Onterra TutorUK Skilled Worker visa: the English requirement
If you are applying for a Skilled Worker visa with a deadline attached, the question is which level the Home Office wants and which proof it accepts. Everything below was read from the official GOV.UK pages on 8 October 2026 and is linked, because this rule changes and the official page always wins.
What the official page says
| Level required | B2 on the CEFR scale |
| Proof, route 1 | A Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider, passed at a level showing you can read, write, speak and understand English to at least B2 |
| Proof, route 2 | A GCSE, A level, Scottish National Qualification level 4 or 5, or Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English |
| Proof, route 3 | A degree-level qualification both taught in English and awarded by a UK institution |
| Proof, route 4 | A degree from outside the UK, with an Ecctis assessment that it is equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree or higher and was taught in English |
| Exempt by nationality | Citizens of 18 listed countries and territories, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA |
| Exempt by profession | Doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives and vets who have already passed an English assessment accepted by their regulated professional body |
Read on 8 October 2026 from https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/knowledge-of-english. Rules change: if the official page now says something different, it is right and this page is out of date.
What score meets B2?
The page that sets the level does not give a score. The Home Office publishes, for every approved test, the minimum grade that counts as B2 in a list of approved secure English language tests (one list for tests taken in the UK, one for tests taken outside it). That list was updated on 5 October 2026 according to the GOV.UK page that links it. We do not restate a grade from memory here: open the list and read the line for the test you are booking.
Where practice fits
Practice does not replace an approved test, and a practice score on this site is never accepted as proof by anyone. What it does is show you, before you pay for the real sitting, whether you are close to the level the list asks for in each of the four skills.
Questions about this answer
What English level does the Skilled Worker visa need?
B2 on the CEFR scale, read, write, speak and understand, when you prove it with a Secure English Language Test. GOV.UK page read on 8 October 2026.
Can I prove it without taking a test?
Yes, in four other ways: a UK school qualification in English, a UK degree taught in English, a non-UK degree with an Ecctis assessment, or a listed nationality. Check the official page for the full conditions.
Where is the minimum test score for B2?
In the Home Office list of approved secure English language tests, which gives the CEFR level and minimum grade for each test. It is linked on this page.
Official sources
GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa, knowledge of English → GOV.UK: prove your English with a secure English language test → Our UK work visa summary →Onterra Tutor is an independent practice tool. It is not affiliated with the UK government, the NMC, or any exam board, and a practice score here is not accepted as proof of English by any of them.