Do you need the Life in the UK test for ILR (settlement)?

Do you need the Life in the UK test to settle on a Skilled Worker visa?

If you’re 18 to 64 you’ll need to book and pass the Life in the UK Test

Indefinite leave to remain is how you settle in the UK. It’s also called ‘settlement’. It gives you the right to live, work and study here for as long as you like

That GOV.UK page is the settlement page for Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, T2 and Tier 2 visa holders, and it names some other work visas too. The steps in order are in the table further down. On English, the same page says:

You do not need to prove you meet the English language requirements when you apply to settle using your Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, T2 or Tier 2 visa. This is because you did this when you applied for your visa.

Where the test sits on the way from Skilled Worker visa to settlement

These are the steps that touch the test, in order, each in GOV.UK’s words. Step 1 is today’s rule; the Earned Settlement response further down plans changes to the qualifying period. Salary and time-in-the-UK rules are on the Skilled Worker settlement page.

If you are still on a Skilled Worker visa and looking for your next sponsored role, our visa sponsorship jobs list shows roles at employers we match to the Home Office register of licensed sponsors.

Who in your family needs to pass it?

In short: if you are the main applicant aged 18 to 64, you need the test but do not prove your English again. A partner aged 18 to 64, and a child aged 18 or over on your application, need both the test and the English requirement. Older children have their own conditions on GOV.UK’s family members page.

When you do not need to take the test

You do not need to take the test if you:

• “are under 18”
• “are 65 or over”
• “have passed it before - for example, if you’re applying to become a citizen and already passed it as part of your settlement application”
• “have a long-term physical or mental condition - you must provide either an exemption form or a letter from a doctor confirming your physical or mental condition”

What the test is: questions, time and pass mark

ILR test practice: the official guide, practice app and e-learning

You’ll only be tested on information from the official Guide for New Residents. You should study it to prepare for the test.

The Guide for New Residents is available as a book, an eBook or in audio formats. You can also get a Life in the UK test e-learning subscription or download the official Life in the UK test practice app.

In short: the questions come only from the official Guide for New Residents, so that is what the test is set from. GOV.UK names it as a book, eBook or audio, plus an e-learning subscription and the official practice app, and its test page links the official Life in the UK Test shop that sells them. This page has no practice test.

GOV.UK: Life in the UK Test (links the official guide, e-learning and practice app shop)

How to book, and the ID that has to match

You must book your test online at least 3 days in advance. It costs £50.

You need all of the following to book a test: email address debit or credit card an accepted form of ID The name you give on your test booking must be an exact match with the name on the ID you use to book the test.

If you have an eVisa (a digital record of your identity and immigration status), you should use a share code to book the test.

If you do not have an eVisa (or cannot access it), you can use one of the following forms of ID to book the test: valid passport valid ID card from the EU, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway valid travel document with a photo (you cannot use an emergency travel document)

GOV.UK’s list also includes a biometric residence permit (BRP) or biometric residence card (BRC), with this condition:

your test must be no later than 24 months after the expiry date printed on the card or before 31 December 2026, whichever comes first

In short: a test booked with a BRP or BRC must be before 31 December 2026, and no later than 24 months after the card’s printed expiry date if that date comes first.

You must use ID with a photo that looks like you.

You must bring the same ID that you used to book the test. This must be your original ID, not a copy or screenshot.

In short: book online at least 3 days ahead with an email address, a debit or credit card and accepted ID whose name exactly matches your booking. With an eVisa, you use a share code. On the day, you bring the same original ID you booked with.

GOV.UK: book the Life in the UK Test

After you pass: the reference number your application needs

You’ll get a ‘unique reference number’. You’ll need this number to complete your citizenship or settlement application. The Home Office will use it to check that you’ve passed.

In short: when you pass you get a unique reference number. Your settlement application needs it, and the Home Office uses it to check that you passed.

If you took your test before 17 December 2019, you’ll have a letter with a ‘test reference ID’ instead of a unique reference number.

GOV.UK’s Life in the UK Test pages state no expiry date for a pass.

If you fail, cancel or cannot attend

You can rebook the test as many times as you need. You’ll have to pay each time.

You’ll get a refund if you cancel your test at least 3 days (72 hours) before you’re due to take the test. You will not get a refund if you cancel or rearrange within 3 days of your test.

Does the test stay under Earned Settlement?

Earned Settlement is the government’s planned new framework for how people qualify to settle. Its response to the consultation, A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, was published on GOV.UK in November 2026. On the test and English, it says:

The same response covers other settlement rules, including the qualifying period and transitional arrangements for some groups. They are outside this page; the response is linked in the sources.

Common questions