Multiple reports say the UK Home Office has advertised an £816 million contract that would replace in-person, invigilated English language tests for migrants with online assessments. The proposal would move away from face-to-face testing toward computer-based, remote tests described by critics as similar to consumer language-learning formats such as Duolingo.
The reports also state that public opposition is widespread. One outlet claims that nearly seven in ten Britons oppose the plans, citing concerns that online testing could be more vulnerable to cheating or fail to provide the same level of security and oversight as invigilated examinations.
The same coverage indicates that the contract is part of a Home Office procurement process, but does not provide detailed evidence in these excerpts about how the online assessments would be secured, invigilated, or validated. The accounts therefore center on the announced change itself—remote versus in-person testing—and the stated criticism that an online approach may reduce test integrity. The reports do not mention alternative viewpoints within these excerpts.
