Boyfriend is British, applying for marriage immigration. Do I need to take IELTS?

As Britain is not an immigrant country, under normal circumstances, it is impossible for citizens of other countries to apply directly for immigration to Britain overseas. They must first settle in the UK, then apply for immigration in the UK, and they must settle in the UK for at least 5 years. You can't leave the UK for more than 450 days in these five years, and you can't leave the UK for more than 90 days in recent 1 year. Other conditions must be met, such as 18 years old or above, adequate English, good personality and so on.

However, if your spouse is a British citizen, you can apply for a residence visa directly from embassies and consulates in China, UK. As long as you have lived in the UK for 2 years and your marriage has not broken down or divorced, you can apply for visa extension. After living in the UK for five years, you can apply for permanent residency, and then you can apply for British citizenship through the inspection of the Immigration Bureau. If your spouse stays in the UK, then you and your minor children can also go to the UK and have the same residence period as your spouse. If your spouse has obtained permanent residency in the UK, your spouse's parents (over 65 years old) can also go to the UK with you, so that your family can be reunited successfully.

Also, if you want to do research or study there, you have to rely on Class A, if not, you have to take Class G.. Comparatively speaking, it is much easier to do G-level.

I hope my advice will work for you.