English language and English tests
- Overview
- Accepted qualifications
- Pre-sessional English courses
- Foundation English
- In-country English
- Tests in the UK
- Tests outside the UK
- Other English tests
- Tests online
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.
Please note that 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.
Newly accepted qualifications
IELTS indicator
For online PSE, ICP: Yes
For 2020 Direct entry: Yes
The same band scores as IELTS
DuoLingo English Test
For online PSE, ICP: Yes
For 2020 Direct entry: No
| IELTS equivalence | Duolingo |
|---|---|
4.0 | 55-64 |
4.5 | 65-74 |
5.0 | 75-84 |
5.5 | 85-94 |
6.0 | 95-104 |
6.5 | 105-114 |
7.0 | 115-124 |
TOEFL Special Home Edition (Not available in China or Iran)
For online PSE, ICP: Yes
For 2020 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 PSE, ICP: Yes
For 2020 Direct entry: Yes
| IELTS equivalent | LanguageCert B2 (all skills) |
|---|---|
| 6.0 or 6.5 | High Pass |
| 5.5 | Pass |
(Validity: two years)
Speaking test must be taken within two weeks prior to or after the written test.
LanguageCert International ESOL B2 (non-SELT)
(available online or at a test centre)
For online PSE, ICP: Yes
For 2020 Direct entry: Yes (degree level or above)
| LanguageCert IESOL B2 Exam | IELTS 5.5 equivalance (all skills) |
IELTS 6.0 or 6.5 equivalance (all skills) |
|---|---|---|
| Written Exam | Pas | High Pass |
| Spoken Exam | Pas | High Pass |
Only when both Written and Spoken exams are taken within fourteen (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.
LanguageCert International ESOL SELT B1
(Available at UKVI approved test centres only)
For online PSE, ICP: Yes
For 2020 Direct entry: Yes (for pre-sessional courses and FCEAP only)
| IELTS equivalent | LanguageCert B2 (all skills) |
|---|---|
| 4.5 or 5.0 | High Pass |
| 4.0 | Pass |
(Validity: two years)
Speaking test must be taken within two weeks prior to or after the written test.
LanguageCert International ESOL B1 (non-SELT)
(available online or at a test centre)
For online PSE, ICP: Yes
For 2020 Direct entry: No
| LanguageCert IESOL B1 Exam | IELTS 4.0 equivalance (all skills) |
IELTS 4.5 or 5.0 equivalance (all skills) |
|---|---|---|
| Written Exam | Pass | High Pass |
| Spoken Exam | Pass | High Pass |
Only when both Written and Spoken exams are taken within fourteen (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.
Pearson test of English - Academic
For online PSE, ICP: Yes
For 2020 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 |
| IELTS | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 42 | 42 | 42 | 65 |
| Listening | 42 | 42 | 42 | 65 |
| Speaking | 42 | 42 | 42 | 65 |
| Writing | 42 | 42 | 42 | 65 |
| Overall | 42 | 50 | 58 | 65 |
Qualifications accepted
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Qualification |
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| IELTS |
IELTS 6.0 with no banding below 5.5 Please note select courses require higher IELTS. Book an IELTS test in your country |
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| Bulgarian High School Diploma | 5.0 in the subject of English (Foreign Language I) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Brunei Cambridge General Certificate of Education Ordinary level – syllabus 1120 | C and above | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cambridge English Qualification: C1 Advanced (formerly Cambridge English: Advanced/CAE) |
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| European Baccalaureate |
Language 1 – 6.0 / 60% Language 2 – 7.0 / 70% Language 3 – 7.5 / 75% |
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| 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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HKDSE Hong Kong |
Grade 3 and above in each band in each target description for programmes requiring IELTS 5.5 Grade 4 and above overall with a minimum of 3 in each band in each target description for programmes requiring IELTS 6.0 Overall Grade 5 with minimum Grade 3 in each band in each target description for programmes requiring IELTS 6.5 Overall Grade 5 with minimum Grade 4 in each band in each target description for programmes requiring IELTS 7.0 2018 onwards
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| IGCSE: Cambridge Board (1st Language) | Grade 4/ C band 3 and above in Speaking (5 highest) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| IGCSE: Cambridge Board (2nd Language) |
Before March 2017 – Grade 7 (Grade A) After March 2017 – |
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| IGCSE: Edexcel Board |
English as first language – Grade 4 (Grade C) English as second language – Grade 7 (Grade A) |
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| Indian Standard XII |
65% and above in the following boards: CBSE, CISCE, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh |
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| International Baccalaureate Diploma |
English B (Standard/Higher Level) – 5 English A: Language and Literature, Literature, Literature and Performance (all at Standard/ Higher Level) – 5 |
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| INTO – INTO English Language Assessment Requirements based on IELTS equivalent |
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INTO – University of East Anglia (UEA) Requirements based on IELTS equivalent |
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INTO – University of Exeter Requirements based on IELTS equivalent |
Overall 6.0 with no banding below 5.5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kaplan Language for Study 3 (LS3) |
Overall score of 60 with: A minimum of 60 in Listening A minimum of 55 in Reading, Writing and Speaking |
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Kaplan PBEP – Diploma in Professional Business English, Level 5 (Singapore, on-campus) |
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Kaplan Pre-sessional English and Academic Skills (PS) in Thailand, on campus |
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Kings Education Advanced Level Foundation Year-English for Academic Purposes (UK Colleges: Bournemouth, Brighton, London, Oxford) |
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Latvian High School Diploma / Certificate of General Secondary Education |
B2 test at 80% or above |
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| 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 |
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NCUK, English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Syllabus Requirements based on IELTS equivalent |
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Romanian Baccalaureate |
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| Singapore Cambridge General Certificate of Education Ordinary level – syllabus 1127 and 1128 | C and above | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sri Lanka General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level English Language | C and above | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South and City College Birmingham, Pre-Sessional English | 6.0 with no banding below 5.5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thailand: Assumption University International English Language Test (AUIELT) Requirements based on IELTS equivalent |
Overall 6.0 with no banding below 5.5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Study Group: Academic English Skills (Previously English and Skills for University Study (ESUS) modules 1-3) |
Overall score of 40% with 40% in each component for programmes requiring IELTS 5.5 Overall score of 50% with 40% in each component for programmes requiring IELTS 6.0 Overall score of 60% with 40% in each component for programmes requiring IELTS 6.5 |
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| TOEFL (If taken outside the UK) - Requirements based on IELTS equivalent |
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| WASSCE (West Africa Senior Schools Certificate Examination): West African Examination Council (WAEC) | A to C or 1 to 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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.