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Hi all.
iam about to apply to naturalisation and just wanted to ask if my esol certificate should be accepted from 2008. there is no expiry date for esop. i had my test in 2008 and somehow kept it with me and now want to apply with this one. do you think it will be sufficient as i t meets the language level. i took the test from south thames college in london but i am not sure if it s approved one so i am a bit confused how to check and if home office will be happy with it. please advice me if any of you used an old esol certificate or know anything about this .thanks a lot

masterofpuppets wrote:Hi all.
iam about to apply to naturalisation and just wanted to ask if my esol certificate should be accepted from 2008. there is no expiry date for esop. i had my test in 2008 and somehow kept it with me and now want to apply with this one. do you think it will be sufficient as i t meets the language level. i took the test from south thames college in london but i am not sure if it s approved one so i am a bit confused how to check and if home office will be happy with it. please advice me if any of you used an old esol certificate or know anything about this .thanks a lot

You can click here to see list of approved English test centres.

Ensure that the awarding body is on the approved list as provided in the link above.

The qualification should be at least at ESOL Entry Level 3 or higher in order to meet the English B1 required level of the CEFR.

WR1 wrote:Ensure that the awarding body is on the approved list as provided in the link above.

The qualification should be at least at ESOL Entry Level 3 or higher in order to meet the English B1 required level of the CEFR.

thanks for reply. its cambridge english esol entry level 3 which i was given in 2008 already so i just want to use it for the application. it seems i can use it which doesn't expire it says on the HO list. but just wanted to check with someone who is more knowledgable here.

I see there are only 3 awarded ones but i got my one from south thames college in 2008 do u guys think it is still acceptable. I dont really understand what HO accepts .

masterofpuppets wrote:

WR1 wrote:Ensure that the awarding body is on the approved list as provided in the link above.

The qualification should be at least at ESOL Entry Level 3 or higher in order to meet the English B1 required level of the CEFR.

thanks for reply. its cambridge english esol entry level 3 which i was given in 2008 already so i just want to use it for the application. it seems i can use it which doesn't expire it says on the HO list. but just wanted to check with someone who is more knowledgable here.

I see there are only 3 awarded ones but i got my one from south thames college in 2008 do u guys think it is still acceptable. I dont really understand what HO accepts .

What I think is that you should check awarding institution in link, if its not in the list, I'd not risk 906 £ and would sit in another English exam.

I dont wanna risk money thats why trying to find out info But the thing is those awarded places are in and out bynthe time and if my college was in the awarded list in 2008 it must be acceptable however i have no idea how to check that.

I was just checking for awarding bodies here https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... c_2014.pdf and can see its 6 awarded bodies in the list and includes cambdridge english with qualification esol entry level 3 . What i understand i can use my certificate then. Can anyone advice me if I think correct or false?

masterofpuppets wrote:I was just checking for awarding bodies here https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... c_2014.pdf and can see its 6 awarded bodies in the list and includes cambdridge english with qualification esol entry level 3 . What i understand i can use my certificate then. Can anyone advice me if I think correct or false?

The link I gave was for the pdf file there on gov uk site (subject to change) with table therein, the names in X-axis (horizontal) are recognised qualifications for English, in Y-axis (vertical) are awarding bodies.

And also, I guessed and looked up the qualification nearest to your description, (in your quote in bold) i.e. Cambridge English Entry Level Award In ESOL Skills for Life (speaking and listening) (Entry 3) (QCF) and I have also looked for in this link a college matching your description, by choosing location and exam according to my guess above:

South Thames College (11056)
Wandsworth Centre
Wandsworth High Street
London
SW18 2PP
UNITED KINGDOM
Contact: Iris Carey
Phone: 020 8918 7777
Email: eis@south-thames.ac.uk
Website: http://www.south-thames.ac.uk

If this above is your criteria then since you took exam in 2008, then according to the same pdf link on page 10, you need following:

For tests taken before 6
April 2013: Certificate,
Statement of Results for each
component (reading, writing,
speaking, listening), Name of
test centre

with your application.

Please verify the text on your certificate you have, college name and address etc. etc. before applying.
Good luck.

Thanks for the explanation. The things is i only have speaking and listening no reading or bwriting and place of entry it says london no college name . but i have some ref. numbers on it college my reference no.
Do u think its complicated and useless or i should take anothet exam which i dont want waste money and no time at all. Or maybe i should use NCS they can advice me.

masterofpuppets wrote:Thanks for the explanation. The things is i only have speaking and listening no reading or bwriting and place of entry it says london no college name . but i have some ref. numbers on it college my reference no.
Do u think its complicated and useless or i should take anothet exam which i dont want waste money and no time at all. Or maybe i should use NCS they can advice me.

You can contact Ofqual through this link directly and ask by giving your full certificate details, or use NCS. Personally even after all the guesses and your replies, I would not recommend using something that, which by your reply, you yourself are not sure if it is valid. I'd simply sit GESE or ESOL exam and be done with it.
Good luck.

masterofpuppets wrote:Thanks for the explanation. The things is i only have speaking and listening no reading or bwriting and place of entry it says london no college name . but i have some ref. numbers on it college my reference no.
Do u think its complicated and useless or i should take anothet exam whicionsh i dont want waste money and no time at all. Or maybe i should use NCS they can advice me.

Cambridge is a widely recognised awarding body and accepted by the Home Office; ESOL SfL Entry Level 3 is on the list of approved qualifications. It has no expiry date so can be used from 2008 as long as it stays on the list of acceptable qualifications by the Home Office.

You do not need reading and writing, only the Speaking and Listening elements as this is the same case for spouse visa, ILR and BC. In case you missed it, it states on the above qualification list on the first page:

If you intend to apply under the settlement route you must provide evidence that you have passed the speaking and listening components of a test at level B1 or above. You do not need to demonstrate reading and writing skills. Where a test examines all four components (speaking, listening, reading and writing) you do not need to pass the reading and writing components, you only need to evidence passing the speaking and listening components.

Don't worry too much. My other half sat exactly the same test in September 2014 (Cambridge ESOL Skills for Life Entry Level 3) speaking & listening only and we are due to apply for ILR this summer. The place of entry just states UK and it has no name of where the test was sat. It does have details of candidate identifier, reference number and accredication number which is where the Home Office can get all the details from. That's just the format of the Cambridge certificate. Your certificate is fine to use for BC.

Nice to hear that if i can use it. Its recognised cambridge esol entry level by home office . My concern is it states exams taken before 2013 need statement of result of each component( reading,listeing,writing,speaking) but exams taken after 2013 only speaking and listening.
Yes you are right settlement does not require writing and reading but i am applying for BC . Is it same thing as settlement as i have no idea about that.

masterofpuppets wrote:Nice to hear that if i can use it. Its recognised cambridge esol entry level by home office . My concern is it states exams taken before 2013 need statement of result of each component( reading,listeing,writing,speaking) but exams taken after 2013 only speaking and listening.
Yes you are right settlement does not require writing and reading but i am applying for BC . Is it same thing as settlement as i have no idea about that.

Settlement is visa (outside EEA) or a PR card/Treaty etc for EEA, and Citizenship is a privilege not a right. But English requirement for Citizenship is same as Settlement i.e ILR visa.

I forgot to ask, did you use ESOL etc for Settlement as well?

fwd079 wrote:

masterofpuppets wrote:Nice to hear that if i can use it. Its recognised cambridge esol entry level by home office . My concern is it states exams taken before 2013 need statement of result of each component( reading,listeing,writing,speaking) but exams taken after 2013 only speaking and listening.
Yes you are right settlement does not require writing and reading but i am applying for BC . Is it same thing as settlement as i have no idea about that.

Settlement is visa (outside EEA) or a PR card/Treaty etc for EEA, and Citizenship is a privilege not a right. But English requirement for Citizenship is same as Settlement i.e ILR visa.

I forgot to ask, did you use ESOL etc for Settlement as well?

I am an EEU citizen. self employed person and no PR card as i am gonna send my self assessment papers . i ve been in the uk for last 8 years. so in this case you say i can use my certificate without writing and reading components.

masterofpuppets wrote: I am an EEU citizen. self employed person and no PR card as i am gonna send my self assessment papers . i ve been in the uk for last 8 years. so in this case you say i can use my certificate without writing and reading components.

Like I said personally I'd not go for it.
But, HO requires listening and speaking only, if your certificate says so and your test name matches the guesses I made above, then use NCS and confirm, or contact cambridge english with your reference etc as I suggested already, as the time we took talking about it, you'd have a new one taken already and that's what I would've done.

Good luck.

Thanks fir suggestion. Im not in rush. Just want to use my certificate which i already have. Its cambridge english esol entry level so all suits HO requirement. I was hoping if anyone has been through the same situation can be helpful.
Maybe better to contact HO but im not sure if they answer the quuestions with honest.

Can anyone let me know if a naturalazition as a kind of settlement route. Thanks

masterofpuppets wrote:Thanks fir suggestion. Im not in rush. Just want to use my certificate which i already have. Its cambridge english esol entry level so all suits HO requirement. I was hoping if anyone has been through the same situation can be helpful.
Maybe better to contact HO but im not sure if they answer the quuestions with honest.

Can anyone let me know if a naturalazition as a kind of settlement route. Thanks

Did you mean how to become a citizen through Settlement?

fwd079 wrote:

masterofpuppets wrote:Thanks fir suggestion. Im not in rush. Just want to use my certificate which i already have. Its cambridge english esol entry level so all suits HO requirement. I was hoping if anyone has been through the same situation can be helpful.
Maybe better to contact HO but im not sure if they answer the quuestions with honest.

Can anyone let me know if a naturalazition as a kind of settlement route. Thanks

Did you mean how to become a citizen through Settlement?

Yes to become a citizen. As im eeu citizen without PR however applying for citizenship as a PR holder which i will send my papers.
So becoming citizen through PR option . does it count settlement route.

masterofpuppets wrote:

fwd079 wrote:

masterofpuppets wrote:Thanks fir suggestion. Im not in rush. Just want to use my certificate which i already have. Its cambridge english esol entry level so all suits HO requirement. I was hoping if anyone has been through the same situation can be helpful.
Maybe better to contact HO but im not sure if they answer the quuestions with honest.

Can anyone let me know if a naturalazition as a kind of settlement route. Thanks

Did you mean how to become a citizen through Settlement?

Yes to become a citizen. As im eeu citizen without PR however applying for citizenship as a PR holder which i will send my papers.
So becoming citizen through PR option . does it count settlement route.

No, settlement is ILR. You already have PR (having acquired automatically after 5 years of exercising Treaty Rights - you just don't have the document certifying such permanent residence), i.e. you are already settled. You're only applying for citizenship, hence you can use your expired certificate. From https://www.gov.uk/english-language:

Approved English language qualifications
You can prove your knowledge of English by having an English level B1, B2, C1 or C2 level qualification that’s one of the following:

• an ESOL qualification at Entry 3 or higher (eg Level 1 or 2) on the Ofqual register taken in England, Wales or Northern Ireland
• an ESOL qualification at Scottish Qualifications Framework levels 4, 5 or 6 awarded by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and taken in Scotland
• on the Home Office’s list of recognised English tests and qualifications

Some qualifications on the Home Office’s list will expire after 2 years. Your qualification will still be accepted as proof if you’re applying for citizenship, even if it has expired.

it has no expiry date says booklet for esol entry level certificates so in this case i only need to show them my speaking and listening certificate they do not require writing and reading component. am i right, please advice me.

You do not need reading and writing and this has never ever been the requirement. Only speaking and listening.

The requirement for English Language for BC only came into effect on 28 October 2013. Prior to this date, you only needed the Life in the UK test.

You are fine with your current certificate. If this is bugging you too much, then you are free to sit another test, but as mentioned, the certificate from 2008 will do.

WR1 wrote:You do not need reading and writing and this has never ever been the requirement. Only speaking and listening.

The requirement for English Language for BC only came into effect on 28 October 2013. Prior to this date, you only needed the Life in the UK test.

You are fine with your current certificate. If this is bugging you too much, then you are free to sit another test, but as mentioned, the certificate from 2008 will do.

Im more clear in mind now. Thanks a lot. I was just trying to make sure before waste my money as it doesnt grow on a tree

Sorry I dont know much about EEA etc so I gave FAQ link where seniors have compiled very nice information.
Anyway I'm glad you are finally satisfied now, I have never seen someone so worried about English test, but this case has made me look at a lot of different matters too, which will help me in a future scenario. So all's well in the end and good luck to your application.