As an international student, you need to demonstrate an adequate standard of English as part of your application.
This is so you can successfully engage with and complete your chosen course, and also for visa and immigration reasons where applicable.
Nationals of majority-English-speaking countries as defined by UKVI are typically exempt from this requirement, the countries specified by the UKVI include:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- The Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Dominica
- Grenada
- Guyana
- Ireland
- Jamaica
- Malta
- New Zealand
- Ireland
- Jamaica
- Malta
- New Zealand
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- United States of America
Minimum English language requirements
For those not from one of the countries specified as Majority English-speaking by UKVI, the university currently accepts the following qualifications with the noted grades as proof of meeting English language requirements.
| English Language Test | Minimum Score most PG programmes |
Minimum Score MA Creative Writing | Validity period |
|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 6.0 overall and no component score below 5.5 | 7.0 overall and no minimum score below 6.5 | Two years |
| Pearson PTE Academic | Total = 59-75 Minimum: Reading – 59 Listening – 59 Speaking – 59 Writing – 59 |
N/A | Two years |
| iGCSE English as a Second Language (Syllabus 0510 & 0511) | Minimum: 0510: Overall Grade C and Grade 2 in Speaking 0511: Overall Grade C |
N/A | Five years |
| iGCSE English as a First Language (Syllabus 0500 & 0522) | Minimum: 0522: Overall Grade C 0500: Overall Grade C and Grade 2 in Speaking and Listening |
N/A | Five years |
| TOEFL IBT | Total = 79-89 Minimum: Reading – 18 Listening – 17 Speaking – 20 Writing – 17 |
N/A | Two years |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) | Minimum overall score of 169, with no component score below 162 | N/A | Two years |
| IB | Grade 5 in Higher level or Standard level English A or B | N/A | Five years |
| Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English (ISE) | ISE II, ISE III, ISE IV; Merit in each component. All components must have been studied on the same day as each other | N/A | Two years |
| Oxford Test of English | Minimum overall score of 126 with no component below 111 | Minimum overall score of 226 with no component below 141 | Two years |
| WAEC (awarded up to and including 1998) WASSCE (awarded from 1999 onwards) |
Grades A1 – C6 | N/A | N/A |
| Bachelor or Masters degree | Bachelor or Masters degree achieved in the last five years, either at a university in the UK or at a university in a majority English-speaking country as per the UKVI list below. An ECCTIS statement is required if applying from a UKVI list country. | N/A | Five years |
| English from Class XII (India) Senior School Certificate Indian School Certificate Only when awarded by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) or Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations |
70% in English | N/A | 10 years |