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 Any applicant found to have submitted a fraudulent score will have their application withdrawn.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

Please note, we now accept the TOEFL IBT Special Home Edition and the IELTS Indicator online tests, however, we do not accept TOEFL Institutional Testing Programme (ITP).

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

Programmes starting between September and December 2020 - Tests completed from 21st March 2018 will be accepted to take into account difficulties for those trying to meet these requirements.

Programmes starting from January up to July 2021 - These tests are valid for 2 years and 6 months prior to the start of the programme.

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**.

** Duolingo and Password are acceptable provided there are taken within 2 years and 6 months prior to the start of the programme.

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.

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, we will be offering 8 and 12 week Pre-sessional courses online only from June to September 2020.

• Find out more about the Presessional English course on the INTO website
• Download a Pre-sessional English brochure 2020

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 only from June to September 2020 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