English quiz new skilled migrants in UK must pass is too hard for most Brits

In 2026, skilled migrants coming to the UK will need to speak English to an A-Level standard – but a mock quiz online has proven that many native Brits can’t answer the questions

It was announced this week that some migrants coming to the UK in 2026 will need to demonstrate they can speak English to an A-Level standard before they are granted their visas, under tougher new rules set out by the government to cut immigration levels. The rules will come into force from January 8th, and they will affect those applying for skilled worker or scale-up visas.

Those applying for these visas will be required to reach a B2 level in English language, which is a step up from the current B1 standard that is equivalent to GCSE. This means they will effectively need to pass an A-Level exam in English Language before their visa is approved.

But after Sophia Galer shared a mock quiz full of A-Level standard questions on TikTok, it was revealed many British nationals wouldn’t be able to pass the test themselves. Do you think you could pass?

She explained in her video: “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.”

Sophia came up with the questions herself and made them themed around the changes to the English test migrants will need to take. Have a look at the questions below and see how many you can answer.

Questions

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?

How did you find those questions? Do you think you’d be able to pass a B2-level language test? Scroll down to find out how well you did, as we give you the correct answers below.

Answers

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”.

At the end of her video, Sophia said: “These grammatical nuances are all things that B2 speakers are expected to recognise and to deploy fluently. I want to know how many you got right – especially if you are British.”

Commenters on Sophia’s post were quick to admit they couldn’t ace the test themselves. Even those who had picked up an English Language A-Level when they were at school said they struggled to get all five questions correct.

One person said: “British [person] with a degree and a chartered professional qualification, got 3.5/5 because I’d never heard of the term ‘phrasal verbs’.”

Another added: “I’m British, have an A* in A-Level English Literature and History, graduated from Cambridge in History, and I got 1.5. Ridiculous requirement from the government.”

A third wrote: “I have a master’s degree in writing and literature, and I failed three of these exercises because I’ve never been formally taught grammar.”

The changes, which will take effect next year, will impact those coming to the UK on skilled worker, scale-up, or high potential individual (HPI) visas. Scale-up visas are for people employed by fast-growing businesses, while HPI visas are for those who have been awarded a qualification from a top global university within the last five years.

Skilled worker visas are granted to migrants who work for a government-approved employer and earn at least £41,700 a year or the “going rate” for their type of work, whichever is highest.