Which LanguageCert exam do I need?

In short

It depends on why you’re taking it, not on your level. For university, take LanguageCert Academic. For a UK work visa, take LanguageCert General as General SELT. For a UK partner, parent, settlement or citizenship application, take the ESOL SELT Speaking & Listening test at A1, A2 or B1. For any Australian visa, take LanguageCert Academic at a test centre.

Find your reason below.

To study at a university or college

University and college admission, and UK student visas.

You need

LanguageCert Academic

B1–C2 · Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking

Taken at a Home Office–approved centre it becomes Academic SELT, which is what a UK student visa requires. Same paper either way.

For a work visa or my job

UK Skilled Worker and other UK work visas, or an employer who asks for proof of English.

You need

LanguageCert General

A2–C1 · Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking

Taken at a Home Office–approved centre it becomes General SELT, used for UK work visas. Same paper, everyday and workplace topics rather than academic ones.

For an Australian visa

Student, work, skilled and family visas. Taken at a test centre.

You need

LanguageCert Academic

B1–C2 · Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking

Australia accepts LanguageCert Academic for every visa type that needs English (since August 2025), taken at a test centre rather than online. Check the score your visa asks for with the Department of Home Affairs.

The minimum score for each visa level

For settlement or British citizenship

Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) and naturalisation. Speaking and listening only, B1.

You need

ESOL SELT Speaking & Listening · B1

What the B1 test involves, and who’s exempt

To extend my visa

Further Leave to Remain on a family route. Speaking and listening only, A2.

You need

ESOL SELT Speaking & Listening · A2

What the A2 test involves, and who’s exempt

To join my partner or parent in the UK

Family partner and parent visas, and some business or sportsperson routes. Speaking and listening only, A1.

You need

ESOL SELT Speaking & Listening · A1

What the A1 test involves, and who’s exempt

The three exams side by side

Detail	Academic	General	SELT Speaking & Listening
Built for	University study, UK Student visa, Australian visas	Work and migration, UK work visas	UK partner, parent, settlement and citizenship routes
Skills tested	Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking	Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking	Speaking and Listening only
Levels reported	B1 to C2 (0–100 score)	A2 to C1 (0–100 score)	One level, A1, A2 or B1: Pass or Fail
Total time	About 2 hours 34 minutes	About 2 hours 22 minutes	8–13 minutes, by level
Where you take it	Test centre or online (Australia: test centre only)	Test centre	Approved SELT test centre
Official results	5 working days	5 working days	3 working days
Accepted for Australian visas	Yes, at a test centre	No	No

Academic and General look alike on paper but differ in every skill: Academic Writing asks for a formal essay, General Writing for an informal email or story, and Academic Speaking ends with a talk about a chart. See each section explained.

Is Academic SELT a different exam from Academic?

No. Academic SELT and General SELT are the same papers as Academic and General, sat at a test centre approved by the UK Home Office, with extra identity checks and a unique reference number for your visa application. Preparing for Academic prepares you for Academic SELT. The Speaking & Listening SELT is the exception: a separate, much shorter test at A1, A2 or B1.

Which LanguageCert SELT your visa needs

Where is LanguageCert accepted?

Not only in the UK. In short:

United Kingdom: every visa route that needs English, as a SELT taken at a Home Office–approved centre. Details
Australia: every visa type that needs English, with LanguageCert Academic at a test centre. Details
Ireland: student visas and university admission.
New Zealand: university admission (not immigration).
Canada: some universities (not immigration).
United States: a growing number of colleges and universities.
Europe: universities and employers in many countries, and public-sector jobs in Greece.

What score you need: the LanguageCert score chart.

LanguageCert or IELTS?

Listening: LanguageCert plays every recording twice; IELTS plays each once.
Length: LanguageCert Academic takes about 2 hours 34 minutes; IELTS Academic about 2 hours 45.
Academic and General differ more: in IELTS, Listening and Speaking are the same for Academic and General Training. In LanguageCert, all four skills have different content.
Score equivalents: UK visas set a CEFR level, which is 40 in LanguageCert or 4.0 in IELTS for UKVI at B1, 60 or 5.5 at B2, and 75 or 7.0 at C1. Australian visas set a separate minimum for each skill, so the IELTS match differs by skill. There are no official equivalents for General.

Full conversion table: LanguageCert score chart.

FAQ

What's the difference between LanguageCert Academic and General?

Academic is for university study and uses academic texts, lectures and a formal essay; it reports B1 to C2. General is for work and migration and uses everyday and workplace English, with an informal writing task; it reports A2 to C1. The question types are similar, but the content differs in all four skills.

Is LanguageCert SELT a different exam from Academic or General?

Academic SELT and General SELT are the same papers as Academic and General, taken at a UKVI-approved centre with a reference number for your visa application. The Speaking & Listening SELT (A1, A2, B1) is a separate, much shorter test.

Which LanguageCert exam do I need for a UK Skilled Worker visa?

LanguageCert General SELT, at B2 (60 or above) in all four skills.

Which LanguageCert exam do I need for British citizenship?

The ESOL SELT Speaking & Listening test at B1, unless you're exempt.

Which LanguageCert exam is accepted for Australian visas?

Only LanguageCert Academic, taken at a test centre. The online version and LanguageCert General aren't accepted.

Is LanguageCert easier than IELTS?

Neither is officially easier, but they're built differently. LanguageCert plays every listening recording twice, IELTS once. LanguageCert Academic takes about 2 hours 34 minutes, IELTS Academic about 2 hours 45.

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Sources

This page summarises official guidance as it stood in October 2026. It’s general information about an English test, not immigration advice, and the rules change. Check your own application with the official source before you book anything.