Accepted qualifications and English tests
We accept a range of English language qualifications as evidence of your abilities. These qualifications are all checked by our International Centre for English to ensure they meet our requirements.
Their syllabuses are mapped against the four components of listening, reading, writing and speaking to ensure they are comparable to CEFR level B2 in each of these components.
For the majority of our courses, an IELTS of 6.0 overall (with no band below 5.5) is required, however, please note that some courses may require a higher IELTS score. Please check with the University if you are unsure.
Please note:
- Some of these qualifications may have a validity of two years from the date of the test.
- If you have a UK Bachelor Degree or an equivalent qualification that was studied in a majority English speaking country, you will not be required to hold one of these English language qualifications.
English tests accepted
English Test Grade and Information
BCU English Proficiency Test
For online Presessional Course: Yes
For September 2022 Direct entry: Yes
IELTS Academic
For online Presessional Course: Yes
For September 2022 Direct entry: Yes
IELTS 6.0 with no banding below 5.5
Please note select courses require higher IELTS
OIDI ELLT (OIETC)
For Online Presessional Course: Yes
For September 2022 direct entry: Yes
Oxford International English Test Centre - English Language Level Test
| BCU/IELTS English language requirement | EllT/CEFR |
|---|---|
| 5.5 | 4/B2 |
| 6.0 | 5/B2+ |
| 6.5 | 6/C1 |
| 7.0 | 7/C1+ |
Validity: 18 months
Discount code: ELLT60
IELTS Indicator
For online Presessional Course: Yes
For January 2022 Direct entry: Yes
For September 2022 Direct entry: Yes
The same band scores as IELTS.
Pearson test of English (PTE) - Academic
For Presessional Course: Yes
For September 2022 Direct entry: Yes
| IELTS equivalent | PTE Academic |
|---|---|
| 4.0 | 43 |
| 4.5 | 48 |
| 5.0 | 53 |
| 5.5 | 59 |
| 6.0 | 64 |
| 6.5 | 70 |
| 7.0 | 76 |
Pearson test of English (PTE) - Academic ONLINE
For online Presessional Course:
For September 2022 Direct entry:
| IELTS equivalent | PTE Academic |
|---|---|
| 4.0 | 43 |
| 4.5 | 48 |
| 5.0 | 53 |
| 5.5 | 59 |
| 6.0 | 64 |
| 6.5 | 70 |
| 7.0 | 76 |
TOEFL iBT (if taken at test centre outside the UK) / TOEFL iBT Home Edition - Requirements based on IELTS equivalent
For online Presessional Course: Yes
For September 2022 Direct entry: Yes
| IELTS equivalent | TOEFL Total/overall | TOEFL reading | TOEFL Listening | TOEFL Speaking | TOEFL writing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | 48 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 14 |
| 4.5 | 56 | 10 | 13 | 18 | 15 |
| 5.0 | 64 | 14 | 15 | 19 | 16 |
| 5.5 | 72 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 17 |
| 6.0 | 80 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 19 |
| 6.5 | 88 | 22 | 20 | 23 | 21 |
| 7.0 | 95 | 24 | 22 | 25 | 24 |
LanguageCert International ESOL SELT B2
(Available at UKVI approved test centres only)
For online Presessional Course: Yes
For September 2022 Direct entry: Yes
| LanguageCert IESOL B2 Exam | IELTS 5.5 equivalence (all skills) | IELTS 6.0 or 6.5 equivalence (all skills) |
|---|---|---|
| Written Exam | Pass | High Pass |
| Spoken Exam | Pass | High Pass |
Numerical Scores by Skill
| LanguageCert IESOL B2 Exam Non-SELT | LC score (IELTS 5.5 equivalence) | LC score (IELTS 6.0 equivalence) | LC score (IELTS 6.5 equivalence) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 25-32/50 | 33-38/50 | 39-50/50 |
| Reading | 25-32/50 | 33-38/50 | 39-50/50 |
| Writing | 25-32/50 | 33-38/50 | 39-50/50 |
| Speaking | 25-32/50 | 33-38/50 | 39-50/50 |
Only when both Written and Spoken exams are taken within 14 days of each other.
The qualification should be valid for two years from the date of issue and should still be valid on the date of issue and should still be valid on the date on enrolment onto a BCU course
LanguageCert International ESOL SELT B1
(available at UKVI approved test centres only)
For online Presessional Course: Yes
For September 2022 Direct entry: Yes (for online presessional courses only)
Pass/High Pass Grading
| LanguageCert IESOL B2 Exam | IELTS 4.0 equivalence (all skills) | IELTS 4.5 or 5.0 equivalence (all skills) |
|---|---|---|
| Written Exam | Pass | High Pass |
| Spoken Exam | Pass | High Pass |
Numerical Scores by Skill
| LanguageCert IESOL B1 Exam SELT | LC score (IELTS 4.0 equivalence) | LC score (IELTS 4.5 equivalence) | LC score (IELTS 5.0 equivalence) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 25-32/50 | 33-38/50 | 39-50/50 |
| Reading | 25-32/50 | 33-38/50 | 39-50/50 |
| Writing | 25-32/50 | 33-38/50 | 39-50/50 |
| Speaking | 25-32/50 | 33-38/50 | 39-50/50 |
Only when both Written and Spoken exams are taken within 14 days of each other.
The qualification should be valid for two years from the date of issue and should still be valid on the date on enrolment onto a BCU course.
Euroexam Academic English C1
For online Presessional Course: Yes
For September 2022 Direct entry: Yes
C1 Pass (60% overall, no less than 50% in each skill) – BCU courses requiring overall IELTS 6.0 – 7.0
http://www.euroexam.com/the-exams/euroexam-academic-english-c1
LanguageCert International ESOL SELT B2 (non-SELT)
(Available online or at a test centre)
For online Presessional Course: Yes
For September 2022 Direct entry: Yes
| LanguageCert IESOL B2 Exam | IELTS 5.5 equivalence (all skills) | IELTS 6.0 or 6.5 equivalence (all skills) |
|---|---|---|
| Written Exam | Pass | High Pass |
| Spoken Exam | Pass | High Pass |
Numerical Scores by Skill
| LanguageCert IESOL B2 Exam Non-SELT | LC score (IELTS 5.5 equivalence) | LC score (IELTS 6.0 equivalence) | LC score (IELTS 6.5 equivalence) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 25-32/50 | 33-38/50 | 39-50/50 |
| Reading | 25-32/50 | 33-38/50 | 39-50/50 |
| Writing | 25-32/50 | 33-38/50 | 39-50/50 |
| Speaking | 25-32/50 | 33-38/50 | 39-50/50 |
Only when both Written and Spoken exams are taken within 14 days of each other.
The qualification should be valid for two years from the date of issue and should still be valid on the date of issue and should still be valid on the date on enrolment onto a BCU course.
LanguageCert International ESOL SELT B1 (non-SELT)
(Available online or at a test centre)
For online Presessional Course: Yes
For September 2021 Direct entry:
Pass/High Pass Grading
| LanguageCert IESOL B2 Exam | IELTS 4.0 equivalence (all skills) | IELTS 4.5 or 5.0 equivalence (all skills) |
|---|---|---|
| Written Exam | Pass | High Pass |
| Spoken Exam | Pass | High Pass |
Numerical Scores by Skill
| LanguageCert IESOL B1 Exam SELT | LC score (IELTS 4.0 equivalence) | LC score (IELTS 4.5 equivalence) | LC score (IELTS 5.0 equivalence) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 25-32/50 | 33-38/50 | 39-50/50 |
| Reading | 25-32/50 | 33-38/50 | 39-50/50 |
| Writing | 25-32/50 | 33-38/50 | 39-50/50 |
| Speaking | 25-32/50 | 33-38/50 | 39-50/50 |
Only when both Written and Spoken exams are taken within 14 days of each other.
The qualification should be valid for two years from the date of issue and should still be valid on the date on enrolment onto a BCU course.
Cambridge C1 Advanced (formerly Cambridge English: Advanced/CAE)
For Presessional Course:
For September 2022 Direct entry:
| IELTS | 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 7.0 |
| Reading | 162 | 169 | 176 | 185 |
| Listening | 162 | 169 | 176 | 185 |
| Speaking | 162 | 169 | 176 | 185 |
| Writing | 162 | 169 | 176 | 185 |
| Overall | 162 | 169 | 176 | 185 |
Validity: two years
Cambridge C2 Proficiency (formerly Cambridge English:
Proficiency/CPE)For online Presessional Course:
For September 2022 Direct entry:
|
IELTS |
5.5 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 7.0 |
| Reading | 162 | 169 | 176 | 185 |
| Listening | 162 | 169 | 176 | 185 |
| Speaking | 162 | 169 | 176 | 185 |
| Writing | 162 | 169 | 176 | 185 |
| Overall | 162 | 169 | 176 | 185 |
Validity: two years
English Qualifications accepted
Please note the grades shown below are equivalence to IELTS 6.0 with no skills lower than 5.5. If higher scores are required from your course, you will need to achieve higher grades in your qualification.
(Cambridge syllabus 1123 is NOT accepted)
Brunei Cambridge General Certificate of Education Ordinary level – syllabus 1120
C and above
Bulgarian High School Diploma 5.0 English
Foreign Language I
European Baccalaureate
| IELTS equivalent band (overall) |
|||
| EB English Language | 6.0 | 6.5 | 7.0 |
| L1 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 |
| L2 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 |
| L3 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 9.0 |
Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC) - Level 5 course in communications
50% and above, on a case by case basis
GCSE: AQA Board
Grade 4 and above
GCSE: Edexcel Board
Grade 4 and above
GCSE: OCR Board
Grade 4 and above
GCSE: WJEC Board
Grade 4 and above
Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education
All four skills (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking) must be assessed and with scores shown on certificate.
|
HKDSE English Language Subject Level |
Overall IELTS Band Score Equivalent Range |
BCU courses overall IELTS requirement |
|
5** |
7.51 - 7.77 |
7.5 |
|
5% |
7.16 - 7.32 |
7.0 |
|
5 |
6.81 - 6.99 |
6.5 |
|
4 |
6.31 - 6.51 |
6.0 |
|
3 |
5.48 - 5.68 |
5.5 |
|
2 |
4.79 - 5.07 |
5.0 |
IGCSE: Cambridge Board (1st Language)
Syllabus 0627/0522
Grade 4/ C with band 3 or above in Speaking (5 highest)
Syllabus 0500
Grade C with band 3 or above (5 highest) in either component 5 or 6
(Syllabus 1123 is NOT accepted)
IGCSE: Cambridge Board (2nd Language)
Before March 2017 – Grade 7 (Grade A)
After March 2017 –
Syllabus 0510 – Grade C with grade 2 or grade 1 for Speaking
Syllabus 0511 – Grade C
Syllabus 0991 - Grade 4
Syllabus 0993 - Grade 4 with distinction for Speaking
(Syllabus 1123 is NOT accepted)
IGCSE: Edexcel Board
English as first language – Grade 4 (Grade C)
English as second language – Grade 7 (Grade A)
Indian Standard XII
Accepted boards: Andhra Pradesh, Central Board Secondary Education (CBSE), CISCE, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu
65% - For courses requiring IELTS 6.0 overall
70% - For courses requiring IELTS 6.5 overall
80% - For courses requiring IELTS 7.0 overall
International Baccalaureate Diploma
| IELTS equivalent band (overall) |
||||
| IB Diploma English Language course | 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 7.0 |
| English B SL | 5 | 6 | 7 | N/A |
| English B HL | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| English A: Language and Literature SL | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 |
| English A: Language and Literature HL | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| English A: Literature SL | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| English A: Literature HL | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| English Literature and Performance | 5 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
INTO – INTO English Language Assessment Requirements based on IELTS equivalent
|
IELA |
IELTS |
|
162 - 168 |
5.5 |
|
169 - 175 |
6.0 |
|
176 - 184 |
6.5 |
|
185 |
7.0 |
INTO – University of East Anglia (UEA) Requirements based on IELTS equivalent
|
English Language and Study Skills |
IELTS |
|
55% |
5.5 |
|
60% |
6.0 |
|
65% |
6.5 |
|
70% |
7.0 |
INTO – University of Exeter Requirements based on IELTS equivalent
Overall 6.0 with no banding below 5.5
Kaplan EAP
| Kaplan KIC band (EAP module) | |
| IELTS equivalent | Overall, Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking |
| 5.5 | 55 |
| 6.0 | 60 |
| 6.5 | 65 |
| 7.0 | 70 |
Kaplan International Tool for English (KITE)
| BCU IELTS English Language Requirement | KITE Scores |
| 5.5 | 396 - 425 |
| 6.0 | 426 - 458 |
| 6.5 | 459 - 494 |
| 7.0 | 495 - 526 |
Test scores are valid for 2 years
Kaplan Pre-sessional English and Academic Skills (PS) in Thailand, on campus
| BCU courses overall IELTS requirement | Kaplan band | Research project % |
| 6.0 | 60 or above (no less than 55 in each skill) | 40% or above |
| 6.5 | 65 or above (no less than 60 in each skill) | 50% or above |
| 7.0 | 75 or above (no less than 70 in each skill) | 65% or above |
Kings Education Advanced Level Foundation Year-English for Academic Purposes (UK Colleges: Bournemouth, Brighton, London, Oxford, Thailand: Bangkok)
|
BCU Overall IELTS English Language Requirement |
Kings Education CSS Module Final Grade |
|
6.0 |
60% |
|
6.5 |
65% |
|
7.0 |
70% |
The Language Gallery (UK) Pre-sessional B2-C1
For January 2021 and September 2021 intakes only.
| BCU courses requiring overall IELTS 6.0 | TLG grade 70-79% |
| BCU courses requiring overall IELTS 6.5 | TLG grade 80-89% |
| BCU courses requiring overall IELTS 7.0 | TLG grade 90%+ |
Latvian High School Diploma / Certificate of General Secondary Education
B2 test at 80% or above
Lithuanian High School Diploma / Brandos Atestatas (Secondary School Leaving Certificate / Maturity Certificate)
B2 test at a score of 8 or above
Malaysia Cambridge General Certificate of Education Ordinary level (syllabus 1119)
1 – 6 before 2008 / C or above after 2008
Mauritius Cambridge International General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level – syllabus 1125/1126
Grade C and above
Navitas Academic English 2 (AE2) and Academic English 3 (AE3)
Overall pass of 55% in AE2 for programmes requiring IELTS 5.5
Overall pass of 60% in AE3 for programmes requiring IELTS 6.0
Overall pass of 65% in AE3 for programmes requiring IELTS 6.5
Overall pass of 70% in AE3 for programmes requiring IELTS 7.0
NCUK, English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Syllabus Requirements based on IELTS equivalent
|
NCUK EAP |
IELTS |
|
D (40 - 49%) |
5.5 |
|
C (50 - 59%) |
6.0 |
|
B (60 - 69%) |
6.5 |
|
A (70-79%) |
7.0 |
Password Skills Solo (INTO London only)
| IELTS Equivalence | Password Skills Solo (INTO London only) |
| 4.0 | 4.0 |
| 4.5 | 4.5 |
| 5.0 | 5.0 |
| 5.5 | 5.5 |
| 6.0 | 6.0 |
| 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 7.0 | 7.0 |
Test scores are valid for 2 years
Romanian Baccalaureate
|
BCU overall IELTS requirement |
RB Grade |
|
5.5 6.0 6.5 |
B2 in at least 3 language components |
|
7.0 |
N/A |
Singapore Cambridge General Certificate of Education Ordinary level – syllabus 1127 and 1128
C6 - For courses requiring IELTS 6.0 overall
C5 - For courses requiring IELTS 6.5 overall
B3 - For courses requiring IELTS 7.0 overall
Sri Lanka General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level English Language
C and above
South and City College Birmingham, Pre-Sessional English
| IELTS equivalent | SSCB Pre-sessional English Final Assessment |
| 5.5 | 5.5 |
| 6.0 | 6.0 |
| 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 7.0 | 7.0 |
The Study Group: Academic English Skills (Previously English and Skills for University Study (ESUS) modules 1-3)
| IELTS band score | Study Skills AES |
| 5.5 | 40% |
| 6.0 | 50% |
| 6.5 | 60% |
| 7.0 | 70% |
WASSCE (West Africa Senior Schools Certificate Examination): West African Examination Council (WAEC)
A to C or 1 to 6. We only accept qualifications obtained from 2000 onwards.
C6 – For courses requiring IELTS 6.0 overall
C5 – For courses requiring IELTS 6.5 overall
B3 – For courses requiring IELTS 7.0 overall
Zimbabwe General Certificate of Education English Language Syllabus (1122) (ZIMSEC)
Grade C and above
For Initial Teacher Training (ITT) programmes you will be required to complete a BCU in-house English Language test if you do not hold a GCSE grade C/4 or above or an approved Level 2 equivalent in English Language. You would need to obtain an IELTS with an overall score of 7.0 with no bands below 6.5. This will also be the same for Mathematics and Science.