Glossary
IELTS Life Skills
A UK government approved test that assesses speaking and listening only. It is the IELTS test for UK routes such as citizenship, settlement and a partner visa. Those routes do not require reading and writing.
Guides that use this term
What Is IELTS UKVI? How It Differs From Academic and General Training
IELTS for UKVI is the Academic or General Training test, taken at an approved centre under extra security. What changes is the centre you sit it at and your Test Report Form. Life Skills is a separate Pass or Fail test of Speaking and Listening.
General
IELTS Band Scores Explained: What Your Score Actually Means
IELTS reports each section and your overall result as a band from 0 to 9. This guide explains what each band means and how the overall band is calculated. It also covers pass marks and CEFR levels.
General
Checked against the GOV.UK secure English language test guidance on 8 September 2026.