The Home Office tender seeks a five-year provider for a system that would allow applicants to take tests from a location of their choice, provided secure conditions are met. According to multiple reports, the new system could go live as early as December 2026. The exact timeline and specific secure conditions required for remote testing have not been detailed, leaving uncertainties about implementation.
The IELTS consortium, comprising the British Council, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, and IDP, has declined to bid for the contract. In an official statement, the consortium warned that moving to fully remote testing would create new and significant security vulnerabilities and undermine border security. According to the IELTS consortium, the proposal is incompatible with the government's aim of strengthening the integrity of the immigration system.
Remote exams face cheating on an order of magnitude greater than in-person assessments.
Specific security concerns raised by the consortium include the risk of cheating on an order of magnitude greater than in-person assessments. The group stated that remote exams face cheating on an order of magnitude greater than in-person assessments, with applicants potentially using impersonators, accomplices via screen-sharing or earpieces, or AI chatbots. A fully remote model would expose the UK to weaker security and more opportunities for malpractice, the consortium added. It described the Home Office’s planned approach as relying on unproven technologies and practices.
In response, the Home Office said it would not comment in detail on a live tender and is still in the process of finding a provider who would meet high thresholds of data security and fraud prevention. From January 2026, applicants for skilled worker, scale-up and certain other visas must show English at A-level equivalent (B2 level), up from the previous B1 (GCSE-level) standard. Which companies or providers are bidding for the new £816 million contract remains unknown, as do the specific technologies and practices the Home Office will use to prevent cheating and ensure data security.
Given the importance of secure English language testing for the UK's immigration system and the protection of our borders, we cannot endorse the proposed approach by bidding for this tender while retaining our commitment to responsible, trusted and secure assessment.
Under the existing system, migrants must demonstrate English proficiency at more than 1,300 approved test centres worldwide. Reports indicate that other companies have faced substantial fines from government regulators for providing online English tests which were vulnerable to cheating. This background highlights ongoing challenges in maintaining test integrity, with the IELTS consortium emphasizing in its statement that it cannot endorse the proposed approach while retaining its commitment to secure assessment.
A 'fully remote' approach exposes the UK's immigration system to weaker security and creates more opportunities for malpractice.
We know that remote exams face cheating on an order of magnitude greater than in-person assessments.
The Home Office’s planned approach would rely on unproven technologies and practices.
We cannot bid for [the contract] as it is currently constructed while retaining our commitment to quality, integrity and security in assessment.
We will not compromise on quality given the importance of these tests to the UK.