IELTS Life Skills B1: the test explained
IELTS for UKVI Life Skills B1 is a speaking and listening test taken in person with an examiner and one other test taker. It lasts around 20 minutes (the official sample tests say no more than 22), it's marked Pass or Fail with no band score, and results arrive within 9 days. It's approved for British citizenship and settlement applications that need B1.
Who's in the room
Unlike the other three B1 tests, you aren't tested alone. You sit the test with an examiner and another candidate, and much of it is the two of you talking to each other. The examiner manages the time and asks questions in some parts. You don't choose your partner, so be ready to talk with someone you've never met.
The four phases
This is the structure of IELTS's two official B1 sample tests.
| Phase | Time | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1a | 3 minutes | The examiner asks each of you your name and how to spell it, where you come from and how long you've lived here. Then you and your partner ask each other questions on a set subject for two minutes. |
| 1b | 7 minutes | You each get one minute to prepare (notes allowed), then talk for about one and a half minutes while your partner listens. Your partner then asks you three questions. Then you swap. |
| 2a | 5 minutes | You listen to two short recordings. After the first play there's a general question; after the second, each of you answers detail questions. You can make notes. |
| 2b | 7 minutes | The planning section lasts three minutes, including instructions and two minutes talking together using a task sheet. You then discuss a related topic together for four minutes; the examiner prompts only if needed. |
IELTS says the subjects are everyday ones: personal details and experiences, family and friends, buying goods, work, health, leisure, education and training, transport, housing and weather.
What you need to show at B1
IELTS expects you to follow straightforward information, stories, explanations and instructions; share information, feelings and opinions on familiar topics; and talk with others to reach a shared understanding. On top of the A1 and A2 tasks (such as describing, giving opinions, agreeing and disagreeing, comparing and planning), B1 tasks can include showing contrast, cause, reason or purpose, telling a story, asking about past or future events, and saying how certain or possible something is in the future.
Results
There's no score. The result is Pass or Fail, and IELTS says results arrive within 9 days. For your application you'll use the "UKVI number" on your result. Results for all four tests.
Fee and booking
You book at a UKVI-approved SELT location through IELTS's test centre finder. Make sure you choose Life Skills B1, not IELTS for UKVI Academic or General Training, which are four-skill tests. We couldn't confirm the current UK fee from the provider today, so check the price when you book.
How to prepare
- Practise asking questions, not just answering them. Phases 1a and 1b both need you to ask your partner things.
- Practise listening to a partner's talk closely enough to ask three sensible questions about it.
- Get used to making a decision with someone else: suggesting, agreeing, disagreeing politely and settling on a plan.
- Use IELTS's free sample tests. The two B1 samples (A and B) have the examiner's script and audio on the Life Skills sample questions page.
- Try a full run-through with our IELTS Life Skills B1 practice test, where an AI examiner and an AI partner take you through all four phases.
Common questions
What if my partner talks too much or too little?
The examiner runs the timing and can prompt either of you. Keep to the task: respond to what your partner says, ask follow-up questions and make your own points.
Is IELTS Life Skills B1 the same as IELTS for UKVI?
No. IELTS for UKVI (Academic or General Training) tests all four skills and gives band scores. Life Skills B1 tests speaking and listening only and gives Pass or Fail. Citizenship and settlement at B1 need speaking and listening.
Can I use Life Skills B1 for settlement after 26 March 2027?
Only on the settlement routes that stay at B1, or for citizenship. Most settlement applications made from that date need B2. B1 or B2?
General information. We're independent of IELTS, the British Council, IDP and the Home Office. Sources: IELTS: Life Skills test; IELTS: Life Skills format in detail; IELTS: Life Skills B1 sample tests A and B; IELTS: results timing; IELTS: tests for UK visas; GOV.UK: Secure English Language Tests. Checked 20 October 2026.