For UK Citizenship, under the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, the British Citizenship Test or Life in the UK along with English Language Test is a mandatory requirement. While for the UK visa, the applicant must have qualifications in the English Language. He/She has to take the Secure English Language Test (SELT) approved by the UK Visas and Immigration for British Citizenship, Leave for remain, and Tier 1, 2, 4, and visa applications. The SELT follows the framework of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) which is an international standard that describes proficiency in a language.
The SELT grades the candidate’s ability of English Language in the following ways:
● A1 – Beginner ● A2 – Elementary ● B1 – Intermediate ● B2 – Upper-Intermediate ● C1 – Proficient ● C2 – Mastery
English Language Levels basic requirements:
● A-Levels (English Basic User)
A1 Level (Beginner): It means that he/she can understand and use basic daily expressions, can ask and answer general questions related to personal details, can interact in a simple way with other English speaking people (who speak slowly, clearly, and wants to help).
A2 Level (Elementary English): It means that the person can understand frequently used phrases related to necessary personal details, shopping, movies, geography, and many more and can communicate easily about the daily routine and other matters in areas of immediate need.
● B-Levels (English Independent User)
B1 Level (Intermediate English): Can understand daily encountered familiar matters in work, leisure, school, etc. Can describe their hopes, dreams, ambitions, experiences, events fluently, and explain opinions and plans.
B2 (Upper-Intermediate English):
Can understand the basic ideas of solid and conceptual topics, including technical discussion in his/her field of specialisation. Can interact fluently with others without causing strain for either party.
● C- Levels (Proficient English User)
C1- Level (Advanced English): Can express themselves fluently without any trouble. Can understand and use the language flexibly for academic, social, and professional purposes.
C2- Level (Proficient): Can easily summarise information heard or read from different spoken or written sources. Can express themselves fluently and precisely.
What do you need to do for Citizenship?
For citizenship in the UK, the applicant has to take the Life in the UK test and British Citizenship Language Test. He/She has to pass the test with at least a B1 grade or higher. People often think that the British Citizenship test and Life in the UK test are two different things, but in reality, they both are the same.
For more details or to book the English tests for UK Visas, Click here!