IELTS for UKVI: Who Needs It, Scores, Fees and Booking in India

Aswathy Mohandas

03/11/2026

8 min read

IELTS for UKVI is the version of IELTS that the UK Home Office accepts as a Secure English Language Test (SELT) for visa and immigration applications. The questions, timing and 0–9 band scale are the same as IELTS Academic and General Training. The difference is where and how you take it: only at an approved IELTS for UKVI test centre, in person, under the extra security checks UK Visas and Immigration asks for. In India, IDP lists it at INR 19,250.

Not every UK applicant needs it. Students going to a university for a degree course can often use regular IELTS Academic, because the university is allowed to assess their English itself. This guide explains who needs IELTS for UKVI, the band you need for each visa, how it differs from regular IELTS, what IELTS Life Skills is, and how to book it in India.

What is IELTS for UKVI?

The UK government’s SELT guidance lists five approved test providers. The IELTS SELT Consortium is one of them, and its approved tests are “IELTS for UKVI” and “IELTS Life Skills”. A regular IELTS result taken at an ordinary centre is not a SELT, even with the same band.

According to ielts.org, UK Visas and Immigration uses four IELTS tests:

• IELTS for UKVI, in Academic and General Training versions, covering Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
• IELTS for UKVI Life Skills A1, Listening and Speaking only.
• IELTS for UKVI Life Skills A2, Listening and Speaking only.
• IELTS for UKVI Life Skills B1, Listening and Speaking only.

UKVI only accepts these tests when they are taken in person at an official IELTS for UKVI centre. You also have to tell the centre, when you book, that the result is for a UK visa.

Do you need IELTS for UKVI or regular IELTS for a UK student visa?

It depends on the level of your course. The Student visa English rules on GOV.UK set two levels:

In practice, most Indian students applying for a bachelor’s or master’s degree take regular IELTS Academic and meet their university’s own band requirement, which is often higher than 5.5. Check your offer letter: if it names IELTS for UKVI, book that version.

You may not need an English test at all. GOV.UK exempts nationals of a list of majority English-speaking countries, nationals of Canada, holders of a UK degree or a UK school qualification such as a GCSE or A level, and people with a degree taught in English that Ecctis confirms is equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree. The same page gives the full list. For other routes into UK universities, see our guide to studying in the UK without IELTS.

What IELTS for UKVI score do you need for each visa?

Every UK route sets a level on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The UK government’s list of approved tests turns each level into an IELTS for UKVI band, and you must reach it in every skill, not just overall:

The level each visa needs, as summarised on ielts.org from GOV.UK:

ielts.org notes that it collates this from GOV.UK. Before you book, confirm the level on the GOV.UK page for your own route. For how the bands themselves are worked out, see our guide to IELTS band scores.

How is IELTS for UKVI different from regular IELTS?

Because the content is identical, you prepare for IELTS for UKVI exactly as you would for Academic or General Training. Your university or sponsor tells you which of the two versions to take: students usually need Academic, while work and family routes usually use General Training.

What is IELTS Life Skills?

IELTS for UKVI Life Skills is a separate, shorter test of Speaking and Listening only, for routes that ask for those two skills, such as family visas, indefinite leave to remain and citizenship. IDP India’s Life Skills page gives these details:

• In India it is offered at CEFR levels A1 and B1. ielts.org also lists an A2 test for family visa extensions.
• You take it with one other test taker and one examiner. The A1 test lasts 16 to 18 minutes and the B1 test 22 minutes.
• There is no band score: the result is Pass or Fail.
• Results come within seven days.
• You can take it as often as you need, but once you pass a level you cannot retake that same level for two years.

How much does IELTS for UKVI cost in India?

These are IDP India’s fees from its IELTS test fee page, read on 28 October 2026:

Under the IELTS for UKVI cancellation and transfer policy, you can move your test once, to a date within three months, if you ask more than 14 days before the test. A cancellation more than 14 days ahead refunds 75% of the fee, between 14 and 2 days ahead 50%, within two days 25%, and on or after test day nothing. For the fees of every IELTS version, see our IELTS exam fee guide.

How do you book IELTS for UKVI in India?

1. Confirm the level. Check the CEFR level for your visa on GOV.UK, and check whether your university or sponsor names a specific test.
2. Pick the right test. IELTS for UKVI Academic or General Training for four-skill routes, or Life Skills for Speaking-and-Listening routes.
3. Choose an approved centre. Only IELTS for UKVI centres count. IDP India lists them on its IELTS for UKVI page, and the UK government publishes the approved centre list on its SELT page.
4. Book in your passport name. GOV.UK says the details you book with must match the identity document you bring, and outside the UK a passport is the standard document.
5. Bring the original passport on test day. A photocopy or an emergency travel document is not accepted.
6. Use the UKVI number. Your result shows a UKVI number. Enter it on your visa application; the Home Office checks your score online, so you do not upload the certificate.

GOV.UK says you should be able to take a test within 28 days of booking, though not always at the nearest centre. Your result must have been awarded in the two years before you apply.

Can you retake one section of IELTS for UKVI?

Yes, on the computer-delivered test. IDP India reported on 18 June 2024 that UKVI approved IELTS One Skill Retake for SELT use. You retake one skill, within 60 days of your original test, and receive a new Test Report Form that combines the new score with your other three; you can use either the original or the new one. Check first that your centre offers One Skill Retake. The GOV.UK SELT page also says the provider’s terms decide when a single component can be resat.

How should you prepare for IELTS for UKVI?

Prepare as you would for the matching Academic or General Training test, since the papers are the same. Three steps help most:

• Take a timed free IELTS mock test to see where each skill stands. UKVI cut-offs apply to every skill, so one weak section is enough to fall short.
• Read the IELTS syllabus for the version you are taking.
• Use the IELTS band score calculator to check practice scores against your target.

If you are planning a UK degree, your university’s English requirement and the visa rule are two separate checks. Our UK student visa guide covers the rest of the application, and our admissions counsellors can help you shortlist UK universities whose English requirements fit your score.