Your SELT result counts while the current system runs

Your approved SELT result counts for applications made while the current system is running. The changeover is tied to your application date, not your test date.

Current approved SELTs include IELTS for UKVI, IELTS Life Skills, LanguageCert, and Skills for English: SELT. The HOELT is expected to replace these from December 2026.

The real question is your submission date

  • Before the changeover: book an approved SELT now.
  • After the HOELT launches: you sit the HOELT, subject to transition arrangements that are not yet confirmed.

Two traps to avoid

  • Fake "HOELT sample papers": the format is unpublished, so nobody can sell you real ones.
  • An ageing result: results must be within a set window and at the required level, which is B2 for Skilled Worker now.

What transfers either way

A B2 speaker passes a B2 test whoever runs it. Build the level and the test takes care of itself.