🇬🇧 United Kingdom · UK Home Office
IELTS Score for United Kingdom ILR / Settlement - 2026 Requirements
ILR requires B1 English in speaking and listening only (Life in the UK test also mandatory).
Minimum IELTS scores required
4.0
Overall
B1 speaking and listening - Life in the UK test also required
Key Facts - ILR / Settlement
- ILR requires B1 English in speaking and listening only (Life in the UK test also mandatory).
- Most applicants use IELTS Life Skills B1 (a separate test) rather than full IELTS.
- If you passed IELTS at B2+ level for your original visa, it may satisfy the B1 requirement.
- British citizenship requires a further B1 proof if not already evidenced.
How to achieve these scores
Tips specific to reaching the 4.0 band for this visa.
IELTS Life Skills B1 is shorter and cheaper than full IELTS - use it specifically for this step.
Keep your original IELTS certificates - they may serve as evidence for future applications.
🇮🇳 For Indian applicants
The UK is the fastest-growing destination for Indian students post-Brexit. The Graduate Route visa (2 years post-study work) is a major draw - and most Indian students will need IELTS for UKVI (Academic) at Band 6.0-6.5 to secure admission to eligible universities.
How close are you to this requirement?
Enter your current scores to find the single skill that gets you to Band 4.0.
Current
6.5
+0.5 band to go
Target
7.0
Easiest path to Band 7
Improve Listening by +2.0 (6.5 → 8.5) while keeping others the same.
Dictation drills for Section 4, shadowing at 0.9× speed, and timed note-completion practice.
Single-skill path to Band 7
Listening
Currently 6.5 → need 8.5
Reading
Currently 6.0 → need 8.0
Writing
Currently 6.0 → need 8.0
Speaking
Currently 6.5 → need 8.5
Do this next
Stop spreading effort across all four modules. Your fastest route to Band 7.0 is Listening.
Students lose time when they "study harder" instead of fixing the exact skill blocking the next score jump.
Start Listening improvement nowTarget: Band 4.0
Practice for this exact requirement
Take a free AI-graded mock test, see your current band by skill, and get paragraph-level feedback on exactly what is holding you back.