Who still needs B1
- British citizenship (naturalisation): B1 speaking and listening, unchanged by HC 1691. Most people reuse the certificate they settled with; those who settled without an English test (refugees, humanitarian protection, EU settled status) sit B1 now.
- Settlement before 26 March 2027 on any route.
- Settlement after that date on the Hong Kong BN(O), HM Armed Forces and Domestic Worker in a Private Household routes.
- Skilled Worker visa applications (not settlement): B1, four skills.
If you are a partner or a worker applying for settlement on or after 26 March 2027, you need B2, not B1.
The test most people take: Trinity GESE Grade 5
Ten minutes, one examiner, two phases, £160, at a Trinity SELT centre in person or by video on a centre tablet.
Topic phase (about 5 minutes). You bring a Topic Form with a subject you chose and prepared, and discuss it with the examiner. At Grade 5 you must also ask the examiner at least one question about your topic. The topic should not be one of the six conversation subjects.
Conversation phase (about 5 minutes). The examiner picks two of six subject areas: festivals, means of transport, special occasions (for example birthday celebrations), entertainment (cinema, television, clubs), music, and recent personal experiences. Each subject has typical questions on the Grade 5 subjects page.
The language of Grade 5
Trinity's published list for B1:
- Functions: talking about the future (plans and predictions); expressing preferences; talking about events in the indefinite and recent past; giving reasons; stating how long something has lasted; quantifying.
- Grammar: present perfect with for, since, ever, never, just; because to join clauses; will for the future; a lot (of), not very much, many; I prefer, I'd rather.
- Lexis: words for your topic and the subjects; time expressions (two days ago, in the future).
- Phonology: clear pronunciation of topic words; weak forms and contractions (I've been to…); natural speech, not recitation.
The question types that call for it: Have you ever…? Why…? Will you…? How long…? How often / how many…? Which do you prefer?
How it is marked
Each phase gets one grade for task fulfilment: A distinction, B merit, C pass, D fail. The descriptors behind the grade cover communication, grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. With two phases, one D and one C still passes; two Ds fail. Almost everyone who prepares the topic and can hold a simple conversation passes Grade 5; the fails are candidates who recite the topic, answer in single words, or cannot use the past tense.
Alternatives
Three other speaking-and-listening B1 SELTs are accepted: IELTS Life Skills B1 (about 22 minutes, taken with another candidate), LanguageCert International ESOL SELT B1 (computer-based, one to one with an interlocutor) and PTE Home B1 (computer, machine-scored, results in about two days). Four-skills tests at B1 or above (Trinity ISE I, IELTS for UKVI at 4.0 in each component, LanguageCert B1, PTE Academic UKVI) also count. For most people GESE Grade 5 is the shortest and the most like a normal conversation; the comparison is on the SELT page.
Preparing in a month
Week 1: choose a topic, fill in the form, learn 20 words for each of the six subjects. Week 2: Have you ever… and I've… for/since… about your own life, aloud, daily. Week 3: the six subjects with the AI examiner, one a day, read the report. Week 4: the topic with someone interrupting, then book.