What is IELTS Life Skills? India

IELTS Life Skills is a test for those who need to prove their English speaking and listening skills to acquire a UK VISA, and is available at Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) levels A1 and B1.

It is designed to meet the requirements of UKVI for certain visa categories and other immigration purposes.

IELTS Life Skills A1: If you are applying for a ‘family of a settled person’ visa
IELTS Life Skills B1: If you are applying for a ‘indefinite leave to remain or citizenship' visa

There is no restriction on how many times you take the IELTS Life Skills test, however, if you pass the test once, you will not be able to re-take it at the same level for a duration of two years.

Availability of IELTS Life Skills test

IELTS Life Skills tests are available throughout the world, in locations specified by UKVI. The UKVI does not accept results from other testing locations. You must confirm at the time of registration that you wish to use your test result for a UK visa application, and make sure that you sit the test in an 'IELTS for UKVI' test session.

Find out if IELTS Life Skills is available in your city

Format of the IELTS Life Skills test

The IELTS Life Skills test is designed to meet specific immigration requirements for which applicants only need to demonstrate Speaking and Listening skills. You’ll be assessed on your everyday communication in an English speaking country, the topics may include:

Personal experiences
Friends and family
Buying good
Education, work or training
Weather, leisure or trave
Transport, housing, health, and more

The test is designed to evaluate your listening and speaking skills, wherein you can respond in a clear and correct way. Use this table to understand the test focus in a better way.

	A1	B1
Test focus	listen and respond to spoken language, including simple narratives, statements, questions and single-step instructions basic information, feelings and opinions on familiar topics talk with another person in a familiar situation about familiar topics	listen and respond to spoken language, including straightforward information and narratives, and follow straightforward explanations and instructions. communicate information, feelings and opinions on familiar topics, using appropriate formality. talk with one or more people in a familiar situation, making relevant points and responding to what others say to reach a shared understanding about familiar topics.
Tasks	Tasks may include: Describing Giving opinions Giving personal information Stating preferences Commenting Asking for information or descriptions Agreeing and disagreeing Explaining, giving reasons or justifying Deciding Suggesting Selecting	In addition to the A1 tasks shown on the left, the B1 tasks may include: Comparing Showing contrast, cause, reason or purpose Prioritising Planing Persuading Narrating Asking about past or future events Expressing future certainty or possibility

Test focus

listen and respond to spoken language, including simple narratives, statements, questions and single-step instructions

basic information, feelings and opinions on familiar topics

talk with another person in a familiar situation about familiar topics

listen and respond to spoken language, including straightforward information and narratives, and follow straightforward explanations and instructions.

communicate information, feelings and opinions on familiar topics, using appropriate formality.

talk with one or more people in a familiar situation, making relevant points and responding to what others say to reach a shared understanding about familiar topics.

Tasks

Tasks may include:

Describing

Giving opinions

Giving personal information

Stating preferences

Commenting

Asking for information or descriptions

Agreeing and disagreeing

Explaining, giving reasons or justifying

Deciding

Suggesting

Selecting

In addition to the A1 tasks shown on the left, the B1 tasks may include:

Comparing

Showing contrast, cause, reason or purpose

Prioritising

Planing

Persuading

Narrating

Asking about past or future events

Expressing future certainty or possibility

You take the test with another test taker and one examiner. Your own performance on both Speaking and Listening is assessed during this one session.

S. No.	Test type	Test duration
1	IELTS Life Skills CEFR Level A1	16–18 minutes
2	IELTS Life Skills CEFR Level B1	22 minutes

There is no break between speaking and listening components as you are assessed on both skills at the same time.

IELTS Life Skills assessment criteria

A certified IELTS examiner assesses your performance throughout the Speaking and Listening test based on:

Obtaining information
Conveying information
Speaking to communicate
Engaging in discussion

Remember to give your best shot as the performance of the other test taker paired with you in the IELTS Life Skills test does not affect the assessment of your own performance.

Test results within a week

You can get your IELTS Life Skills result within seven days of your attempt. Your TRF is sent to the postal address you mention at the time of filling up your registration form.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often is an IELTS Life Skills test available?

For IELTS Life Skills, the test dates will be available within 28 days at permanent locations.

How many copies of the IELTS Life Skills TRF will I get?

You will receive only one copy of the IELTS Life Skills TRF.

When can I retake IELTS Life Skills?

There are no restrictions on retaking the test. However, if you pass the IELTS Life Skills test, you can’t re-sit the same level for a period of two years. There is no limit to retaking it if you fail the test.