SELT Practice
Can you take a UK visa English test online?
For a UK visa or citizenship you need a SELT, and the pages we checked say you sit it at a test location, not on your own laptop at home, as of 10 November 2026. Trinity uses an examiner on video, but its pages do not let us promise a test from home. You can practise online, and that is the part this site does.
What GOV.UK says
The GOV.UK SELT guidance says a SELT must have been sat at what it calls an "approved test location". Only tests from the providers GOV.UK lists count, so check any website that offers an "online test" against that list.
This page is general information, not immigration advice. Check GOV.UK for your situation before you book.
What each provider says
We read each provider's own pages on 10 November 2026.
| Provider | What its pages say | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Trinity GESE | The B1 page says the one-to-one test is delivered "with Trinity examiners remotely via video conference". It also says that if you take it in a Trinity SELT centre, it is on a Trinity tablet set up by a steward. Whether you may sit it from home is not clear from the page alone, and the booking page we checked lists only test locations in UK cities. | Trinity B1 page |
| LanguageCert | "Arrive at the Test Centre just 30 minutes prior to the test starting time." We found no at-home option. | LanguageCert SELT |
| IELTS Life Skills | "The UKVI will only accept tests taken in person at an official IELTS for UKVI test centre." | IELTS for UKVI |
| PTE Home | Despite the name, it says: "Take your test at an official PTE test centre." | PTE Home |
| PSI Skills for English | A computer-based test taken at a PSI test centre, with no examiner present, in over 130 countries outside the UK. | PSI SELT |
If a website offers an "online SELT" or a "B1 certificate" you can take at home, check it against the GOV.UK page before you pay anything.
"B1 English test for citizenship online"
For British citizenship, GOV.UK says you can show B1 or higher English with a recognised test, or in some cases with a degree taught or researched in English, or by being a national of a listed country (GOV.UK). For a test you still sit it at a test location. Read English test for citizenship and exemptions.
What you can do online
You can prepare from home, whenever you like, for free or at a low cost:
- Find your level. The free level check takes about five minutes and needs no sign-up.
- Say answers out loud. The AI examiner on this site asks questions out loud, listens and gives an estimated result at your level.
- Rehearse the real format. Each part of each test is here, in order: Trinity GESE, LanguageCert, IELTS Life Skills, PTE Home and PSI.
- Read free samples. See B1 sample questions and answers and the free PDFs.
Practice here is independent. It is not a SELT and does not give you a certificate.
Why the test is taken at a test location
A SELT is a secure test: your identity is checked, and the result is sent from the provider to the Home Office with a reference number. That is why the providers describe test centres, identity checks and set arrival times. Pearson says the PTE Home Score Report carries a SELT Unique Reference Number, and its A1 page says results are shared securely with the Home Office. Learning at home is a different step from sitting the test, and both matter.
If you cannot travel to a centre, look at the provider's centre finder for another city, or at whether you qualify for an exemption, such as age 65 or over or a long-term condition (exemptions). Check GOV.UK before you book.
What to do next
- Find your level and route on GOV.UK.
- Practise online until you can answer without stopping.
- Book your real test with the provider. See where to book.
- Check the test location, time and identity documents before the day.
Can I take a SELT test online from home?
The provider pages we read describe test centres. Trinity uses a video examiner, but we could not confirm from its pages that you can sit it from home. Check the provider and GOV.UK before you book.
Is PTE Home taken at home?
No. Despite the name, Pearson says you take PTE Home at an official PTE test centre.
Is there an online B1 test for citizenship?
Only a SELT from a provider on the GOV.UK list counts as a test, and it is taken at a test location. Some people can use a degree taught in English or a listed nationality instead.
What can I do online to prepare?
Take the free level check and practise speaking out loud with the AI examiner on this site. It is practice, not a SELT.