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English language 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 January 2021 Direct entry: Yes

For September 2021 Direct entry: Yes

BCU EPT Online:

https://store.bcu.ac.uk/short-courses/non-accredited-courses/preaccess-english-courses-tests/bcu-english-proficiency-test-onlinetake-ielts/book

IELTS Academic

For online Presessional Course: Yes

For January 2021 Direct entry: Yes

For September 2021 Direct entry: Yes

IELTS 6.0 with no banding below 5.5

Please note select courses require higher IELTS

https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/take-ielts/book

IELTS Indicator

For online Presessional Course: Yes

For September 2021 Direct entry: Yes

The same band scores as IELTS.

IELTS indicator.

Pearson test of English (PTE) - Academic 

For online Presessional Course: Yes

For September 2021 Direct entry: Yes

IELTS equivalentPTE 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
IELTS equivalentPTE 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) - Requirements based on IELTS equivalent 

For online Presessional Course: Yes

For January 2021 Direct entry: Yes

For September 2021 Direct entry: Yes

IELTS equivalentTOEFL Total/overallTOEFL readingTOEFL ListeningTOEFL SpeakingTOEFL 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 January 2021 Direct entry: Yes

For September 2021 Direct entry: Yes

Pass/High grading
LanguageCert IESOL B2 ExamIELTS 5.5 equivalance
(all skills)		IELTS 6.0 or 6.5
equivalance (all skills)
Written Exam Pass High Pass
Spoken Exam Pass High Pass

Numerical Scores by Skill

LanguageCert IESOL B2 Exam Non-SELTLC 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 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 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 January 2021 Direct entry: Yes (for presessional courses only)

For September 2021 Direct entry: Yes (for presessional courses only)

Pass/High Pass Grading

LanguageCert IESOL B2 ExamIELTS 4.0 equivalance
(all skills)		IELTS 4.5 or 5.0
equivalance (all skills)
Written Exam Pass High Pass
Spoken Exam Pass High Pass

Numerical Scores by Skill

LanguageCert IESOL B1 Exam SELTLC 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 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.

Euroexam Academic English C1

For online Presessional Course: Yes

For January 2021 Direct entry: Yes

For September 2021 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 2021 Direct entry: Yes

Pass/High grading
LanguageCert IESOL B2 ExamIELTS 5.5 equivalance
(all skills)		IELTS 6.0 or 6.5
equivalance (all skills)
Written Exam Pass High Pass
Spoken Exam Pass High Pass

Numerical Scores by Skill

LanguageCert IESOL B2 Exam Non-SELTLC 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.

Book a test. 

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 ExamIELTS 4.0 equivalance
(all skills)		IELTS 4.5 or 5.0
equivalance (all skills)
Written Exam Pass High Pass
Spoken Exam Pass High Pass

Numerical Scores by Skill

LanguageCert IESOL B1 Exam SELTLC 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.

Book a test.

OIETC ELLT

Oxford International English Test Centre - English Language Level Test

BCU/IELTS English language requirementEllT/CEFR
5.5 4/B2
6.0 5/B2+
6.5 6/C1
7.0 7/C1+

Validity: two years

Register for OIETC

Discount code: ELLT60

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.

Brunei Cambridge General Certificate of Education Ordinary level – syllabus 1120

C and above

Bulgarian High School Diploma 5.0 English

Foreign Language I

Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE)
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 English Qualification: C1 Advanced (formerly Cambridge English: Advanced/CAE)
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

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 PBEP – Diploma in Professional Business English, Level 5 (Singapore, on-campus)

BCU Courses English Requirement-overall IELTS band

Kaplan PBEP Level 5 Grades

6.0 (no skill less than5.5)

Pass (P) 50-64

6.5 (no skill less than6.0)

Credit (C) 65-74

7.0 (no skill less than6.5)

Distinction (D) 75-84
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
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.

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.