Your visa deadline is soon. Which English test should you book?
IELTS, LanguageCert, Skills for English, or wait for the HOELT? A plain decision guide based on when you plan to apply.
Step one: your submission date decides the rules
Your submission date, not your test date, decides which rules apply to your application. Start there.
If you are applying in the next few months
Book an approved SELT now. Do not wait for the HOELT, which is expected in December 2026 with no confirmed format.
Skilled Worker: needs B2 (IELTS for UKVI, LanguageCert, or Skills for English: SELT, depending on route).
Settlement and citizenship: typically B1 (IELTS Life Skills is common).
Confirm the current approved list on gov.uk before you pay.
Get HOELT updates the moment they're announced
Join the free waitlist for Home Office announcements, prep tips and your founding member discount. No spam.
If you are applying after the HOELT launches
Your test will be the HOELT, subject to transition rules. There is nothing sensible to buy today. Check your level with the free readiness quiz and join the waitlist for confirmed details.
If you are not sure yet
Start with the level, not the provider. A B2 speaker passes any B2 test, and a B1 speaker fails every one. Build the English and the test takes care of itself.
One warning worth repeating
Nobody can sell real HOELT practice materials yet. The format is unpublished. Save your money for confirmed resources.
Get HOELT updates the moment they're announced
Join the free waitlist for Home Office announcements, prep tips and your founding member discount. No spam.
Not sure if your English is at the level the Home Office will expect? Take the free 5-minute readiness quiz, then reserve your place on the waitlist for the UK's first dedicated HOELT course.