IELTS Score for the UK PR — Requirements & Points

The minimum you need

The Skilled Worker visa requires CEFR B1 — about IELTS 4.0 in each skill — while some routes and settlement (ILR) require B2.

The competitive (high-points) target

CEFR B2 — about IELTS 5.5–6.0 in each skill — covers most higher requirements, including many study and settlement routes.

Why your score matters

Using the correct UKVI-approved test the first time avoids a rejected application; the wrong IELTS version is a common, costly mistake.

Key tips

You must book IELTS for UKVI (not the standard IELTS) at an approved centre for visa purposes. Confirm the exact CEFR level for your route on GOV.UK.

Practice free for your IELTS

Take full-length, real-timing IELTS mock tests free on LandingPrep — with instant scoring and feedback so you hit your the UK PR target faster. Start a free IELTS mock test →

What decides this in practice

The score tables above are the published requirement. Four things decide whether you actually meet it, and none of them are on the official page.

• The requirement is per skill, not an average. This is the single most common and most expensive misreading. A requirement written as a score "in each" skill means your lowest band is your result — a strong overall average with one weak skill fails, and it fails after you have paid. Prepare to the requirement in your weakest skill and treat the others as already done.
• One retake is normal; plan the calendar for it. Because the bar is per skill, a single weak paper sends people back for a full resit. Build one spare attempt into your timeline from the start rather than discovering you need it against a deadline. Booking is also seasonal, and slots near popular deadlines go first.
• Take the right version of the test. Accepted tests and versions are set by the authority, not the test provider, and the wrong version of the right test is a common and total loss. You must book IELTS for UKVI (not the standard IELTS) at an approved centre for visa purposes. Confirm the exact CEFR level for your route on GOV.UK.
• Verify the number before you book. Requirements here are compiled for comparison and the authorities change them without notice — sometimes mid-year. Confirm the current figure on the official government or registration body's own page at the point you book the test, not at the point you start preparing. That gap is often months.

There are 181 free IELTS practice tests on this site covering 3,850 questions across Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking — counted from the test files themselves, not estimated. Every question is checked before release so its answer key matches an option you can actually select, and no paper can be scored well by picking the same letter throughout. Start a full IELTS mock test →

Figures on this page are indicative and provided for planning. IELTS requirements for the UK are set by the relevant authority and are the only version that counts.