Minimum English language standards

It’s essential that you are able to read, speak and understand the English language to get the most out of your time at UWS.

All international applicants are required to meet minimum English language standards, with the exception of:

  • Native speakers of English
  • Erasmus students (unless advised otherwise)
  • non-Erasmus students from EU partner institutions (your institution must provide confirmation of your English language ability in the absence of a formal qualification)

English language requirements for academic entry

If you do not fall into any of the categories above you will need to provide proof of your English language ability through the International English Language Test System (IELTS) or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

IELTS

  • Undergraduate (BA, BAcc, BEng, BSc) – IELTS 6.0 with no skill below 5.5
  • Postgraduate Taught (MA, MSc) – IELTS 6.0 with no skill below 5.5
  • Postgraduate Research (MRes, MPhil, PhD, DBA, DProf)– IELTS 6.5 with no skill below 6.0
     
    These are minimum requirements and some courses may require a higher standard for admission. Individual course entry requirements are detailed on each course page.

IELTS certificates should be dated within two years at the time of applying to study at UWS.

Common English language equivalents 
for most courses

All stated English tests are acceptable for admission for both home/EU and international students for this programme:

Test Minimum Requirement
IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
IELTS Indicator
UG & PGD: Overall score of 6.0, with no less than 5.5 for each component for UG & PGD.
PGR: Overall score of 6.5, with no less than 6.0 for each component for PGR.
Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) Grade C
Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) Grade C
Cambridge English Level 2 Certificate in ESOL Int’l Overall score 170 with no element below 163
Cambridge AS and A Levels Grade C or above.
Trinity College London ISEII Reading: Pass; Listening: Pass
ibTOEFL ibTOEFL*: 78; no sub-test less than 17: Reading: 17; Listening: 17; Speaking: 17; Writing: 17
PhD: 93; no sub-test less than 19: Reading 21; Listening 19; Speaking 20; Writing 21
Pearson Test of English (Academic): PTE Overall score of 59 with no element less than 59 FOR PROGRAMMES THAT REQUIRE IELTS COMPARABLE 6.0 with no element below 5.5.
Overall score of 66 with no element less than 66 FOR PROGRAMMES THAT REQUIRE IELTS COMPARABLE 6.5 with no element below 6.0.
Password English Language test Grades equivalent to CEFR B2 for entry at L9 entry and above. Password scores of 6.0 or higher.
LanguageCert International ESOL UG entry: B2 Communicator pass. HLS applicants would require C1 expert pass to satisfy NMC requirements/accreditation.
PG entry: B2 Communicator pass/Communicator High Pass (postgraduate applicants at 6.0)
Occupational English Language Test for Healthcare Professionals (OET) The NMC accepts this test for Tier 2 applicants but not for Tier 4 however the university would consider applicants for entry to L9 and beyond by making our own assessment.
Oxford International English Language Level Test (ELLT) Overall 6, minimum 5.5 in all skills. Must be at a minimum of B2 and equivalent to IELTs of 6.
Overall 7, minimum 6.5 in all skills. Must be at a minimum of B2 and equivalent to IELTs of 7.
Skill for English (SELT) Overall 6, minimum 5.5 in all skills. Must be at a minimum of B2 and equivalent to IELTs of 6.
Medium of Instruction Letter (MOI) Accepted for Bangladesh, Nepal & Pakistan.
See bottom of document for country specific list MOI not accepted for Nursing programmes with Prof.
International Secondary School Qualifications

UWS have also reviewed Secondary School qualifications studied by Non-EU applicants and so the Admissions team will consider applications with qualifications from the list below:

Qualification – IELTS equivalencies Minimum alternative English language qualification for IELTS 6.0 with 5.5 in each sub skill.
A or AS Level English Grade C or above
HNC & HND Successful completion
GCSE English Grade C or above
Cambridge O Levels Grade C or above
IGCSE English as a First Language Grade C or above with a minimum level of B2 in each component
IGCSE English as a Second Language Grade C or above with a minimum level of B2 in each component
Cambridge AS and A Levels Grade C or above
SQA National 5 in English Grade B or above
SQA Higher English Grade C or above
SQA Higher ESOL Grade C or above
Occupational English Language Test for healthcare professionals (OET) For L9 or above only. Pass
Botswana: GCSE / O Level English Language Grade C
Cameroon: GCE / O Level English Language Grade C
Ghana: WASSCE English or WAEC (West African Education Certificate) Grade C6 or higher
Certificate should not be older than 10 years at the time of making the application.
HKEAA Use of English Grade C or above
Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination in English Syllabus B (HKCEE) Grade 3 in all test elements
India: XII Examination 70% or higher in English in the Indian HSC
Intermediate (10+2) (XII Standard) exam, in lieu of IELTS*. The XII certificate should not be older than 8 years at the time of making the application. (i.e. Indian Class XII dated 2016 will be accepted for AY2024-25)
Students will require an IELTS or equivalent, if applying from the following School Education Boards: Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan & Uttar Pradesh
International Baccalaureate English Higher Level Grade 4 or above
Kenya: KCSE English Language Grade C
Malaysia: SPM 1119 Grade C
Nigeria, The Gambia and Liberia – WAEC (West African Education Certificate) in English Language C / 6

Certificate should not be older than 10 years at the time of making the application.
Nigeria: National Examinations Council (NECO) in English Language C / 6

Certificate should not be older than 10 years at the time of making the application, if so MOI to be provided.
Ontario Secondary School Certificate English Grade C (70%) or above
Singapore A Level English Language/Literature Grade D
South African National Senior Certificate Grade 5 (60%) or above in English
Grade C
Sri Lanka GCE Ordinary Level Grade A-C
Tanzania Certificate of Secondary Education Grade C
Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) 3-6 Grade C in General paper
USA High School Graduation Diploma 3.0 GPA in English
West African Senior School Certificate including acceptance of WAEC Scratchcard* C6 or above in English
Certificate should not be older than 10 years at the time of making the application, if so MOI to be provided.
Zambia General Cert of Education/School Certificate Grade C
*UWS will accept a WAEC scratchcard confirming that an applicant has achieved C6 or above as evidence of meeting English language requirement from Nigeria if the student graduated within the last 5 years. After 5 years applicants would be required to provide the WAEC Certificate.

IELTS Score Exceptions (DBA, Certificate of Higher Education, PhD, etc.)

For our research degrees (MRes, MPhil, PhD, DBA, DProf), applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:

  • overall score of 6.5
  • no sub-test less than 6.0

For Health, Nursing & Midwifery courses that lead to professional registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:

  • overall score of 7.0
  • no sub-test less than 7.0

For our Certificate of Higher Education courses, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:

  • overall score of 5.0
  • no sub-test less than 4.5

Waiving an English language condition

UWS can also accept previous degree-level study that has been taught and assessed in English in what UKVI define as a majority English speaking country:

  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Australia
  • The Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Dominica
  • Grenada
  • Guyana
  • Ireland
  • Jamaica
  • New Zealand
  • St Kitts and Nevis
  • St Lucia
  • St Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • United Kingdom
  • United States of America

Please note that this list is not exhaustive and so please contact the Admissions team if a country is not within this list but you know a student has been taught and assessed in English plus has evidence to support this.

Canada

The Admissions team also review each application on ECCTIS as per country information is provided on which regions students are taught in English. For instance all regions in Canada (other than Quebec) UWS will not look for a SELT unless the student was taught at one of the following institutions:

Manitoba

  • Université de Saint-Boniface (USB)

New Brunswick

  • Université de Moncton

Nova Scotia

  • Université Sainte-Anne

Ontario

  • La Cité Collégiale d’Arts Appliqués et de Technologie
  • Université de Hearst (Laurentian University)

 

For the following institutions, we will look for a letter confirming medium of instruction as these institutions are Bilingual:

Alberta

  • University of Alberta

Ontario

  • Dominican University College
  • Laurentian University
  • Royal Military College of Canada, Ontario
  • University of Guelph
  • University of Sudbury (Laurentian University)

Quebec

If an applicant is from Quebec, we will ask for a SELT unless the student studied at one of the following institutions:

  • McGill University in Montreal
  • Concordia University in Montreal
  • Bishop’s University in Lennoxville

English language requirements for non-EU countries

English language requirements for a UK VISA

If you live outside the EU/EEA, you will need to obtain a visa in order to live and study in the UK. If English is not your first language you will need to meet minimum standards of English set out by UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) as part of the visa application process.

Full details of the English language test requirements set by UKVI are available on the UK Government website. 

Pre-sessional English language courses

We understand that you might need to improve your English language skills to meet visa or application requirements. Our Pre-sessional English Language courses help you meet the IELTS standard for study at UWS.