IELTS UKVI
2023

IELTS UKVI

IELTS UKVI

Let's start with an overview of the IELTS exam before diving into IELTS UKVI. IELTS, or International English Language Testing System, is a popular test among immigrants hoping to pursue a professional or academic career in the United Kingdom. IELTS General Training and IELTS Academic are also part of this exam.


If you want to study, work, or migrate to the UK, the phrase UKVI IELTS should be at the top of your list. To study/work in the UK as an International student, you must demonstrate that your English language skills are at the level necessary for your degree/job. IELTS is one of the Secure English Language Tests (SELT) recognised by the UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI).


We've put up a guide to assist you in understanding everything about IELTS UKVI, including the band score needed, exam structure, and so on. Let's get started!

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What is IELTS for UKVI?

Now, what is the IELTS UKVI examination?

When applying for a UK student visa to work, move, study, or pursue vocational training in the UK, you must pass the IELTS UKVI examination, which has been authorised by the UK Visa and Immigration department. This test is just for candidates from non-English speaking nations.

All UK universities recognise IELTS academic scores from international students. However, for the UK, the IELTS UKVI is required. It is essential that students inquire about the sort of IELTS UKVI exam required by their preferred colleges.

IELTS UKVI test - Types

The IELTS for UKVI is offered in three formats, and the IELTS UKVI tests you choose will be displayed in your professional CV.

  • IELTS Academic
  • IELTS for UKVI General Training
  • IELTS Life Skills

IELTS Academic

In terms of content, format, score, and difficulty level, the IELTS UKVI academic test is identical to the IELTS academic test. The IELTS for UKVI test is only accessible at IELTS UKVI test facilities that fulfil the UK Home Office's administrative standards. Compared to IELTS, the Test Report Format (TRF) for UKVI differs. The IELTS UKVI exam adheres to additional rules to assure the validity of IELTS for UKVI test takers. IELTS UKVI is divided into two sections: academic IELTS UKVI and general training IELTS UKVI. Candidates taking the IELTS UKVI exam and seeking a Tier 4 student visa must fulfil specific language standards.

A table highlighting IELTS UKVI scores is provided below for candidates' convenience.:

Visa Description

Minimum CEFR Level required

Skills

Minimum IELTS score overall and in each skill.

Tier 1 (General) visa

C1

Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening

IELTS 7.0 overall and in each of the four skills for UKVI

Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa

B1

Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening

IELTS 4.0 overall and in each of the four skills for UKVI

Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa

B1

Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening

IELTS 4.0 overall and in each of the four skills for UKVI

Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa

B1

Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening

IELTS 4.0 overall and in each of the four skills for UKVI

Tier 2 (General) visa - in most cases

B1

Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening

IELTS 4.0 overall and in each of the four skills for UKVI

Tier 2 (Sportsperson) visa

A1

Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening

IELTS Life Skills at A1 - Pass IELTS for UKVI 2 - 4.0 overall, and in each of the four skills

Tier 2 (Minister of Religion) visa

B2

Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening

IELTS 5.5 overall and in each of the four skills for UKVI

Tier 4 (General) student visa - below degree level and pre-sessional courses

B1

Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening

IELTS 4.0 overall and in each of the four skills for UKVI

Tier 4 (General) student visa - degree level and above

B2

Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening

IELTS/IELTS for UKVI 3 - 5.5 overall, with a score of 3 - 5.5 in each of the four skills

Family route (Spouse/partner or Parent of a dependant)

A1

Speaking and Listening

Pass IELTS for UKVI 2 - 4.0 in Speaking and Listening - IELTS Life Skills at A1

Family route (Spouse/partner or Parent of a dependant)

A2

Speaking and Listening

Pass IELTS for UKVI 2 - 4.0 in Speaking and Listening - IELTS Life Skills at A2

Indefinite leave to remain (to settle) or citizenship

B1

Speaking and Listening

Pass IELTS for UKVI 2 - 4.0 in Speaking and Listening - IELTS Life Skills at B1

The IELTS UKVI Test Report Form (TRF) may change somewhat from the IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training forms. Candidates can take IELTS for UKVI GT by following the general training style.

IELTS for UKVI General Training

IELTS for UKVI General Training is appropriate for individuals interested in further education or migration. The primary goal of the IELTS for UKVI General Training is to concentrate on essential survival abilities in a diverse employment setting.

The IELTS General Training exam design, like the IELTS UKVI Academic, includes listening, reading, writing, and speaking assessments. Furthermore, it is comparable to the general IELTS test. Candidates only need to choose from the exam centres approved by the UK Home Office.

IELTS Life Skills

The IELTS Life Skills is a new Secure English Language Test (SELT) version certified by the UK Government. This test is for individuals who wish to demonstrate their English speaking and listening abilities to obtain the necessary visa. Your abilities will be evaluated using the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) levels A1 and B1.

Fortunately, you may retake the IELTS Life Skills exam as often as you choose. However, if you pass the test, you cannot reapply for it within two years.

IELTS Life Skills Test Format 2023

Particulars

Details

IELTS Life Skills A1

This exam is designed for applicants who wish to demonstrate their English speaking and listening abilities. Executives from multinational corporations, athletes, and family members (spouse and parents).

IELTS Life Skills A2

This is a UK-based assessment for me. This exam is for individuals who want to demonstrate English speaking and listening abilities to be considered for family extension visas.

IELTS Life Skills B1

This exam is for individuals who want to show their English speaking and listening abilities to be granted the indefinite right to remain.

These are the most common types of IELTS UKVI exams. Because exam dates vary by area, students should consult the official British Council website for the most up-to-date information.

Registration, Dates, and Fees for IELTS UKVI test 2023

Candidates can register for IELTS UKVI registration and ensure their IELTS UKVI booking by registering. Bookings for UKVI exams may be verified in three steps on the official UKVI IELTS website. The following are the processes for booking and registering for the UKVI IELTS:

  • Check for availability and schedule your exam appropriately.
  • Register for a British Council account.
  • Book your time slot and pay.

Did You Know?

Candidates under the age of 18 who are taking the UKVI IELTS must have their parent or guardian reserve the slots for them.

As part of the exam booking procedure, candidates' identity documents must be uploaded. If relevant, make sure you have an online payment platform. 
The costs for IELTS UKVI registration and booking are described in the table below, along with the available dates:

Test Type

Test Fee

Action

Available Dates 

IELTS for UKVI

INR 15,750

Book Now!

Test dates vary depending on where candidates wish to apply.

Life Skills

INR 14,600

Book Now!

The test dates differ depending on where candidates wish to apply.

IELTS UKVI exam dates are accessible all year. Candidates can choose their chosen UKVI exam dates and venue.

UKVI IELTS Test Location

The UKVI IELTS Life Skill Test is accessible in nations across the world in places listed by IELTS UKVI. Candidates should be aware that the UKVI will not accept non-specified IELTS UKVI test venues. Candidates must declare that they intend to utilise their exam results for the IELTS UKVI. Candidates must make certain that they register for the IELTS UKVI exam session. 

The table below highlights the locations accessible for IDP IELTS UKVI:

Test Center

Center Location

IDP Education

Ahmedabad

IDP Education

Bangalore

IDP Education

Cochin

IDP Education

Kolkata

IDP Education

Chennai

IDP Education

Pune

IDP Education

New Delhi

IDP Education

Hyderabad

IDP Education

Mumbai

IDP Education

Jalandhar

Candidates can select from the above-mentioned exam centres according on their convenience. To minimise anomalies, they should closely adhere to the registration rules for UKVI IELTS.

Test Results

IELTS UKVI and IELTS Life Skills exam results are available in 13 and 7 days, respectively. Notably, the test results are not available online. It is delivered to the postal address provided at the time of application. The exams are offered throughout the country at UKVI-approved testing centres. Notably, UKVI does not accept test results from unofficially named or licensed testing centres. As a result, applicants should schedule a UKVI IELTS test session. Furthermore, one should state clearly throughout the test that they aim to utilise the test score for a UK visa application. You will not have to wait long for your IELTS exam results. You may examine your results online and receive an email with a link to your IELTS scores.

Test

Time

IELTS on paper

13 days

IELTS on computer

3-5 days

IELTS Online

3-6 days

IELTS for UK Visas and Immigration (on paper)

13 days

IELTS for Life Skills

7 days

IELTS test results are available online for 28 days but are not an official proof of your performance. Some facilities additionally offer an SMS preview alert.

IELTS for UKVI exams

The IELTS Academic for UKVI test will evaluate your professional English abilities in listening, reading, writing, and speaking. You can take the IELTS paper test or the IELTS computer test. Before taking an IELTS on the computer test, take some time to familiarise yourself with the IELTS on computer format.

Listening

The Academic Listening test is divided into four sections and lasts 30 minutes. It will measure your ability to grasp the speakers' key ideas, specific information, viewpoints, purpose, and attitudes, as well as your ability to follow the evolution of ideas.

Academic Reading

The Academic Reading exam consists of three long readings from contemporary books, journals, periodicals, and newspapers. The texts are about subjects that you could encounter, whether you study at the undergraduate or postgraduate level or seek professional registration in an English-speaking setting. The Academic Reading test will consist of 40 questions. Multiple-choice questions, identifying facts or a writer's point of view, matching headers, features, and sentence ends, as well as sentence, summary, note, table, and flow-chart completions, and short-answer questions are all possible.

Academic Writing

Writing Task 1 and Writing Task 2 comprise the IELTS Academic Writing test. The questions on the Academic Writing test differ from the questions on the General Training Writing test.

Speaking

The Academic Speaking test consists of three components and lasts between 11 and 15 minutes. 

  • In Part 1, the examiner will ask about yourself and general questions about employment, family, studies, interests, and hobbies. 
  • Part 2 of the Academic Speaking test will consist of you being handed a card with a topic and asked to speak about it for 2 minutes. You'll have one minute to prepare for your topic and a pencil and paper to write your response. 
  • Part 3 is a two-way discussion in which the examiner will ask questions about the topic covered in Part 2.

IELTS test vs IELTS UKVI test

The Exam Report Form, which includes the IELTS and IELTS UKVI results, is somewhat different to indicate that you took the test at an authorised IELTS for UKVI site approved by the UK Home Office. The UK Home Office has authorised an IELTS UKVI exam for employment, study, and migration.

Let's look through this table for further information:

Parameter

IELTS

IELTS UKVI

Test Report

Regular

Modified slightly to include the name of the approved UKVI test centre.

Mode

Computer-based

More protocols are available on computers.

Fees

INR 16,250

IELTS UKVI: INR 15,750

Life Skills: INR 14,600.

Eligibility

International Candidates

International applicants that seek to study, work, or relocate to the United Kingdom.

Band Score

6.5 or above

The UKVI IELTS band score in Speaking and Listening should be 4.0 or above.

Furthermore, you do not need to take the IELTS Academic for the UK. You can pursue an undergraduate, postgraduate, or Ph.D. level programme in the UK by qualifying for the standard IELTS academic and the standard IELTS. However, in this instance, you must be certain that you fulfil the minimum criteria in terms of scores specified by the university of your choice; otherwise, you will be compelled to repeat the exam until you get the requisite marks. Taking the IELTS for the UK (academic) is more advantageous since you will not have to repeat the exam if you do not match the exact criterion for IELTS scores as requested by a university. You will instead simply need to attend a pre-sessional English course.

Academic Writing

Writing Task 1 and Writing Task 2 comprise the IELTS Academic Writing test. The questions on the Academic Writing test differ from the questions on the General Training Writing test.

Speaking

The Academic Speaking test consists of three components and lasts between 11 and 15 minutes. 

  • In Part 1, the examiner will ask about yourself and general questions about employment, family, studies, interests, and hobbies. 
  • Part 2 of the Academic Speaking test will consist of you being handed a card with a topic and asked to speak about it for 2 minutes. You'll have one minute to prepare for your topic and a pencil and paper to write your response. 
  • Part 3 is a two-way discussion in which the examiner will ask questions about the topic covered in Part 2.

We'll even call you once you've arrived at your chosen university to ensure everything goes smoothly. Simply walk into an AECC office near you if you need help with your study or job!

FAQs About IELTS UKVI

Which IELTS test should I take if I am applying for a UK visa?

The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) accepts IELTS Academic, IELTS General Training, and IELTS Life Skills as proof of English competence for anyone intending to live, work, or study in the UK.

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