Explainer: What does IELTS stands for and its importance

In people’s quest to pursue higher heights abroad either through school or work, it is imperative to know what entails in the above headline. UKVI IELTS is an acronym that stands for United Kingdom Visas and Immigration (UKVI) International English Language Testing Systems.

As the name implies, this test is for candidates who want to migrate through school or work to United Kingdom (U.K.) specifically.

This IELTS is approved by the Secure English Language Tests (SELT) by the UK Home Office for visa applications for the UK. IELTS for UKVI Academic and General Training and IELTS Life Skills are the various categories.

IELTS for UKVI (Academic): This test is for test takers wishing to study at the Undergraduate or postgraduate levels, and for those seeking professional registration in the UK.

IELTS for UKVI (General Training): This test is for test takers wishing to migrate to the UK and for those wishing to train or study below degree level. So, if you are a Nurse, Doctor, Teacher, IT technician or any other professional wishing to migrate to the UK are advised to write this category of exams.

IELTS Life Skills B1: This test is for those who need to prove their English Speaking and Listening skills as part of their application to UK Visas and Immigration for Citizenship or Settlement (also known as indefinite leave to remain) visas. With this category, if your husband or wife living in the UK wants you to join him, this is the category of exams that you have to write.

All these categories of UKVI IELTS come with specific fees charged by the British Council. Reading materials are available online and audio and video contents are also on Youtube that can help you ace any of these exams with ease.

The basic difference between the UKVI and the Standard IELTS is that the Standard is accepted worldwide for academic and migration purposes whilst the UKVI is for United Kingdom visas and immigration only.

It is sometimes advisable to also attend classes with British Council-accredited institutions