, GOV.UK lists four approved providers, which are Trinity College London, the IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT and Pearson. Each one offers named SELT versions of its tests, so book the version GOV.UK lists and not an ordinary one. Outside the UK the list of providers is slightly different.

Your result also has to be recent. GOV.UK says the test must have been awarded in the two years before the date of your application. If an older qualification was accepted on an earlier application, you may still be able to use it, and GOV.UK explains when.

A test is not the only way. A degree taught or researched in English also counts. If the degree is from outside the UK, you need an assessment from Ecctis to confirm it.

Two cautions. Different immigration routes ask for different levels, so check the guidance for the route you are actually applying on rather than assuming B1. And the approved provider list changes when providers gain or lose their approval, so check the current list on GOV.UK before you book.

Does passing the B1 test cover the Life in the UK Test?

No. If you pass the B1 English test, you still need to pass the Life in the UK Test. If you pass the Life in the UK Test, you still need to meet the English requirement, unless you are exempt from it. They stand alone, so plan for both if your application needs them.

Who does not need the B1 English test?

Some people are exempt from the English requirement, for example because of their age, a long term condition, or where they are from. These exemptions are decided under the English requirement rules, not the Life in the UK Test rules, so being exempt from one does not make you exempt from the other. For the Life in the UK Test side, see who is exempt from the Life in the UK Test.

GOV.UK keeps the full list on its English language exemptions page. It covers these people.

• people aged 65 or over
• people who cannot meet it because of a long term physical or mental condition
• nationals of a set list of mainly English speaking countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States and much of the Caribbean. Ireland is on that list for citizenship only.
• people settling on certain work visas who already proved their English for that visa

It also covers a number of other situations. Read the list itself rather than working from this summary, because whether you qualify usually turns on the detail of your own route.

How do I prepare for the Life in the UK Test side?

You can prepare for the Life in the UK Test now, whatever stage you are at with the English requirement. If English is your second language, practising the questions also helps you get used to how they are worded, which makes the real test feel calmer. You can start free practice with no account needed to begin, or practise one handbook chapter at a time. To see what a pass takes, read what the pass mark is.