Not sure if this is news, not big news anyway, but I couldn't find anything here or through Google search.

My fiancée has an A1 English test booked on 11th April at one of the Trinity College exam centres in London. They sent through this email yesterday:

Dear #####,

Anyone taking a Secure English Language Test (SELT) after 6th April 2015, the Home Office requires the candidate to be assigned a Unique Electronic Reference (UER). This will be required when you submit your visa application to the Home Office.

Your UER is: TCL/#####/#####/#####

Kind regards,

Trinity College London SELT

(name/reference blanked out of course, poor grammar in first sentence left as-is).

Did anyone else get an email like this? I guess the college have been notified of changes to the application process, which will only be seen after April 6th.

Well, noting down a reference number is the least of our worries in this complex and expensive process, but anyway it's another thing to take note of.

Indeed, from 6/4/15 applicants simply include this number in the application and UKVI can automatically check that they have passed the correct exam at the correct grade.

This is nothing new. Currently several test providers have a similar system where they do not issue paper certificates and the results are checked by UKVI as part of the application process.

For example applicants who took their test with Cambridge English Language Assessment have not had to supply any documentary evidence of this in visa, LTR or citizenship applications as UKVI have verified the result via the Cambridge English online system using name, date of birth and passport number of the applicant.

Simply keep a secure record of this number so it can be used whenever required.