People who need to prove they can speak and listen in English in order to get a UK visa must take the IELTS Life Skills exam. The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) offers access to it at levels A1 and B1.
For certain visa categories and other immigration purposes, it is designed to satisfy UKVI requirements.
You will need to take the IELTS Life Skills A1 exam if you are applying for a "family of a settled person" visa. The IELTS Life Skills B1 exam is required if you're applying for a "indefinite leave to remain or citizenship" visa.
"There is no limit to how many times you can take the IELTS Life Skills test; however, if you pass it, you will be unable to retake it at the same level for two years"
The IELTS Life Skills test has a specific format.
The IELTS Life Skills test is designed to meet certain immigration standards that simply require applicants to demonstrate their ability to speak and listen. You'll be judged on how well you communicate in common situations in an English-speaking country, including subjects such as:
Personal experiences
Friends and family
Buying good
Education, work or training
Weather, leisure or trave
Transport, housing, health, and more
The test is intended to assess your listening and speaking abilities, as well as your ability to react in a clear and proper manner. Use this table to better understand the test's focus.
The test is designed to evaluate your listening and speaking skills, wherein you can respond in a clear and correct way. Use this table to understand the test focus in a better way.
S. No. | A1 | B1 |
---|---|---|
Test focus |
listen and respond to spoken language, including simple narratives, statements, questions and single-step instructions basic information, feelings and opinions on familiar topics talk with another person in a familiar situation about familiar topics |
listen and respond to spoken language, including straightforward information and narratives, and follow straightforward explanations and instructions. communicate information, feelings and opinions on familiar topics, using appropriate formality. talk with one or more people in a familiar situation, making relevant points and responding to what others say to reach a shared understanding about familiar topics. |
Tasks |
Tasks may include: Describing Giving opinions Giving personal information Stating preferences Commenting Asking for information or descriptions Agreeing and disagreeing Explaining, giving reasons or justifying Deciding Suggesting Selecting |
In addition to the A1 tasks shown on the left, the B1 tasks may include: Comparing Showing contrast, cause, reason or purpose Prioritising Planing Persuading Narrating Asking about past or future events Expressing future certainty or possibility |
S. No. | Test type | Test duration |
---|---|---|
1 | IELTS Life Skills CEFR Level A1 | 16–18 minutes |
2 | IELTS Life Skills CEFR Level B1 | 22 minutes |