Matt Salusbury gives us the lowdown on Secure English Language Tests

The test centres for SELTs (Secure English Language Tests) taken within the UK have been allowed to re-open in the latest round of coronavirus lockdown ‘easing’. This means that foreign nationals who are already in the UK and need to take a SELT for an upgrade to a visa can now go ahead and take their tests. There’s a list of approved centres, as of 21 May, here.

UK Visas & Immigration warn, however, that “test centres may be subject to change as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.” So, the list of 38 centres in the UK is only a list of those allowed to operate, they haven’t necessarily all reopened yet.

Those taking a SELT in the UK can choose from four approved SELTs test providers. Each provider runs their own test centres and offers exams covering all CEFR levels, from A1 to C2.

As of March this year, the approved providers for the UK are: Trinity College, London, IELTS Consortium, LanguageCert and Pearson Education.

For SELTs test centres outside the UK, re-opening dates depend on which country they are located in, as different national governments are adopting very different regimes. The UK Visas & Immigration list contains 50 pages listing SELTs test centres worldwide, but those wanting to take an exam should check to make sure they are actually open.