IELTS B1 Details
IELTS Life Skills B1 Test Guide for 2024
This article will discuss what you need to know about the IELTS Life Skills B1 test, including:
- Do you have to take the IELTS Life Skills B1 Test?
- What level IELTS Life Skills Test do you have to take?
- What happens in the IELT Life Skills B1 exam?
- How do you best prepare for the B1 IELTS Life Skills Test?
- How do you book the B1 IELTS Life Skills Test?
- What happens after the B1 IELTS Life Skills exam?
What is the IELTS Life Skills B1 Test?
The IELTS Life Skills B1 test is for applicants who want to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain and/or British citizenship.
Do you have to take the IELTS Life Skills Test?
Does everyone have to take the IELTS Life Skills Test?
No. Every applicant will not be required to sit an English language test.
Some applicants will be exempt, while others will satisfy the English language requirement via other means.
Exemption #1 – Physical or mental disability
Applicants with physical or mental medical conditions may be exempt from the English language requirement.
To be exempt, applicants with a physical or mental disability must be professionally diagnosed to persuade the Home Office caseworker that it would not be reasonable to sit the English language test.
This gives people who are deaf, mute or have a speech impediment a high probability of being granted exemption from the English language requirement.
It is important to note that not all medical conditions are automatically exempt – each case is decided on its own merits.
Exemption #2 – Age
Applicants above 65 years of age (or higher) on the date of application will be exempt from the English language requirement and, therefore, will not have to sit the B1 exam.
In such a case, all that is required is submitting a passport or travel document to satisfy the English language requirement.
IELTS Life Skills B1 Test Guide for 2024
Taking the IELTS Life Skills B1 test is one of many ways to satisfy the English language requirement.
One of the alternatives applies to those who are nationals of a majority English-speaking country, as listed below:
- Antigua and Barbuda;
- Australia;
- the Bahamas;
- Barbados;
- Belize;
- Canada;
- Dominica;
- Grenada;
- Guyana;
- Jamaica;
- Malta;
- New Zealand;
- St. Kitts and Nevis;
- St. Lucia;
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines;
- Trinidad and Tobago; and
- the United States of America.
In this situation, the applicant’s passport or other travel document is all that is required to prove exemption from the English language requirement.
If the applicant is unable to submit this document due to loss, theft, or other reasons, they can still prove their nationality by submitting the following documents:
- A letter from your country’s national government or Embassy which states your name, nationality, and date of birth; or
- A national identity document.
Alternative #2: Relying on an undergraduate degree level or above qualification that was taught in English
The other alternative to the B1 English language test applies to applicants who have been awarded an English-taught degree qualification (or above).
If the applicant’s degree or above level qualification was obtained from a UK university, then the requirement will be satisfied – as long as it is an academic (i.e. not vocational) degree.
If an academic degree or above level qualification was awarded from an educational institution in one of the following countries, the applicant would also need to submit a statement from Ecctis (previously known as UK National Academic Recognition Information Centre (NARIC)) that the qualification meets or exceeds the recognised standard of a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or PhD in the UK:
- Antigua and Barbuda;
- Australia;
- the Bahamas;
- Barbados;
- Belize;
- Dominica;
- Grenada;
- Guyana;
- Ireland;
- Jamaica;
- Malta;
- New Zealand;
- St Kitts and Nevis;
- St Lucia;
- St Vincent and the Grenadines;
- Trinidad and Tobago; and
- the USA.
If the applicant’s academic undergraduate degree level qualification (or above) was obtained from an educational institution that is not included in one of the above countries, then you will need to submit the following:
i) Documentation from Ecctis that the qualification meets or exceeds the recognised standard of a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or PhD in the UK; AND
ii) Documentation from Ecctis that the qualification was taught or researched in English at the required CEFR level or above.
What happens in the IELTS Life Skills B1 exam?
The IELTS Life Skills B1 exam lasts around 20 minutes.
The applicant will take the exam with one other candidate.
Part 1 of the test: introduction
In the beginning, the examiner will ask the applicant four questions:
- “What is your name?”
- “Can you spell it for me?”
- “Where do you come from?”
- “How long have you lived here?”
These questions are the same in every exam. The applicant can therefore prepare answers for these beforehand.
The introduction should be used to warm up and to become as relaxed as possible.
Throughout the test, answering the questions using complete sentences is essential.
The examiner will then ask the applicant to give them their mark sheets.
Part 2 of the test: topic discussion
In this task, the examiner will give the applicant a topic.
The applicant will then be expected to ask their partner questions about this topic.
The applicant will also be expected to answer their partner’s questions about this topic.
The following is a typical task:
“Now you are going to ask each other some questions. I want you to find out from each other about something you do in your free time and why you enjoy it. You have two minutes to talk to each other”.
Be careful – the applicant’s job is not to talk about the topic but to ask questions. Therefore, as soon as the applicant answers a question, they should immediately ask a follow-up question.
Example:
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I like reading, going to the gym and cooking. What about you?
I am a big sports fan. I play football for a local team, and I go to watch matches most weekends, too. Do you play any sports?
The applicant should keep asking and answering questions until the examiner stops them.
The examiner will then give the applicant instructions for the next task.
Part 3 of the test – presentation and questions
The applicant and their partner are given two different topics in this part of the test.
The applicant will have to talk about their topic for one and a half minutes.
After this, the applicant’s partner will ask the applicant three questions about what the applicant said.
Once this has been done, the applicant’s partner will talk about their topic, similar to the applicant.
The applicant’s job here will be to listen to them and ask them three questions afterwards.
The listening section will be next.
Part 4 of the test – listening
The applicant will listen to two short recordings in this part of the exam.
After listening to the records, the examiner will ask the applicant a multiple-choice question about one of the recordings.
There will be three possible answers that the applicant can choose from.
Once the applicant has answered, they will then hear the recording again.
After hearing the recording, the applicant will again be asked two more questions.
Part 5 of the test – planning
This is the part that IELTS Life Skills candidates most often need help with.
The examiner will say something like:
“Now you’re going to plan something together. I’d like you to imagine that you are organising a party for your friends.
First, discuss where you should have the party and choose the one you think would be best”.
The applicant will be given prompts like this:
- In a restaurant?
- In someone’s home?
- In a bar or café?
Second, the applicant will be asked to plan the event.
They will be given prompts like this:
- What food and drink should there be?
- How many people should there be?
- What games or activities should there be?
Part 6 of the test – open discussion
In the last part of the IELTS Life Skills B1 exam, the examiner will give the applicant a more open topic that they will have to discuss for four minutes.
Sample question
“We are going to talk about food and cooking. Find out from each other what kind of food you like and what you can cook”.
There are two things that you should note.
Firstly, it is good to ask a lot of questions.
Secondly, since you will have much more time in previous activities, this will allow you to discuss your topics in more detail.
How do I book the IELTS Life Skills B1 exam?
Booking the IELTS Life Skills B1 exam is easy.
All you need to do is follow the steps below:
- To start, find a test location from this link and select “IELTS for UKVI and IELTS Life Skills” from the two options;
- Scroll down from the list of countries and choose your country. Then, select “Find a test location”;
- Various test centres which are available in your country will be displayed. Select from the list and click “Book now”;
- You will then be shown the contact information of the testing centre you chose. You also need to pay the exam fee during this step.
Here are some essential things that you should remind yourself before submitting these documents:
- Your documents must be original and valid. This means that expired documents will not be accepted. Photocopies will also not be accepted.
- Bring the document that you used when you booked the test online.
What document can we use if the Home Office possesses the applicant’s passport?
If, when you apply for an IELTS Life Skills B1 exam, the applicant’s passport is in the Home Office’s possession, you can submit a valid EU identity card or a Biometric Residence Permit.
Otherwise, you may request that the applicant’s passport be returned from the Home Office.