UK visa applicants gained two more test options at the end of 2023. LanguageCert announced on 1 December 2023 that its LanguageCert Academic and LanguageCert General tests had been approved by UK Visas and Immigration as Secure English Language Tests (SELTs) for student and work visas. The Home Office added both tests to its official list of approved English language tests on 4 December 2023. Candidates could book and sit the tests from 19 December 2023.
Key facts
- What Two LanguageCert tests added to the approved SELT list
- Announced 1 December 2023; gov.uk list updated 4 December 2023
- Bookable From 19 December 2023
- Visas Student and work routes
How the tests fitted in
LanguageCert was already an approved SELT provider through its International ESOL SELT. At the time, LanguageCert said the ESOL four-skills SELT would remain approved until further notice, so candidates had a choice of tests from the same provider. According to LanguageCert, the tests were independently evaluated by UK ENIC and are mapped to the Common European Framework of Reference levels the Home Office uses.
Later change
The older test has since gone. Home Office guidance records that from 6 July 2025 the ESOL four-skills SELT was replaced by the LANGUAGECERT Academic SELT and General SELT. ESOL results already issued remain valid for two years from the award date.
What this means
For a UK visa you must take a test on the Home Office approved list, booked as a SELT at an approved centre, and the result must be no more than two years old when you apply. If you are choosing between providers, compare the test formats, centre locations and dates, then check the score each test needs for the level your route requires: B2 for most new work visa applicants since 8 January 2026. The approved list is in the official SELT guidance.