It is essential that you can read and interpret academic journal articles, communicate effectively and write at a doctorate level, regardless of your nationality or country of residence.
We welcome a range of internationally recognised formal English tests and in addition if you have already completed an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in an official English recognised speaking country, this may also meet the requirement.
Postgraduate Research courses (e.g, MRes, MPhil, PhD) normally require an IELTS (or acceptable equivalent test) with a score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.5 in all 4 components. SELT Test reports, such as IELTS as well as other standalone English tests, are valid for a period of 2 years only and can be used as proof of English for admission if valid on the start date of your course.
English test qualifications we accept
View landscape if on a mobile.
| Qualification | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Listening | Overall |
| All Indian State Boards - Senior Secondary and CISCE/CBSE (Year 12) – English or English Core | - | - | - | - | 65% or above |
| All India Secondary School Examination XII/12th Year | - | - | - | - | 65% or above |
| BACIET – English Test | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Bellerby's Foundation Programme English | 65% | 65% | 65% | 65% | 65% |
| Cambridge English: B2 First | 176 | 176 | 176 | 176 | 176 |
| Cambridge English: C1 Advanced | 176 | 176 | 176 | 176 | 176 |
| Cambridge English: C2 Proficiency | 176 | 176 | 176 | 176 | 180 |
| Cambridge - IGCSE - First language | B | B | B(2) | B | B |
| Cambridge - IGCSE - Second language - Oral Counted in | A | A | A | A | A |
| Cambridge - IGCSE - Second language - Oral separate endorsement | A | A | 1 | A | A(1) |
| Cambridge English – Brunei 1120 Syllabus | - | - | - | - | B |
| Cambridge English – Mauritius 1125 Syllabus | - | - | - | - | B |
| Cambridge English – Singapore 1128 Syllabus | - | - | - | - | B |
| Cambridge English – All other countries with 1123 Syllabus | - | - | - | - | B |
| Canadian Secondary Schooling Certificate or Diploma | - | - | - | - | B |
| Heriot Watt Portfolio Pre Sessional Programme | B | B | B | B | B |
| HKDSE English Language | - | - | - | - | 5 or above |
| Hong Kong HKALE AS Level English | - | - | - | - | C or above |
| IELTS Academic | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| IELTS Academic SELT Consortium - UKVI IELTS | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| IELTS One Skill Retake* | (6.5) | (6.5) | (6.5) | (6.5) | (6.5) |
| Integrated Skills in English (ISE III) | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass |
| Integrated Skills in English (ISE II) | Distinction | Distinction | Distinction | Distinction | Distinction |
| International Baccalaureate - English A Literature/Literature & Language | - | - | - | - | HL5 |
| International Baccalaureate - English B | - | - | - | - | HL6 |
| INTO ESS (IFYF001) | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 |
| Kaplan Test of English (KTE) | 478 | 478 | 478 | 478 | 478 |
| Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education - English | - | - | - | - | C or above |
| LanguageCert International - ESOL B2 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 |
| LanguageCert Academic - SELT & Non-UKVI | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 |
| Linguaskill General Test | 175 | 175 | 175 | 175 | 175 |
| Malaysian Secondary English CEFR standard | C1 | C1 | C1 | C1 | C1 |
| MUET - Malaysian University Entrance Test | - | - | - | - | Band 5 |
| NCUK Masters Preparation | B | B | B | B | B |
| Nigerian Examinations Council (NECO) - English | - | - | - | - | C6 or above |
| OI Digital Institute (Oxford International) - OPSE | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| OI Digital Institute (Oxford International) - ELLT | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Password Skills Plus - At Home Test | B2/6.5 | B2/6.5 | B2/6.5 | B2/6.5 | B2/6.5 |
| Pearson PTE Academic** | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 |
| Skills for English - PSI | Pass with Merit | Pass with Merit | Pass with Merit | Pass with Merit | Pass with Merit |
| TOEFL iBT & MyBest™ | 22 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 88 |
| TOEFL iBT - Home Edition | 22 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 88 |
| TOEFL iBT Paper Edition | 22 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 88 |
| Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) with English | - | - | - | - | C6 or above |
| West African Senior School Certificate (WAEC) - English | - | - | - | - | C6 or above |
| Zimbabwe Certificate of Secondary Education (ZIMSEC)/ Cambridge Higher School Certificate O Level | - | - | - | - | C |
*The IELTS retake permits test takers to resit ONE section which may then also affect the final overall score. The retake can only be sat if you sat the full IELTS test in the last 60 days. All results remain valid for 2 years from the original test date.
** We currently only accept the Pearson PTE Academic when sat in a test centre. We do not accept the PTE Academic Online test yet where the applicant requires this as part of their visa application.
Please note, some courses may require a higher standard of English than stated in this page. Refer to course details or contact admissions@rgu.ac.uk for further information.