If English is not your own first language, it is now required by law for you to demonstrate that you have a suitable level of English language skills before you can start your postgraduate programme. The UK Border Agency outlines the requirements that international students need to meet for a Tier 4 visa.
There are several different types of Secure English Language Tests - all with minimum scores required to allow the international student to study in the UK. However universities will set their own English language requirements which could be higher than the minimum score required by the UKBA so please checke with your chosen institution before applying. Students from some countries outside the UK are not required to do a SELT - please check with the UKBA website.
Cambridge English exams are accepted by almost all UK universities and colleges as proof of English language skills. The TOEFL® (Test of English as a Foreign Language™) and IELTS (International English Language Testing System) are designed to test academic English.
Cambridge ESOL
• Cambridge English: Advanced, commonly known as the Certificate in Advanced English - CAE
• Cambridge English: Proficiency, commonly known as the Certificate of Proficiency in English - CPE
Cambridge English exams are accepted by almost all UK universities and colleges as proof of English language skills. They are accepted by the UK Border Agency for Tier 4 student visas and students can also gain valuable UCAS Tariff Points that can be used when applying to UK universities. Cambridge English exams can be taken in 2,500 centres in over 130 countries. To find your nearest centre visit: www.CambridgeESOL.org/Centres
Cambridge English exams are accepted by over 11,000 universities, colleges and employers around the world. To find out if Cambridge English: Advanced or Proficiency is the right exam for you, visit our Global Online Recognition Database to see where the exams are used and accepted.
Click here to find more in-depth information about Cambridge English exams.
IELTS
IELTS measures ability to communicate in English across all four language skills – listening, reading, writing and speaking – for people who intend to study or work where English is the language of communication. IELTS is internationally owned by the British Council, University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations and IDP:IELTS Australia. Over one million people a year are now using IELTS to open doors to international education and employment opportunities in the English-speaking world and beyond.
Students planning to undertake postgraduate studies in English will need to take the Academic IELTS test. The institution you are applying to will specify their required IELTS module and minimum band score needed for admission. IELTS test centres can be found in over 500 locations across 121 countries, and IELTS scores are accepted by over 6,000 education institutions and professional organisations around the world. You can search a complete database of IELTS test centres, where you can also use an online Global Recognition System to search the thousands of institutions that accept an IELTS score as proof of English language proficiency.
IELTS offers up to 48 test dates in a year or up to 4 test dates in a month. With the increasing popularity of IELTS, you should check the test date availability with your selected test centre and book your test before the closing date for registration. The test fee varies, but you can use the test centre database to find out the test fee in your country.
Click here for more in-depth information about the IELTS test.
TOEFL®
The TOEFL® test is the most widely accepted English-language test in the world. TOEFL scores are accepted by more than 8,000 universities, agencies and other institutions in 130 countries, including the top universities in the U.K
The TOEFL test also has the most testing locations, with more than 4,500 secure, internet-based testing sites in 165 countries, so there is probably a test site near you. The test is administered 30-40 times a year.
The test has four sections — reading, listening, speaking and writing — and uses integrated tasks to measure the skills you need to communicate in an academic setting.
ETS offers several resources to help you prepare for the test and study abroad. The TOEFL Journey™ program is a free online tool that provides customized information at every stage of your study-abroad journey. The bestselling test-prep book The Official Guide to the TOEFL® Test includes in-depth information about the test from the people who make the test. And TOEFL® Practice Online gives the real test experience so you can be confident and prepared.
To learn more about the TOEFL test, get official test prep, and register, visit: www.toeflgoanywhere.org
Click here for more in-depth information about the TOEFL® test.
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