The English ladder on the partner route
A partner of a British citizen or settled person goes through three English tests on the five-year route, and from 26 March 2027 the top of the ladder moves up a level.
| Stage | When | Level now | Level from 26 March 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry clearance or first leave | at the start | A1 speaking and listening | A1 |
| Extension (further leave to remain) | after 2.5 years | A2 speaking and listening | A2 |
| Settlement (ILR) | after 5 years | B1 speaking and listening | B2 speaking and listening |
| Citizenship | 12 months after ILR, or sooner if married to a British citizen | B1 | B1 |
Trinity's SELT for each step is GESE Grade 2 (A1), Grade 3 (A2), Grade 5 (B1) and, from late 2026, Grade 7 (B2). All are speaking and listening only, one examiner, one candidate.
Why this hurts partners more than anyone
Partners are the one group that was never asked for a degree, a job offer or a prior English test above A1 to come to the UK. Many arrive with little English, pass A2 and B1 with a few months of lessons each time, and plan their life around the five-year timeline. B2 is a different kind of exam. At Grade 5 the examiner asks and you answer. At Grade 7 you have to lead for two of the three phases, give opinions and reasons, and handle a conversation where the examiner interrupts and asks you to explain.
The gap from a fresh B1 to a safe B2 pass is, for most adults, six to twelve months of regular speaking practice. Starting the week after your B1 certificate arrives is not too early.
Who on the partner route is caught
Anyone whose settlement application is submitted on or after 26 March 2027 under Appendix Settlement Family Life, unless exempt. That includes people who arrived in 2022 and reach five years in April 2027 or later. It also includes people on the ten-year partner route who reach settlement after that date.
Exemptions still apply: under 18 or 65 and over, a national of a majority English-speaking country, a degree taught in English, or a long-term condition. See exemptions. A partner from Nigeria, Pakistan, India or the Philippines without a degree is not exempt.
Dates: can you get in before 26 March 2027?
You can submit the settlement application up to 28 days before your qualifying period ends. Work out your five years from the grant date of your first partner visa. If the earliest submission date is before 26 March 2027 and you can have every document ready, B1 is enough. If it is after, or if it is close and you depend on a late payslip or a certificate in the post, plan for B2. The free B1 or B2 tool does the arithmetic.
A B2 pass also satisfies B1, so preparing for B2 can never hurt your application.
Which B2 test should a partner take
Wait for Trinity GESE Grade 7 if your dates allow. It is the only B2 SELT that tests speaking and listening alone, in a 15-minute conversation, and it continues the exam format you already know from Grades 3 and 5. The B2 alternatives on the approved list today (Trinity ISE II, IELTS for UKVI, LanguageCert B2, PTE Academic UKVI) all include reading and writing, which is a much bigger task for someone who learned English by speaking. See Trinity against the others.
How to prepare, in order
- Learn the format, as well as the English. Grade 7 has a Topic phase you prepare at home, an Interactive phase you lead, and a Conversation phase on two of six set subjects. Read the format page.
- Choose and build your topic early. The Topic form examples show what works.
- Practise speaking for 15 minutes at a stretch, out loud, several times a week. Short answers are what fail B2 candidates, not grammar they never learned.
- Learn the six conversation subjects with the Grade 7 grammar: used to, would, should, might, advantages and disadvantages. Each subject has its own page under the conversation phase.
- Sit mock exams and get marked against the four Trinity criteria, so you know whether you would pass or fail before you pay £160 or more for the real one.