The Home Office has altered the terms of an £816 million government contract for English language tests for foreign nationals applying for a UK visa to permit online testing, according to multiple reports. The IELTS consortium, comprising the British Council, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, and IDP, has withdrawn from bidding for the new contract. The consortium warned that moving to fully remote testing would create new and significant security vulnerabilities and undermine border security. In an official statement, the consortium said that given the importance of secure English language testing for the UK's immigration system and border protection, it could not endorse the proposed approach by bidding while retaining its commitment to responsible, trusted and secure assessment. It added that remote exams face cheating on an order of magnitude greater than in-person assessments and that a fully remote approach exposes the UK's immigration system to weaker security and creates more opportunities for malpractice.
Duolingo is thought to be in a strong position to secure the new contract following the IELTS consortium's withdrawal. The changes come as the UK government implements higher English proficiency requirements for visa applicants. 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, multiple reports indicate. A Home Office spokesperson stated that migrants now must speak English to a higher standard if they wish to stay permanently in the UK, as part of the biggest legal migration reforms in a generation.
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.
Lobbying connections have raised transparency questions around the contract shift. Peter Mandelson's lobbying company Global Counsel was hired by Duolingo in 2024, according to multiple reports. The Home Office has refused to disclose whether any meetings took place with ministers and officials with lobbyists on behalf of Duolingo. It remains unclear what specific role Peter Mandelson and Global Counsel played in persuading ministers to allow online testing, or whether any meetings occurred between ministers or officials and lobbyists on behalf of Duolingo.
The government has actively promoted Duolingo amid these developments. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson appeared in a video promoting Duolingo alongside the company's green owl mascot, which was posted on the Department for Education's official X feed, multiple reports show. The new system could go live as early as December 2026, according to multiple reports. It is unknown which company will ultimately win the £816 million contract for online English language tests.
Remote exams face cheating on an order of magnitude greater than in-person assessments.
In response to concerns, a Home Office spokesperson said it would not comment in detail on a live tender and was still in the process of finding a provider who would meet the highest thresholds of data security and fraud prevention. How the Home Office plans to ensure secure conditions for fully remote testing to prevent cheating remains unspecified.
A 'fully remote' approach exposes the UK's immigration system to weaker security and creates more opportunities for malpractice.