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ILR · After the testYour pass certificate and what to do with it
You leave the centre with a pass notification and a unique reference number. That number is what your ILR application actually needs — and what your citizenship application will need years later.
What happens on the day
The test is on screen and marked automatically. You are told whether you passed within minutes of finishing, before you leave the centre. If you passed, you are given a pass notification carrying a unique reference number. You are not given a breakdown of which questions you got wrong, whether you passed or failed.
It does not expire
This is the single most useful thing to know. There is no validity window. A pass obtained for one application remains valid for later ones — settlement now, citizenship later, however many years apart. You will not be asked to retake it because it is old.
Contrast this with the English half: approved English test certificates generally do have a validity period, so the two pieces of your KoLL evidence age differently. Check the English one before you apply; the Life in the UK one you can forget about.
Where the number goes
The ILR application form asks for your Life in the UK Test reference number. Enter it exactly as printed. A mistyped digit is a common cause of avoidable delay, because the caseworker cannot match your record.
Immigration rules, fees and waiting periods are set by the Home Office and change without notice. Always confirm the current requirements for your own visa route on GOV.UK before you book or apply. This page is general information, not immigration advice.
If you lose the notification
Your result is recorded centrally, so a lost slip is not a lost pass. You can ask for confirmation of your result through the official test service. It is slower than reading the number off the paper, though, so photograph the notification the day you get it and store the image with your immigration documents.
Keeping it usable for citizenship
- Photograph the pass notification immediately, both sides.
- Store it with your BRP, visa documents and English certificate, not loose in a drawer.
- Note the reference number separately in whatever you use for important numbers.
- Do not book the test again for citizenship. You already meet that requirement.
What it does not do
The pass evidences one requirement. It does not prove your English, it does not shorten your qualifying residence, and it does not guarantee your application succeeds. It removes one box from the list.