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English Language Requirements - Postgraduate Taught

Please note: English Language requirements for 2022 will be available soon.

Students who are nationals of a majority English-speaking country may be accepted without an English qualification if during the application process it has been demonstrated that you are able to understand written and spoken English to the required level.

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

*Canadian nationals are exempt from English. Non-Canadian nationals are exempt from English if their entire degree has been studied at an Anglophone Canadian university.

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 Any applicant found to have submitted a fraudulent score will have their application withdrawn.

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

Programmes starting from September 2021 onwards – these tests are valid for 2 years prior to the start of the programme.

The University can accept one of the other tests listed below, provided that they have been completed no more than seven years prior to enrolment**. However, if you are an international student from outside the European Union, and you need a visa in order to study at the University, this will be in exceptional circumstances only, and in line with UKVI guidance. In such cases we may also require applicants to satisfactorily complete an interview or further assessment before we issue a CAS (Certificate of Acceptance to Study). Our strong recommendation is therefore that students requiring a visa obtain an IELTS, PTE, CAE or TOEFL iBT test if possible.

Applicants who have completed a full degree in a majority English-speaking country no more than two years prior to enrolment are exempt from the need to provide a further assessment of their linguistic ability.

If the IELTS requirement for your programme of interest differs from that listed below, please enquire online for clarification.

** Duolingo is acceptable for 2021 entry only provided it is taken within 2 years prior to the start of the programme.

 Qualification Minimum equivalent grade for programmes requiring IELTS 6.5 overall with not less than 6 in any section Minimum equivalent grade for programmes requiring equivalent of IELTS 7 overall and no less than 6 in any section
A or AS level English Grade D or above Grade C or above
GCSE English Language / Cambridge GCE O Level / Cambridge Overseas School Certificate Grade C or above Grade B or above
Bellerbys AES
Minimum of 65% overall, no less than 60% in any subskill Minimum of 70% overall, no less than 60% in any subskill
Cambridge IGCSE English as a First Language  Grade C or above Grade B or above
Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language Grade B or above Grade A or above
Cambridge Pre-U Literature in English (Principal Subject) P2 or above M3 or above
Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) Grades 3-6 (credit); Grade C Grades 1 and 2 (distinction); Grades A and B
Cambridge English: Advanced or Proficiency 176 overall, no less than 169 in any element 185 overall, no less than 169 in any element
Duolingo (acceptable for 2021 entry only) 115 125
Edexcel IGCSE English as a First Language Grade C or above Grade B or above
Edexcel IGCSE English as a Second Language Grade B or above Grade A or above
European Baccalaureate L1: English: 60% or above
L2: English: 70% or above
L3: English: 70% or above
L1: English: 70% or above
L2: English: 80% or above
L3: English: 80% or above
French Baccalaureate (option International du Baccalaureat) English: Grade 12 (English: Grade 10) English: Grade 12 (English: Grade 10)
Hong Kong applicants HKDSE English (Core) Level 4 overall HKDSE English (Core) Level 5** overall
IELTS Indicator 6.5 overall and no less than 6 in any section IELTS 7.0 overall and no less than 6 in any other section
Indian Standard XII English at first attempt (CBSE, ISC, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi,
Goa, Karnataka, Kerala Boards)
75% 80%
Indian Standard XII English at first attempt (West Bengal Board) 65% 70%
International Baccalaureate English Standard Level Grade 5 or Higher Level Grade 4 or above Standard Level Grade 5 or Higher Level Grade 4 or above
Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education English: Grade C (4) or above English: Grade B or above
LanguageCert SELT B2 Communicator with minimum of 39 in speaking, writing, listening & reading C1 Expert with minimum of 25 in speaking, writing, listening & reading
Malaysian SPM English (1119 / O level paper only) Grade C or above Grade B or above
Norwegian Vitnemal – videregaende opplaering English: Overall score of 4 or above English: Overall score of 5 or above
NCUK's EAP (English for Academic Purposes) Please view the NCUK_EAP_Qualifications 
Ontario Secondary School Certificate English Grade C (75%) or above English Grade B (80%) or above
Singaporean Applicants

Singapore-Cambridge O level English grade C or Singapore Integrated Programme Secondary 4 English Language/Language Arts grade C or better

General Paper is not acceptable proof of English Language proficiency.

Singapore-Cambridge O level English grade C or Singapore Integrated Programme Secondary 4 English Language/Language Arts grade B or better

General Paper is not acceptable proof of English Language proficiency.

South African National Senior Certificate/South African Matriculation Certificate English: Grade 4 English: Grade 5
Trinity ISE exams (SELT variant only) ISE III (SELT variant only) with merit in writing section and pass in all other sections ISE III (SELT variant only) with merit in writing and one other section and pass in all other sections
West African Examinations Council SSCE in English at first sitting English: Grade C6 or above English: Grade B3 or above
Uganda National Examinations Board Certificate of Education (UCE) Grades 3-6 (credit); Grade C Grades 1 and 2 (distinction); Grades A and B
USA High School Graduation Diploma English Grade C (75–79%) or above English Grade B (80–89%) or above
Zimbabwe General Certificate of Education O level English: Grade C or above English: Grade B or above
Zimbabwe General Certificate of Education Advanced level English (ZIMSEC) English: Grade D or above English: Grade C or above

If you wish to defer your entry to the University, we may ask you to re-take your test if your original offer was based on a test which will be out of date at the point of registration. 

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.

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

Exemptions

Full degrees studied in full and completed in a majority speaking English country if taken no more than two years prior to enrolment.

Our Pre-sessional English programmes are designed to improve your English language skills to meet the standard required for your chosen degree at the University of Exeter. To find out more, and to submit an application, please visit the INTO University of Exeter website.

If you successfully complete the Pre-Sessional English programme 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.

If you have taken any other accepted test and wish to confirm if a pre-sessional English course is required or recommended, please contact us

Please visit the webpage for your chosen programme of study and click on ‘Typical offer’. You will then be able to view our English Language requirements for that specific programme. A full list of Postgraduate programmes can be found on our Postgraduate Taught website.