Migrants will be forced to pass this test to enter the UK, but the question is – can you?

Earlier this month, the UK government unveiled plans that will see migrants forced to pass an A-level English language test before they get their visas.

For a moment, let’s just pretend that all natural-born Brits can actually speak proper English. In keeping with that trend, Keir Starmer’s sad excuse for a left-wing government shared plans for migrants seeking skilled worker or scale-up visas. Those migrants will be forced to reach a B2 level in the English language, a jump up from the GCSE-levels required before.

“This country has always welcomed those who come to this country and contribute. But it is unacceptable for migrants to come here without learning our language, unable to contribute to our national life,” Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said. “If you come to this country, you must learn our language and play your part.”

The plans are set to be implemented in the first week of January 2026, but a journalist has whipped up a practice test for us all. Let’s see how you do, and beware, I will be reporting any failures to the Home Office for immediate deportation.

Can you pass the English test for migrants? I couldn’t

Sophia Smith Galer is a well-known British journalist with a huge TikTok following, largely using her platform to talk about current events with a viral twist. In a TikTok last week, she gave her followers a taste of what migrants will be forced to endure, and it proves just how ridiculous the English test really is.

“Could you pass the same English language test that skilled migrants to the UK are going to need to do next year? Let’s find out with this ‘quizplainer’, where you get both a cheeky quiz and the news,” she said.

@sophiasmithgaler

Could you pass this test? From January 2026, migrants applying for skilled and scale-up visas will need higher-level English — B2 instead of B1. That’s roughly moving from GCSE to A-level. It’s a policy the government says will “raise standards,” but some sectors like care and manufacturing say it’ll make hiring harder. So, could you pass the same test they’ll have to take? #language #uk

♬ original sound – Sophia Smith Galer

Here are the questions for you:

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1. Sir Keir Starmer is changing the rules for immigration, but what tense am I speaking to you in? What tense am I saying these words in?
2. Those applying for skilled worker, scale-up, and high-potential individuals visas are having the language requirement raised. Raised up from B1, which is about GCSE, to B2, which is A-Level standard. To “raise up” is a particular kind of expression in English. I want you to give me its special name.
3. The government said its new visa rules will mean there will be “100,000 less people every year in the UK.” Or should that be 100,000 fewer people in the UK? Is it less or fewer?
4. One could argue this was a “reform-driven policy change.” Hang on a second, I’ve missed something there. What did I forget to write?
5. This could make it harder to recruit for what some people call middle-skilled level jobs. For example, in roles like care and manufacturing, employers have only expected level B1. Their staff obviously need half-decent language, as well as training and experience. In this context, if someone has training and experience, are these countable nouns or uncountable nouns?

This is only a snapshot of what migrants will have to prove.

'Migrants' will need A-level English to live in the UK, where 50% fail an English GCSE….

Yes that makes sense to a fool.

— Dr Ruby (she/her) jaboukies everything (@PaperWhispers) October 14, 2025

Here are the answers to the English test

Okay, so you’re still scratching your head, aren’t you? I certainly was, despite my A-level English and degree. Here are the correct answers, as explained by Sophia in her video:

1. Present continuous. If you only said present, this would be incorrect, as B2 level speakers will be expected to know the difference between the present continuous tense and the present simple tense.
2. Phrasal verb. A phrasal verb is a verb plus a preposition, and the English language is full of them, so learners have to spend a lot of time learning about them.
3. Fewer. Less is used for uncountable nouns, while fewer is used for countable nouns.
4. A hyphen. “Reform-driven policy change.” Every B2 learner would know that you need to put a hyphen in a compound adjective.
5. In this context, they are uncountable. Someone wouldn’t say they have “lots of trainings and experiences.”

If people want to settle in the UK, they must be able to integrate and contribute to society.

Migrants must now demonstrate an A-Level equivalent standard in speaking, listening, reading and writing.

— Home Office (@ukhomeoffice) October 14, 2025

The topic of immigration is incredibly divisive right now, and while most people seem to agree that the system is broken, why are we requiring migrants to pass an A-level English test? Only 57k students took A-level English in 2025, so by the government’s own requirements, millions upon millions of people don’t have the required understanding of English to live and work here.

And that isn’t to say it’s shameful if you don’t know the difference between the present tense and the present continuous. Much like trigonometry, the debate around Pluto being a planet, and the life cycle of a fruit fly – not everything you learn in school is practical knowledge for the outside world.

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Featured image credit:  Thomas Krych/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock and Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto/Shutterstock