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B1 English test: free practice

For British citizenship and settlement (ILR). Checked against GOV.UK on 11 October 2026

The B1 English test is the speaking and listening test for British citizenship and, for now, for settlement (indefinite leave to remain). B1 is intermediate level: you give opinions with reasons, talk about past experiences and future plans, and follow a conversation on familiar subjects. Reading and writing are not tested.

Level
CEFR B1
Skills
Speaking and listening
Valid for
2 years
Taken
At an approved centre

Which B1 test can I take?

There is no single “B1 English test”. For British citizenship and settlement (ILR), a pass at B1 from any approved provider counts the same. Here are the four we have free practice for.

  • Trinity B1 test · GESE Grade 5

    10 minutes with an examiner: a topic you prepare in advance, then a conversation on two subjects. Taken at Trinity centres in the UK.

    3 free practice testsTips

  • IELTS Life Skills B1 · IELTS SELT Consortium

    Up to 22 minutes with an examiner and one other candidate. The result is a pass or a fail.

    8 free practice testsIELTS Life Skills B1 sample questions with answersTips

  • PTE Home B1 · Pearson

    Up to 30 minutes alone at a computer, marked by computer as a pass or a fail. Tasks: repeat sentence, describe image, retell story, story: listen and answer.

    1 free practice testTips

  • LanguageCert B1 · ESOL SELT Achiever

    11 to 13 minutes with one examiner, in four parts, ending with your own talk of up to 90 seconds. The pass mark is 60 out of 100.

    2 free practice testsTips

Not sure which to book? Compare the four tests.

Who needs B1

  • People applying for British citizenship
  • People applying for settlement (ILR) before 26 March 2027
  • Settlement applicants on the routes that stay at B1 after that date

What you must be able to do

  • Give an opinion and a reason for it
  • Talk about past experiences and future plans
  • Take part in a conversation on familiar subjects
  • Follow clear speech on everyday matters and pick out details

B1 English test questions with example answers

These come from our Trinity B1 practice (Grade 5), and the other B1 tests ask about similar subjects. For a full sample test, see the Trinity B1 sample questions or the IELTS Life Skills B1 sample test.

What is the most important festival in your country?
Example answer: The most important festival is Eid. Families visit each other, and we cook a lot of special food.
How will you celebrate the next festival?
Example answer: I think we will go to my brother's house. My mother will cook, and the children will get presents.
Do you prefer travelling by bus or by train?
Example answer: I'd rather travel by train, because it's faster and I can read. Buses are cheaper, though.
How do you think people will travel in the future?
Example answer: I think more people will use electric cars, and there will be fewer petrol stations in our towns.

How to prepare

  1. Check whether you need B1 or B2. B1 is enough for citizenship. For most settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027, the level is B2.
  2. Look for an old certificate first. If a B1 or higher pass was accepted when you settled, you may be able to use it for citizenship without a new test.
  3. Practise opinions with reasons. Answer one opinion question a day out loud, using the four steps in the worked example below.
  4. Talk about your life in different tenses. Where you lived before, what you do now and what you plan next. B1 examiners listen for that range.
  5. Prepare for Life in the UK at the same time. Most settlement and citizenship applications need both tests, so plan them together.

Worked example: giving an opinion at B1

Opinion questions are the clearest difference between B1 and the lower levels. A simple four-step structure keeps the answer organised.

  1. The question

    "Do you think it's better to live in a city or in the countryside?"

  2. 1. Your opinion

    "Personally, I think the city is better for most people, at least while they are working." Answer the question in the first sentence.

  3. 2. A reason

    "The main reason is jobs: there are far more of them, and public transport makes it easier to get to work."

  4. 3. An example

    "For example, when I lived in a village, I needed a car for everything, and it was expensive." A real experience is more convincing than a general statement.

  5. 4. The other side

    "On the other hand, the countryside is quieter and safer for children, so I might move when I retire." Comparing two sides is typical B1 language.

Common mistakes in B1 English tests

B1 examiners listen for a range of tenses and for answers that explain themselves. These are the slips that most often hold people back.

  • Not: "I am living here since 2019."

    Better: "I have lived here since 2019."

    With since and for, use have lived or have been living, because the time runs from the past up to now.

  • Not: "If I will pass, I will apply for citizenship."

    Better: "If I pass, I will apply for citizenship."

    After if, use the present tense, even when you mean the future.

  • Not: "I think yes."

    Better: "I think so."

    English uses so after think, hope and believe to avoid repeating the whole idea.

  • Not: "It depends." (and nothing more)

    Better: "It depends on the person. Families often prefer the suburbs, but students like the centre."

    It depends is a good start, but at B1 it needs to be followed by what it depends on.

  • Not: "The life in UK is expensive."

    Better: "Life in the UK is expensive."

    No the before life in general, but the before UK.

  • Not: "I did a decision to move."

    Better: "I made a decision to move." or "I decided to move."

    English says make a decision, make a mistake and make a plan, but do your best and do homework.

Sample B1 answer, explained

A typical B1 question: "Tell me about a skill you would like to learn, and why."

I'd really like to learn to drive. At the moment I depend on buses, and where I live they only run once an hour, so getting to work on time is difficult. I've had two lessons already, but I stopped last year because they were quite expensive. I'm planning to start again in the spring, once I've saved enough money. I think being able to drive would make a big difference to my family, because we could visit my sister in Wales more often. It would also help me look for better jobs, since many of them are outside the town centre.

Why it works

  • It answers both parts of the question, the skill and the reason, in the first two sentences.
  • Several tenses appear naturally: the present for now, I've had for experience, the past for what happened, and I'm planning to for the future.
  • So, because, once and since each link a cause and a result.
  • Would make a big difference talks about an imagined result, which is typical of B1.
  • Everything is personal and specific, so it sounds like a real answer rather than one learned by heart.

Questions

What questions are asked in the B1 English test?
Questions on everyday subjects at B1 level, for example "What is the most important festival in your country?" or "How will you celebrate the next festival?" This page shows more examples with example answers, and each approved test above has free practice with full sets of questions.
What is the B1 English test for citizenship?
It is a speaking and listening test at CEFR level B1, taken at an approved centre. The Home Office accepts B1 tests from several providers, including IELTS Life Skills B1, PTE Home B1, Trinity GESE Grade 5 and LanguageCert B1.
Is the B1 English test hard?
It is intermediate level. You do not need perfect grammar, but you do need to speak in full sentences, give reasons and keep a conversation going. People who practise the format out loud usually find it manageable.
Which B1 English test is easiest?
None is officially easier, since all are set at B1, but they ask for different things. Trinity GESE Grade 5 starts with a topic you prepare in advance. LanguageCert B1 has a discussion task and a talk of a minute and a half. PTE Home B1 has four task types on a computer, and IELTS Life Skills B1 is taken with another candidate.
Do I need B2 instead of B1?
For most settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027, yes. Applications made before that date need B1, and the rule change makes no change to citizenship.
Do I need the Life in the UK test as well?
Usually, yes. Settlement and citizenship applications normally need both proof of English and a pass in the Life in the UK test.
My B1 certificate has expired. Can I still use it?
Sometimes. GOV.UK says that for citizenship you can use a B1 or higher qualification that has run out if it was accepted when you settled in the UK. For settlement, an expired one can be used only if it is on the current list of approved tests and was accepted for an earlier UK immigration application.
Who does not need the B1 test?
GOV.UK lists people aged 65 or over, people with a long-term physical or mental condition that prevents them, and nationals of some countries, such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA. Irish nationals are exempt for citizenship only. A degree taught or researched in English can be used instead of a test.

Other levels and tests

Official sources

TestWise Prep is independent and is not connected to the Home Office or to any test provider. This page is general information, not immigration advice. Rules change, so read the GOV.UK page for your own route before you book.