Confirmed: two test configurations
The service specification calls for a Speaking and Listening test and a four-skill Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing test.
Home Office English Language Test
The HOELT, without the guesswork.
The UK Home Office is procuring a new English test for immigration. The contract is real. The final exam is not public yet. This hub separates the tender documents and government statements from the rumours.
HOELT resource centre
Three guides. Three different questions.
The format guide is for applicants. The IELTS comparison explains what may change. The tender guide follows the contract, the known players and the next decision date.
Guide 01
Read the complete HOELT guide
What is the HOELT?
Format, skills, CEFR levels, delivery, launch date, cost and the details that remain unconfirmed.
Guide 02
Compare HOELT and IELTS
Is HOELT replacing IELTS?
What the new Home Office test may change for UK visa applications, and what it does not change about IELTS elsewhere.
Guide 03
Follow the tender
Who will build the HOELT?
The £816 million procurement, BAFO, the scoring rules, confirmed public interest and the November award target.
Confirmed vs unknown
What is public today.
The procurement says a surprising amount about the service. It says much less about the candidate experience. No official sample questions, prices or score reports have been released.
Confirmed: remote testing is central
The Home Office requires remote delivery rather than a standard test-centre network. The tender allows bidders to propose exceptions where local law or technology makes remote testing impossible.
Confirmed: the Home Office will own the test
The department is moving away from relying only on externally owned SELTs. The supplier will build and operate a Home Office-owned testing service.
Confirmed: quality counts more than price
The published award criteria give quality a 60% weighting and price 40%.
Unknown: the exact question types
No official item types, sample tasks, timings or scoring rubrics have been published for candidates.
Unknown: candidate fees
The £816 million figure is the estimated contract value. It is not the price of one HOELT booking.
Unknown: the final transition rules
The Home Office has not published a date when current SELTs would stop being accepted or how existing results would be handled.
Unknown: the winning bidder
Public reporting has discussed Duolingo and the IELTS consortium's withdrawal. The Home Office has not published a final bidder list.
“At first, the HOELT is likely to be used only for immigration purposes. It probably won't be used for university admissions.”
“The Home Office has indicated that there will be both a four-skill version and a two-skill version (as required).”
“This will be a fully-remote test. That means it will be taken at home, rather than at a test center.”
Goodine gave PrepEx these comments on 20 July 2026. The tender confirms the two formats and remote model. Final route coverage has not been published.
Procurement timeline
The dates to watch.
A contract start is not the same as a public launch. Procurement, test development, piloting, security validation and rollout sit between those dates.
Tender notice published
The Home Office published the current HOELT services procurement notice.
BAFO deadline
Bidders were scheduled to submit their Best and Final Offers.
Planned award decision
The procurement timetable targets this date for the contract award decision.
Expected implementation
This is the public implementation window given in a ministerial answer, not a confirmed booking date.
Quick answers
HOELT FAQ.
These answers reflect documents available on 20 July 2026. The Home Office can change the timetable and scope during procurement and implementation.
What does HOELT stand for?
Home Office English Language Test. The procurement is formally for “HOELT Services”.
Can I book the HOELT?
No. There is no public HOELT booking service yet. Use the current GOV.UK SELT guidance.
Will it be taken at home?
Remote testing is central to the planned service. The final rules for rooms, identity checks, devices and remote proctoring are not public.
Is Cambridge trying to stop it?
Cambridge is part of the IELTS consortium, which withdrew from the procurement over remote-test security concerns. We found no announced Cambridge court action against HOELT.
Primary sources
Read the documents.
PrepEx will update this hub when the Home Office names a supplier, publishes the test specification or releases candidate guidance.
UK tender notice
HOELT Services, notice 001247-2026. Scope, value, award criteria and procurement dates.
Current UK visa guidance
Prove your English language abilities with a SELT. Use this until new rules are published.
IELTS withdrawal statement
IELTS withdraws from the HOELT tender. The consortium's stated remote-security concerns.
Government implementation statement
Ministerial comments reported by PublicTechnology. Includes the late-2027/early-2028 window.