British Government Announces New English Language Test For Applying UK Visas

06 Mar 2015

Some significant reforms are announced by the British government for visa applications in language testing. The reforms would reduce the number of tests conducted for visa granting purpose and brings new requirements for the way tests will be managed.

According to the  British council statement IELTS –the Standard English language test across the globe for pursuing higher studies in overseas, has been granted for all UK visas that need applicants to produce evidence of their capability in English language.

The statement also said that IELTS continue to play a significant role in language testing not only for UK immigration but also for other leading nations such as Canada, Australia and so on.

According to the new measures, IELTS tests for UK visa applicants will be conducted all over the year in more than 100 major locations across the globe. And a new test entitled as IELTS Life Skills, would be put forward for individuals who need to demonstrate their capability in listening and speaking skills at level A1 or B1 of CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference).

Presumably, candidate must take the IELTS Life Skills test with another test taker as well as an examiner. During this single session, the performance of both listening and speaking will be assessed.

IELTS Life Skills has structured to abide precise immigration requirements for which candidates need to prove their listening and speaking skills. The test at Common European Framework of Reference, Level A1 takes around 16 to18 minutes and for Level B1 is takes 22 minutes.

The candidate’s performance on speaking and listening test will be assessed by a certified IELTS examiner based on the aspects such as acquiring information, speaking to communicate, conveying information as well as engaging in discussion. 

The other paired test taker performance along with the candidate in the IELTS Life Skills test doesn’t affect the evaluation of the candidate’s individual performance.

Only at the certified centers, IELTS tests for UK visa purpose will be conducted and the every certified center need to follow all the procedures specified by the UK government. Soon, after booking their test the applicant should specify the purpose of test and make sure the center is an authorized one to conduct tests for the specified purpose.

Applicants can easily find the list of certified IELTS test centers on www.ielts.org site. IELTS SELT Consortia, which includes British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia & Cambridge English Language Assessment manages IELTS tests for UK Visas and Immigration.

The IELTS is mutually owned by British Council and IDP: IELTS Australia & Cambridge English Language Assessment, which has played a crucial role in language testing for visa or immigration purposes over 25-year history as well as known by over 9,000 organizations throughout the globe including employers, professional bodies, universities, immigration authorities, and government agencies in various nations. Over 2.5mn IELTS tests were taken in the previous year in more than 140 nations.

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