Two different clocks
People ask "how long is the B1 test valid" and get two answers, both true.
Trinity's answer: forever. A Trinity certificate is a record of an exam you passed and does not expire.
The Home Office's answer: for a new application, the SELT must have been taken no more than two years before the date of application. Appendix KoLL says so for settlement; the nationality guidance applies the same two years for citizenship. Trinity itself recommended the two-year limit to the Home Office for security reasons.
So the certificate lasts, the right to use it for a first application does not.
When an old B1 can still be used
GOV.UK sets out two reuse rules.
Applying for citizenship. You can use a B1, B2, C1 or C2 qualification that has run out if it was accepted when you settled. It does not matter if the test is no longer on the approved list, and you do not take another test. This is the normal case: most partners settle with a Grade 5 pass and naturalise a year or more later on the same pass.
Applying for settlement. You can use a qualification that has run out if it is on the current approved list and it was accepted for an earlier UK immigration application, for example when you were granted the visa. Appendix KoLL adds one condition: the provider must still be approved at the date you apply. Before 26 March 2027 the earlier qualification must have been at B1 or above; from that date, at B2 or above. A B1 that got you your visa therefore stops being reusable for settlement on the family and work routes from 26 March 2027, because the level you now need is B2, not because the certificate aged.
Worked examples
| Situation | Need a new test? |
|---|---|
| Passed Grade 5 in 2024, settled in 2025 on it, applying for citizenship in 2027 | No. Reuse it. |
| Passed Grade 5 in 2023 for a visa, applying for settlement in January 2027 | No. Earlier B1 reused, provider still approved. |
| Passed Grade 5 in 2023 for a visa, applying for settlement in April 2027 on the partner route | Yes, and at B2. The route now needs B2. |
| Passed Grade 5 in 2023 for a visa, applying for settlement in April 2027 on the BN(O) route | No. BN(O) stays at B1 and the earlier B1 is reused. |
| Passed Grade 5 three years ago, never used it in any application, applying for citizenship now | Yes. Over two years and never accepted before. |
| Settled as a refugee with no English test, applying for citizenship | Yes, at B1. Nothing to reuse. |
| Passed IELTS for UKVI at B2 in 2022 for a Skilled Worker visa, applying for settlement in May 2027 | No, if IELTS for UKVI is still approved. B2 or above reused. |
Does a B2 pass "cover" B1?
Yes. The requirement is a level or above. A B2 pass used for a visa or settlement serves for citizenship too. If you have time, sitting B2 now rather than B1 removes the risk of needing a second test if your settlement date slips past 26 March 2027 on a route that moves to B2. Which routes those are.
Proving a reused qualification
Give the unique reference number from the certificate or results email in the application form. If the test was accepted in an earlier application, say so in the form; the caseworker can see the earlier grant. Keep the old results email: Trinity's digital certificate link does not expire, but the email is the quickest proof you have.
If you are not sure
Count backwards two years from the date you plan to submit. A test taken inside that window is always fine. A test outside it is fine only under the reuse rules above. If your case is not in the table, the free B1 or B2 checker works through route, date and exemptions, and tells you the level you must prove.