No. IELTS Life Skills is only offered at A1, A2 and B1, so there is no IELTS Life Skills B2 test. From 26 March 2027, most people applying for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in the UK must prove English at B2 instead of B1. If you want to use IELTS for that, the only IELTS test on the Home Office's B2 list is IELTS for UKVI, and it needs at least 5.5 in Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
This is a big change if you planned to take Life Skills B1, a 22-minute speaking and listening test with a pass or fail result. IELTS for UKVI is the full IELTS test, with Reading and Writing as well. This guide explains what the new rule says, which B2 tests are approved, where the Home Office's own documents disagree, and how to prepare. It is based on official sources we checked on 5 November 2026.
What changes for ILR on 26 March 2027?
The Home Office raised the English level for settlement from B1 to B2 in a change to the Immigration Rules called HC 1691, laid on 5 March 2026. Its explanatory memorandum says the change will come into force on 26 March 2027 and will apply to people already on a pathway to settlement. The start was delayed to give applicants time to prepare.
The main rule is in Appendix KoLL, which covers English for most settlement applications. Paragraph 2.2(c) now has two levels. Applications made before 26 March 2027 need a speaking and listening test at B1. Applications made on or after that date need B2. In both cases the test must come from an approved provider and be taken no more than two years before you apply.
The memorandum lists the routes the change covers. They include Appendix KoLL, Skilled Worker, UK Ancestry, Global Talent, Scale-up, Innovator Founder, International Sportsperson, Long Residence, Private Life, Bereaved Partner and Settlement Family Life.
New for Skilled Workers: English at the settlement stage
Until now, Skilled Workers didn't have to prove English again when they applied to settle, because they did it for the visa. The GOV.UK guide to Skilled Worker ILR still says this (checked 5 November 2026). From 26 March 2027 that changes. Paragraph SW 22A.1 of Appendix Skilled Worker says that applicants must show English "in speaking and listening to at least level B2", unless an exemption applies.
Who doesn't need a B2 test?
You don't need to take a test if, on the date you apply:
- you are under 18, or 65 or over
- a physical or mental condition makes it unreasonable to expect you to meet the requirement (you need medical evidence)
- you are a national of one of the majority English-speaking countries listed in the rules
- you have a UK bachelor's, master's or PhD, or an overseas degree taught in English, with the right evidence
Trinity College London, one of the approved test providers, says people settling through the BN(O), HM Armed Forces and Domestic Worker (private household) routes will still need B1. British citizenship is not part of this change and still needs B1.
Is there an IELTS Life Skills B2 test?
No. IELTS Life Skills is offered at three levels only: A1, A2 and B1. It tests speaking and listening together. At B1 it takes 22 minutes, you sit it with another test taker and one examiner, and you get a pass or fail result instead of a band score. Many ILR applicants chose it because there is no reading or writing.
No B2 version has been announced. On 5 November 2026, IELTS's own UK visa page still listed Life Skills B1 for ILR and did not mention the 2027 change.
So if you want an IELTS result for an ILR application made on or after 26 March 2027, you need IELTS for UKVI. It has the same content, format and scoring as IELTS Academic or General Training. The difference is security: you take it at an approved UKVI test centre, with video recording, and your result has a UKVI reference number. Both the Academic and General Training versions are accepted.
Which B2 English tests can you take for ILR?
Every test must come from the GOV.UK lists of approved Secure English Language Tests (SELTs). On 5 November 2026, the lists had no two-skill (speaking and listening) test at B2 from any provider. Two-skill tests stop at B1. Every approved B2 test covers all four skills.
These are the approved B2 tests you can take in the UK:
| Test | Provider | Minimum for B2 |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS for UKVI (Academic or General Training) | IELTS SELT Consortium | 5.5 in each skill |
| PTE Academic UKVI | Pearson | 59 in each skill |
| LanguageCert Academic SELT or General SELT | LanguageCert | 60 in each skill |
| Integrated Skills in English II (ISE II) | Trinity College London | Pass in each skill |
PSI's Skills for English UKVI also has a B2 test, but it is only offered outside the UK.
What about Trinity's B2 speaking and listening test?
Trinity is already advertising a 15-minute B2 speaking and listening test, GESE Grade 7, for ILR applications from 26 March 2027. On 5 November 2026, it was not on the GOV.UK approved list, which only included GESE up to Grade 5 (B1). It may be added before March 2027. Before you book it, check that the exact test appears on the GOV.UK list.
Do you need B2 in all four skills or only speaking and listening?
This is the part that confuses most people, because the Home Office's own documents disagree:
- The Immigration Rules say speaking and listening. Appendix KoLL and SW 22A.1 only ask for B2 in speaking and listening.
- The caseworker guidance says all four skills. Section 22.2 of the Skilled Worker caseworker guidance (version 20.0, 3 August 2026) says that for settlement applications on or after 26 March 2027, "Applicants must have the required level in all 4 components (reading, writing, speaking and listening)."
- The approved list sets B2 for all four. For IELTS for UKVI, B2 means 5.5 in Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The Home Office's guidance on knowledge of language and life also says that for SELTs, "the applicant must pass the whole qualification".
The Rules come first in law. But caseworkers decide applications using the guidance, and the approved list sets the four-skill minimum. So the safe answer is to get 5.5 or more in every skill.
Can you avoid the B2 test by applying before 26 March 2027?
Possibly. The level you need depends on the date you apply, so an application made before 26 March 2027 is decided under the B1 rules. But you can only apply once you are eligible.
- Check your earliest application date. For Skilled Worker ILR, GOV.UK says the earliest you can apply is 28 days before you reach five years in the UK on a qualifying visa. So if you reach five years on or before 22 April 2027, you can apply on or before 25 March 2027. Other routes have their own rules, so check yours.
- If your route needs a test now, B1 is enough. For example, on the partner or long residence routes, a Life Skills B1 pass from the last two years meets the requirement before the change. Book early, because more people will want test dates before March.
- An old B1 result won't carry over. For an application made on or after 26 March 2027, you must meet B2. A B1 result from an earlier visa doesn't count.
- A B2 result from an earlier visa may count. Appendix English Language (EL 3.1) says you meet the requirement if you already showed it "at the level required" in a previous successful application. If your current visa was granted because you proved B2 or higher, ask an adviser whether you need a new test.
What does 5.5 in each IELTS skill mean?
Band 5.5 is a modest score, but you need it in all four skills on the same test. Here is roughly what it takes, based on IDP's published Listening and Reading score tables:
| Skill | What 5.5 needs |
|---|---|
| Listening | About 18–22 correct answers out of 40 |
| Academic Reading | About 19–22 correct out of 40 |
| General Training Reading | About 27–29 correct out of 40 |
| Writing | An average of 5.5 across the four criteria, for two tasks in 60 minutes |
| Speaking | An average of 5.5 across the four criteria, in an 11–14 minute interview |
IDP says the exact cut-offs can change slightly from test to test, so treat these as guides, not guarantees.
Academic or General Training?
Both count for ILR. For most settlement applicants, General Training is the better fit. Its Reading uses everyday and work texts, and Writing Task 1 is a letter instead of a description of a chart or diagram. You need more correct answers in General Training Reading because the texts are easier. If you are not sure, take a practice test of each and choose the one you score higher on.
Writing and Speaking are the big changes after Life Skills
Life Skills had no writing, so Writing is where most ILR applicants will need the most work. In IELTS Writing, Task 1 needs at least 150 words and Task 2 at least 250 words. Each task is marked on four criteria: Task Achievement or Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Each criterion counts for a quarter of the band. For 5.5, answer every part of the question, write in clear paragraphs, and use some complex sentences even if they have a few mistakes.
IELTS Speaking is also different from Life Skills. You speak alone with an examiner, and Part 2 asks you to talk for 1–2 minutes on a topic after one minute to prepare. You are marked on Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation.
How to prepare for IELTS for UKVI after Life Skills
According to law firm Lewis Silkin, the Home Office estimates that moving from B1 to B2 takes about 200 hours of study. If your application date is after 26 March 2027, start now.
- Check your date and exemptions first. You may be able to apply before the change, or you may not need a test at all.
- Take a full timed mock test. You need a band for each skill, because your lowest skill decides whether you pass.
- Put most of your time into your weakest skill. For most people coming from Life Skills, that is Writing. Write one full task at a time and fix the criterion that scores lowest.
- Practise Reading against the clock. IELTS Reading has three passages and 40 questions in 60 minutes. Many people know the answers but run out of time.
- Learn the Listening question types. IELTS Listening has four parts and 40 questions, and you hear each recording once. Practise form completion, multiple choice, matching and map or plan labelling.
- Practise on a computer. IELTS for UKVI is taken on computer, so type your essays and get used to reading on screen.
- Leave time for a second try. Book your real test early enough that you can take it again before your application date if one skill falls short.
PrepAsk's IELTS practice tests cover all four modules. Reading and Listening tests are timed and show where each answer is in the passage or transcript. Writing and Speaking practice gives a band score for each criterion, so you can see exactly which skill and which criterion is keeping you below 5.5.
The bottom line
There is no IELTS Life Skills B2 test. From 26 March 2027, most ILR applicants need English at B2. If you choose IELTS, that means IELTS for UKVI with 5.5 or more in every skill. The Rules ask for speaking and listening only, but the caseworker guidance and the approved test list ask for all four, so plan for all four. No two-skill B2 test is on the approved list yet.
If you can apply before 26 March 2027, the B1 rules still apply. If you can't, give yourself a few months to prepare, especially for Writing. Start with a free IELTS mock test to see which skill is furthest from 5.5, then focus your study there.
