Do I need a Secure English Language Test to study English in
the UK?

No. However, if you plan to study for 11 months or more, you
will have to demonstrate to your English school that you are at a level of at
least CEFR B1. For more information about the Common European Framework of
Reference (CEFR), please see our section on English language qualifications.

Do I have to take a Secure English Test for academic
courses?

If you want to study an academic course for 6 months or
more, the UK Visas & Immigration Service will require you to take a test
unless:

You are studying at or above degree level at a government
funded college or university (if you are studying at a private institution, you
will need to take a test);

You are under 18 and coming to study in the UK on a Tier 4
(Child) Student Visa;

You are over 18, but you have studied as a child student in
the UK for at least 6 months within the last two years;

You are from one of the following countries, which the UK
Visas & Immigration Service considers to be majority English speaking:
Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada,
Guyana, Jamaica, New Zealand, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent
& Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United States;

You have a completed an academic qualification, at least
equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree, which was taught in a majority English
speaking country.

Note: if the UK Visas & Immigration Service does not
require you to take a test, your sponsor may still ask you to take a test to
demonstrate your English level is sufficient for the course you want to study.
However, they will usually accept a wider range of tests that just those
approved by the UK Visas and Immigration Service.

What tests are approved by the UK Visas & Immigration
Service?

The rules, which changed in 2015, are summarised below:

From 6 April 2015, students outside the UK must take an
IELTS (Academic) Test at a test centre operated by the IELTS SELT Consortium.
If you take an IELTS test at any other test centre, it will not be accepted.

International students inside the UK can take an IELTS test
or one of the following tests offered by Trinity College London: Integrated
Skills in English Test or Graded Examinations in Spoken English. Trinity
operates a small number of approved test centres at cities in the UK, including
London, Birmingham and Manchester.

IELTS, Cambridge ESOL and Pearson PTE tests taken on or
before 5 April 2015 can be used to apply for a student visa up until 5 November
2015. Cambridge ESOL and Pearson PTE are no longer approved after this date.
And if you have an IELTS test certificate dated before 6 April 2015, you will
have to take a new test if you apply for a student visa after 5 November 2015.

The TOEFL Test is not accepted at all, regardless of when
the test was taken.

What test score will I need to achieve?

If you are studying a course below degree level (e.g. A
Level, foundation courses, HNC/HNDs etc.), you will need to pass at a level
equivalent to CEFR B1 (IELTS 4.0 in all skills).

If you are studying at degree level or above, you will need
to pass at a level equivalent to CEFR B2 (IELTS 5.5 in all skills).

How do I book a Secure English Language Test in my country?

The IELTS SELT Consortium provides an online booking
service, which allows you to book a test at an approved test centre in your
country.

Book online: IELTS Online Booking Service

When should I sit my Secure English language test?

You will need to pass your secure English test before you
can apply for a student visa. If you are planning to come to the UK to study,
you should make arrangements to sit your English test as early as possible.