These are English test centres, not Life in the UK test centres
Every address on this page is approved for the B1 Secure English Language Test. The Life in the UK Test is a separate exam booked through a separate service, and its venues are shown only inside that service. How to find your Life in the UK test centre.
Nearest approved centres to Blackpool
Distances are approximate and measured in a straight line from the centre of Blackpool to the centre of each listed city; check the journey from your own address before you book. Within each city, choose between its centres inside the provider’s booking system.
Preston
about 15 miles2 centres · LanguageCert and Trinity College London
Liverpool
about 28 miles2 centres · LanguageCert and Pearson
Manchester
about 40 miles5 centres · IELTS SELT Consortium, LanguageCert, Pearson and Trinity College London
- IELTS SELT Consortium: BC Manchester - Connell, Connell Co-Op College, 301 Alan Turing Way, Manchester , M11 3BS · Book
- IELTS SELT Consortium: Manchester Piccadilly, Murray House, 85 Piccadilly, Manchester, M1 2DA · Book
- LanguageCert: LC - Manchester, ITTS,3rd Floor, universal square, Devonshire St N, Manchester, M12 6JH · Book
- Pearson: Pearson Professional Centres-UK Manchester, Blue Zone, Ground Floor , Suites 3 & 4, Universal Square, Devonshire Street North, M12 6JH · Book
- Trinity College London: Manchester, Peter House (Spaces), Oxford Street, M1 5AN · Book
Bradford
about 53 miles1 centre · Trinity College London
- Trinity College London: Bradford, Hope Park Business Centre, Coop Place, Rooley Lane, BD5 8JX · Book
How booking works from Blackpool
- Pick the centre you can reach on a weekday morning; providers do not all run weekend sessions.
- Book with that centre’s provider, using the name on the original photo ID you will bring. Fees and test names differ by provider; the city page for each centre lists them.
- Allow for the journey: arriving late usually means losing the appointment and the fee.
- Keep your result reference safe; you will enter it in your settlement or citizenship application.
Which level you need is changing: settlement applications made from 26 March 2027 will need B2 rather than B1. The B1 English test guide explains who is affected, and the exemptions page covers who does not need the test at all.
Other towns in North West England
Questions from Blackpool
Is there a B1 English test centre in Blackpool?
Not on the current Home Office list. The list of approved SELT centres in the UK dated 11 August 2026 names 27 towns and cities and Blackpool is not one of them. You may book any approved centre in the UK, so the practical answer is the nearest listed city.
Which is the nearest B1 test centre to Blackpool?
Preston, roughly 15 miles away in a straight line, with 2 centres run by LanguageCert and Trinity College London. After that, Liverpool (about 28 miles), Manchester (about 40 miles) and Bradford (about 53 miles).
Can I sit the Life in the UK Test in Blackpool instead?
That is a different exam with its own booking service. GOV.UK states: "There are over 30 test centres in the UK. You can choose where to take your test when you book." The venues are shown inside the official booking service, not in any published list, and none of the addresses on this page are Life in the UK test centres.
How do I book once I have chosen a centre?
Directly with the provider that runs the centre, in the name on the original photo ID you will bring on the day. There is no central booking service and GOV.UK does not take bookings for the English test.
Sources
- Prove your English language abilities with a secure English language test (SELT) — GOV.UK guidance, last updated 12 August 2026
- List of approved test centres in the UK, from August 2026 (ODS) — Home Office, dated 11 August 2026
- List of approved secure English language tests taken in the UK (ODS) — Home Office
- List of approved test centres outside the UK, from August 2026 (ODS) — Home Office, dated 11 August 2026
- Life in the UK Test: book the Life in the UK Test — GOV.UK
Coordinates and distances are LifeUKPractice’s own approximations for orientation only. LifeUKPractice is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the UK Home Office, gov.uk, or any government body.