English language requirements

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Australia
• The Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belize
• Canada*
• Dominica
• Grenada
• Guyana
• Jamaica
• New Zealand
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Lucia
• St Vincent and the Grenadines
• Trinidad and Tobago
• USA

*Canadian nationals are exempt from English Language requirements, but non-Canadian nationals who have studied in Canada are required to meet standard English Language requirements due to Home Office policy.

If you reside in one of these countries, you are not required to submit evidence of English language proficiency if you:

• Have undertaken a full degree in one of these countries and completed it no more than two years before the intended start of your chosen undergraduate programme.
• The degree certificate is successfully verified with the issuing body on receipt. Any applicant found to have submitted a fraudulent score will have their application withdrawn.

• IELTS (International English Language Testing System – academic version)
• TOEFL IBT
• Pearson Test of English Academic
• Other English language tests

The University recognises this qualification and our programme listings give full details of the grades and subjects required. Our offers are usually based on having achieved or achieving an overall IB Diploma grade or three individual Higher Level subjects at specified grades, and they could also include achieving specific grades in specific subjects. Applicants taking the International Baccalaureate Career-related programme will be consider where this includes three individual Higher Level subjects.

The table below lists English language requirements for our programmes if you have completed an IELTS (Academic), TOEFL IBT or Pearson Test of English.

These tests are only valid for entry for 2 years. As a result the qualification must have been completed no more than 2 years prior to enrolment.

From 6th April 2015 there have been changes to the Home Office Secure English Language Test (SELT) list for the purpose of obtaining a UK visa. These changes do not affect Higher Education institutions' ability to choose their own method of assessing English language competence for degree level programmes. This means universities will still be able to decide what English language tests and scores to accept as evidence of a degree student's ability to speak English at the appropriate level, even if the test is taken after 6th April 2015 changes.

The University is therefore pleased to confirm that it will accept all qualifications stated on this page as evidence of linguistic ability (subject to meeting our minimum requirements) from applicants for its next intake*.

*Applicants to programmes offered by INTO University of Exeter, will need to view the INTO University of Exeter website for information on acceptable English language qualifications. This is due to a different ruling by the Home Office regarding non-degree level programmes.

These qualifications must have been completed no more than 7 years prior to enrolment.

All test scores are verified with the issuing body on receipt. Any applicant found to have submitted a fraudulent score will have their application withdrawn and UCAS will be advised.

The University reserves the right to change minimum English Language requirements during an application cycle in-line with any compliance guidance released by the UKBA. In the event of a change in UKBA policy which affects entry requirements the University will notify affected applicants in writing.

If you do not reach the required English standard in one of the above recognised English language tests, undergraduate study at Exeter could still be a possibility if you successfully complete a Pre-Sessional Course at the INTO University of Exeter Centre. These intensive six- or ten-week courses are designed for students who wish to improve their ability in English and study skills before they start their degree programme.

The Pre-sessional English brochure contains further information about the pre-sessional courses based on your IELTS test scores. If you have taken any other acceptable test and wish to confirm if a pre-sessional English course is required or recommended, please contact us.

If you successfully complete a pre-sessional course and meet the progression requirements from the programme for entry to your academic course of study, it is not necessary to undertake an additional IELTS test at the end of the course to demonstrate your English language proficiency. Please note that we do not accept pre-sessional courses provided by other bodies.

If you do not meet the pre-sessional entry requirements or want to have longer to understand and learn new skills, the Centre also offers a number of other English Language options such as the Academic English course.

Tier 4 Visa

A student applying for a Tier 4 visa who is not a National of a majority English speaking country is required to demonstrate a minimum proficiency in English language equivalent to B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). The University’s minimum English Language requirements are specified above.

Short-Term Study Visa

The underlying assumption is that applicants from these countries who have the necessary academic qualifications for entry to a degree programme will also have a sufficiently high level of English to undertake a programme of academic study in the UK, as evidenced by their application and supporting documentation. Therefore credit-mobility students entering the UK on a Short-Term Study visa will be exempt from the English Language requirements above if the following requirements are met:

• The student studies at a Partner Institution for which we hold a formal Student Exchange Agreement whereby English is the language of instruction; the student supplies and meets criteria of all other supporting documentation as defined on the Study Abroad webpages, OR
• The student is a speaker of English who has taken their education entirely in the medium of English and can demonstrate that they have successfully completed the whole of their secondary education up to and including the equivalent of year twelve in one of the countries on the UKVI list of recognised countries but who are not entitled to an automatic waiver under UKVI guidance as they are not a national of those countries, OR
• The student is able to evidence in the last 7 years via an ‘Other’ accepted test e.g. Singapore O levels, that they meet the necessary minima (including phone interview if required) and they can demonstrate through their application that they have continued to study in an English medium. Students planning to take modules from across different departments will normally need to satisfy the higher of any linguistic minima required; for example students taking one English module and two Archaeology modules will need the higher grade of IELTS 7.0 or equivalent, as defined above