English language requirements - 2022 entry
Click on the box below that relates to your chosen undergraduate subject to see the English Language tests we accept and required scores.
These tests are valid for 2 years prior to the start of the programme
| Test name | Required score |
|---|---|
| IELTS (International English Language Testing System – academic version) | 6.5 overall and no less than 5.5 in any other section |
| TOEFL IBT and TOEFL special home edition | 90 with minimum scores of 21 in speaking and at least 18 in all other sections |
| Pearson Test of English (Academic) PTE | 58 with a minimum of 51 in all communicative skills |
| LanguageCert SELT | LanguageCert SELT B2 Communicator with minimum 33 in speaking, writing, listening & reading |
| AES-Bellerbys (Study Group) | Minimum of 65% overall, no less than 55% in any subskill |
These tests are valid for 7 years prior to the start of the programme
| Test name | Required score |
|---|---|
| A or AS level English | Grade D |
| GCSE English Language/Cambridge GCE O level/Cambridge Overseas School Certificate | Grade C |
| Cambridge IGCSE English as a First Language | Grade C |
| Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language | Grade B |
| Cambridge Pre-U Literature in English (Principal Subject) | P2 |
| Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BTGCSE) | Grades 3-6 (credit); Grade C |
| Cambridge English: Advanced or Proficiency | 176 overall and no less than 162 in any other section |
| Edexcel IGCSE English as a First Language | Grade C |
| Edexcel IGCSE English as a Second Language | Grade B |
| European Baccalaureate L1 | 60% |
| European Baccalaureate L2 | 70% |
| European Baccalaureate L3 | 70% |
| French Baccalaureat | Grade 12 |
| French Baccalaureat (option International du Baccalaureat) | Grade 10 |
| HKDSE English (Core) | Level 4 overall |
| Indian Standard XII English at first attempt (ISC, CBSE, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala Boards) | 70% |
| Indian Standard XII English at first attempt (West Bengal Board). | 65% |
| International Baccalaureate English | Standard Level Grade 5 or Higher Level Grade 4 |
| Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education | Grade C (4) |
| Malaysian SPM English (1119/O level paper only) | Grade C |
| Norwegian Vitnemal – videregaende opplaering | Overall score of 4 |
| NCUK's EAP (English for Academic Purposes) | B overall and no less that D in any other section. |
| Ontario Secondary School Certificate | Grade C (75%) |
| Canada Year 12 Secondary School Certificate / High School Diploma (except Quebec) | Grade C (75%) |
| Singaporean Applicants | Singapore-Cambridge O level English grade C or Singapore Integrated Programme Secondary 4 English Language/Language Arts grade C or better |
| South African National Senior Certificate/South African Matriculation Certificate | Grade 4 |
| Trinity ISE III exams (SELT variant only) | Merit in writing section and pass in all other sections |
| West African Examinations Council SSCE in English at first sitting | Grade C6 |
| Uganda National Examinations Board Certificate of Education (UCE) | Grades 3-6 (credit); Grade C |
| USA High School Graduation Diploma | Grade C (75%) |
| Zimbabwe General Certificate of Education O level English | Grade C |
| Zimbabwe General Certificate of Education Advanced level English (ZIMSEC) | Grade D |
These tests are valid for 2 years prior to the start of the programme
| Test name | Required score |
|---|---|
| IELTS (International English Language Testing System – academic version) | 6.5 overall and no less than 6 in any other section |
| TOEFL IBT and TOEFL special home edition | 90 with minimum scores of 21 for writing, 21 for listening, 22 for reading and 23 for speaking |
| Pearson Test of English (Academic) PTE | 58 with no less than 55 in all skills |
| LanguageCert SELT | LanguageCert SELT B2 Communicator with minimum 39 in speaking, writing, listening, reading |
| AES-Bellerbys (Study Group) | Minimum of 65% overall, no less than 60% in any subskill |
These tests are valid for 7 years prior to the start of the programme
| Test name | Required score |
|---|---|
| A or AS level English | Grade D |
| GCSE English Language/Cambridge GCE O level/Cambridge Overseas School Certificate | Grade C |
| Cambridge IGCSE English as a First Language | Grade C |
| Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language | Grade B |
| Cambridge Pre-U Literature in English (Principal Subject) | P2 |
| Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BTGCSE) | Grades 3-6 (credit); Grade C |
| Cambridge English: Advanced or Proficiency | 176 overall, no less than 169 in any element |
| Edexcel IGCSE English as a First Language | Grade C |
| Edexcel IGCSE English as a Second Language | Grade B |
| European Baccalaureate L1 | 60% |
| European Baccalaureate L2 | 70% |
| European Baccalaureate L3 | 70% |
| French Baccalaureat | Grade 12 |
| French Baccalaureat (option International du Baccalaureat) | Grade 10 |
| HKDSE English (Core) | Level 4 overall |
| Indian Standard XII English at first attempt (ISC, CBSE, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala Boards) | 70% |
| Indian Standard XII English at first attempt (West Bengal Board). | 65% |
| International Baccalaureate English | Standard Level Grade 5 or Higher Level Grade 6 |
| Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education | Grade C (4) |
| Malaysian SPM English (1119/O level paper only) | Grade C |
| Norwegian Vitnemal – videregaende opplaering | Overall score of 4 |
| NCUK's EAP (English for Academic Purposes) | B overall, no less than C in any section |
| Ontario Secondary School Certificate | Grade C (75%) |
| Canada Year 12 Secondary School Certificate / High School Diploma (except Quebec) | Grade C (75%) |
| Singaporean Applicants | Singapore-Cambridge O level English grade B or Singapore Integrated Programme Secondary 4 English Language/Language Arts grade B or better |
| South African National Senior Certificate/South African Matriculation Certificate | Grade 4 |
| Trinity ISE III exams (SELT variant only) | Merit in writing section and pass in all other sections |
| West African Examinations Council SSCE in English at first sitting | Grade C8 |
| Uganda National Examinations Board Certificate of Education (UCE) | Grades 3-6 (credit); Grade C |
| USA High School Graduation Diploma | Grade C (75%) |
| Zimbabwe General Certificate of Education O level English | Grade C |
| Zimbabwe General Certificate of Education Advanced level English (ZIMSEC) | Grade D |
These tests are valid for 2 years prior to the start of the programme
| Test name | Required score |
|---|---|
| IELTS (International English Language Testing System – academic version) | 7 overall and no less than 6.5 in any other section |
| TOEFL IBT and TOEFL special home edition | 100 with minimum scores of 25 for writing, 21 for listening, 22 for reading and 23 for speaking |
| Pearson Test of English (Academic) PTE | 65 with no less than 58 in all communicative skills |
| LanguageCert SELT | LanguageCert SELT C1 Expert with minimum 33 in speaking, writing, listening, reading |
| AES-Bellerbys (Study Group) | Minimum of 70% overall, no less than 65% in any subskill |
These tests are valid for 7 years prior to the start of the programme
| Test name | Required score |
|---|---|
| A or AS level English | Grade C |
| GCSE English Language/Cambridge GCE O level/Cambridge OverseasSchool Certificate | Grade B. English as a second language not accepted |
| Cambridge IGCSE English as a First Language | Grade B |
| Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language | Not accepted |
| Cambridge Pre-U Literature in English (Principal Subject) | M3 |
| Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BTGCSE) | Not accepted |
| Cambridge English: Advanced or Proficiency | 185 overall, no less than 176 in any element |
| Edexcel IGCSE English as a First Language | Grade B |
| Edexcel IGCSE English as a Second Language | Not accepted |
| European Baccalaureate L1 | 70% |
| European Baccalaureate L2 | 80% |
| European Baccalaureate L3 | 80% |
| French Baccalaureat | Grade 14 |
| French Baccalaureat (option International du Baccalaureat) | Grade 12 |
| HKDSE English (Core) | Level 5 overall |
| Indian Standard XII English at first attempt (ISC, CBSE,Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Karnataka, KeralaBoards) | 85% from ISC/CBSE Board only. Other State Boards not accepted |
| Indian Standard XII English at first attempt (West BengalBoard). | 75% |
| International Baccalaureate English | Standard Level Grade 6 or Higher Level grade 5. English as a first language only acceptable |
| Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education | Not accepted |
| Malaysian SPM English (1119/O level paper only) | Grade B |
| Norwegian Vitnemal – videregaende opplaering | Overall score of 5 |
| NCUK's EAP (English for Academic Purposes) | A overall, no less than B in any section |
| Ontario Secondary School Certificate | Grade B (85%) |
| Canada Year 12 Secondary School Certificate / High School Diploma(except Quebec) | Grade B (85%) |
| Singaporean Applicants | Singapore-Cambridge O level English grade B or Singapore Integrated Programme Secondary 4 English Language/Language Arts grade B or better |
| South African National Senior Certificate/South AfricanMatriculation Certificate | Grade 5 |
| Trinity ISE III exams (SELT variant only) | Distinction in speaking and listening and nothing less than merit in other sections |
| West African Examinations Council SSCE in English at firstsitting | Not accepted |
| Uganda National Examinations Board Certificate of Education (UCE) | Not accepted |
| USA High School Graduation Diploma | Grade B (85%) |
| Zimbabwe General Certificate of Education O level English | Grade B |
| Zimbabwe General Certificate of Education Advanced level English(ZIMSEC) | Grade C |
These tests are valid for 2 years prior to the start of the programme
| Test name | Required score |
|---|---|
| IELTS (International English Language Testing System – academic version) | 7.5 with no less than 7.0 in speaking & listening sections and no less than 6.0 in any other section |
| TOEFL IBT and TOEFL special home edition | 110 with minimum scores of 21 for writing, 25 for listening, 22 for reading and 25 for speaking |
| Pearson Test of English (Academic) PTE | 73 with no less than 65 in all communicative skills. |
| LanguageCert SELT | LanguageCert SELT C1 Expert with minimum 39 in speaking, writing, listening, reading |
| AES-Bellerbys (Study Group) | Minimum of 75% overall, no less than 60% and at least 70% in each of the Speaking and Listening sections |
These tests are valid for 7 years prior to the start of the programme
| Test name | Required score |
|---|---|
| A or AS level English | Grade B |
| GCSE English Language/Cambridge GCE O level/Cambridge Overseas School Certificate | Grade A. English as a second language not accepted |
| Cambridge IGCSE English as a First Language | Grade A |
| Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language | Not accepted |
| Cambridge Pre-U Literature in English (Principal Subject) | M2 |
| Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BTGCSE) | Not accepted |
| Cambridge English: Advanced or Proficiency | 191 overall, no less than 185 in Speaking and Listening and no less than 169 in any other element |
| Edexcel IGCSE English as a First Language | Grade A |
| Edexcel IGCSE English as a Second Language | Not accepted |
| European Baccalaureate L1 | 75% |
| European Baccalaureate L2 | 85% |
| European Baccalaureate L3 | 85% |
| French Baccalaureat | Grade 16 |
| French Baccalaureat (option International du Baccalaureat) | Grade 14 |
| HKDSE English (Core) | Level 5** overall |
| Indian Standard XII English at first attempt (ISC, CBSE, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala Boards) | 90% from ISC/CBSE Board only. Other State Boards not accepted |
| Indian Standard XII English at first attempt (West Bengal Board). | 80% |
| International Baccalaureate English | Standard Level Grade 6 or Higher Level grade 5. English as a first language only acceptable |
| Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education | Not accepted |
| Malaysian SPM English (1119/O level paper only) | Grade A |
| Norwegian Vitnemal – videregaende opplaering | Overall score of 5.5 |
| NCUK's EAP (English for Academic Purposes) | A* overall, no less than C in any section and a minimum of A in Speaking and Listening |
| Ontario Secondary School Certificate | Grade A (90%) |
| Canada Year 12 Secondary School Certificate / High School Diploma (except Quebec) | Grade A (90%) |
| Singaporean Applicants | Singapore-Cambridge O level English grade A or Singapore Integrated Programme Secondary 4 English Language/Language Arts grade A or better |
| South African National Senior Certificate/South African Matriculation Certificate | Grade 6 |
| Trinity ISE III exams (SELT variant only) | Distinction in speaking and listening and nothing less than merit in other sections |
| West African Examinations Council SSCE in English at first sitting | Not accepted |
| Uganda National Examinations Board Certificate of Education (UCE) | Not accepted |
| USA High School Graduation Diploma | Grade A (90%) |
| Zimbabwe General Certificate of Education O level English | Grade A |
| Zimbabwe General Certificate of Education Advanced level English (ZIMSEC) | Grade B |
These tests are valid for 2 years prior to the start of the programme
| Test name | Required score |
|---|---|
| IELTS (International English Language Testing System – academic version) | 6.5 and no less than 6.0 in the writing section and no less than 5.5 in any other section |
| TOEFL IBT and TOEFL special home edition | 90 with minimum scores of 21 for writing, 21 for listening, 22 for reading and 23 for speaking |
| Pearson Test of English (Academic) PTE | 58 with a minimum of 51 in all communicative skills |
| LanguageCert SELT | LanguageCert SELT IB2 Communicator with minimum 39 in writing and minimum 33 in speaking, listening & reading |
| AES-Bellerbys (Study Group) | Minimum 65% overall, no less than 60% in writing and no less than 55% in any other subskill |
These tests are valid for 7 years prior to the start of the programme
| Test name | Required score |
|---|---|
| A or AS level English | Grade D |
| GCSE English Language/Cambridge GCE O level/Cambridge Overseas School Certificate | Grade C |
| Cambridge IGCSE English as a First Language | Grade C |
| Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language | Grade B |
| Cambridge Pre-U Literature in English (Principal Subject) | P2 |
| Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BTGCSE) | Grades 3-6 (credit); Grade C |
| Cambridge English: Advanced or Proficiency | 176 overall, no less than 169 in writing and no less than 162 in any other section |
| Edexcel IGCSE English as a First Language | Grade C |
| Edexcel IGCSE English as a Second Language | Grade B |
| European Baccalaureate L1 | 60% |
| European Baccalaureate L2 | 70% |
| European Baccalaureate L3 | 70% |
| French Baccalaureat | Grade 12 |
| French Baccalaureat (option International du Baccalaureat) | Grade 10 |
| HKDSE English (Core) | Level 4 overall |
| Indian Standard XII English at first attempt (ISC, CBSE, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala Boards) | 70% |
| Indian Standard XII English at first attempt (West Bengal Board). | 65% |
| International Baccalaureate English | Standard Level Grade 5 or Higher Level Grade 5 |
| Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education | Grade C (4) |
| Malaysian SPM English (1119/O level paper only) | Grade C |
| Norwegian Vitnemal – videregaende opplaering | Overall score of 4 |
| NCUK's EAP (English for Academic Purposes) | B overall, no less than C in writing, and no less that D in any other section. |
| Ontario Secondary School Certificate | Grade C (75%) |
| Canada Year 12 Secondary School Certificate / High School Diploma (except Quebec) | Grade C (75%) |
| Singaporean Applicants | Singapore-Cambridge O level English grade C or Singapore Integrated Programme Secondary 4 English Language/Language Arts grade C or better |
| South African National Senior Certificate/South African Matriculation Certificate | Grade 4 |
| Trinity ISE III exams (SELT variant only) | Merit in writing section and pass in all other sections |
| West African Examinations Council SSCE in English at first sitting | Grade C7 |
| Uganda National Examinations Board Certificate of Education (UCE) | Grades 3-6 (credit); Grade C |
| USA High School Graduation Diploma | Grade C (75%) |
| Zimbabwe General Certificate of Education O level English | Grade C |
| Zimbabwe General Certificate of Education Advanced level English (ZIMSEC) | Grade D |
Conditions
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.
Also see
Our Pre-sessional courses are designed to improve your English language skills to the standard required for your chosen degree in September.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, our 6, 10 and 18 week Pre-sessional courses will be running both online and on campus from April to August 2022.
- Find out more about the Presessional English course on the INTO website
- Download a Pre-sessional English brochure 2021 (.pdf)
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 at INTO University of Exeter and meet the progression requirements for entry to your academic programme of study, it is not necessary to undertake an additional IELTS or TOEFL test. Please note that we do not accept pre-sessional courses delivered by other INTO centres or organisations.
The Centre also offers an Academic English course. This course will be offered online and on campus from April to July 2022 and is an acceptable test.
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
