This page is specifically for those wishing to apply for a Postgraduate Research degree. If you are interested in applying for a Postgraduate taught degree, then please read the guidance on English language requirements for Postgraduate taught degrees.
If you apply to study at the University of Bath and your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum English language requirements before you can start your course.
If you need a Student visa to study in the UK, you will need to meet the UK Home Office requirements. You will not need to provide an English language test result if you are a national of one of the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) recognised majority English-speaking countries and have been permanently domiciled in the country..
You are welcome to apply before taking an English language test. If you are made an offer it will be conditional upon you providing us with evidence that you have met the English language requirements for your course. You can find what the requirements are on the relevant course page.
There are some Doctoral scholarships and funding competitions that require the English language requirements to be met before the application deadline. You will need to check the individual scholarship and funding webpages.
Accepted English language tests
We accept a variety of English language tests for the majority of our postgraduate research degrees. The tables below show the equivalent grades for each test.
You must have passed your English language test no more than 24 months before the start date of your course.
If you defer your offer, you will need to make sure that your English language test results are still valid for the start of your course.
| Tests Accepted | Faculty of Science, Faculty of Engineering & Design, and PhD PoLIS | School of Management and Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (excluding PhD PoLIS) |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS for UKVI or IELTS Academic including One Skill Retake (Test Centre or Online) | IELTS 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in each component | IELTS 7.0 with no less than 6.5 in each component |
| Duolingo* | 120 overall with minimum sub scores of Speaking 110, Writing 110, Reading 110 and Listening 105 | 130 overall with minimum sub scores of Speaking 120, Writing 130, Reading 120 and Listening 115 |
| Pearson Test of English (PTE). We accept PTE Academic UKVI or PTE Academic only. We do not accept the PTE Academic Online test | 62 with no less than 59 in each component | 69 with no less than 62 in each component |
| Cambridge Certificate of proficiency in English (CPE) | 176 with no less than 169 in each component | 185 with no less than 176 in each component |
| Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) | 176 with no less than 169 in each component | 185 with no less than 176 in each component |
| TOEFL iBT or TOEFL iBT Home Edition - tests taken before 21 January 2026 | 90 overall with no less than 21 in each component | 100 overall with no less than 24 in each component |
| TOEFL iBT or TOEFL iBT Home Edition - tests taken on or after 21 January 2026 | 4.5 overall with no less than 4.0 in each component | 5.0 overall with no less than 4.5 in each component |
| LanguageCert Academic SELT or LanguageCert Academic (Test Centre or Online) | 70 overall with no less than 65 in each of the four skills of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking | 75 overall, with no less than 70 in each of the four skills of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking |
| LanguageCert International ESOL SELT B2 or LanguageCert International ESOL (Test Centre or Online) | B2 Communicator High Pass overall with an aggregate score of no less than 101 in Listening, Reading and Writing (with no less than 33 in each component) and a score of no less than 38 in Speaking | C1 Expert Pass with no less than 33 in each of the four skills of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking component |
| Trinity College London ISE** | ISE II 96 overall with no less than 90 in each of the four skills of Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing | ISE III 105 overall with no less than 96 in each of the four skills of Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing |
| Skills for English SELT | B2 Pass with Merit overall and in all four components | C1 Pass overall and in all four components |
*We are not able to accept the Duolingo test for entry onto the PhD Management or Integrated PhD Management courses.
** If you took the Trinity College London ISE test and received a score of Pass, Merit or Distinction, please contact the Doctoral Admissions team for score equivalencies.
Exemptions
If you have completed a Bachelor's or Master’s degree in the UK or in a UKVI recognised majority English-speaking country, or you have been awarded a qualification at this level from a non-majority English speaking country but for which the sole medium of instruction was English, you may be exempt from providing an English language test depending on how long it is since you graduated.
Generally, you must have graduated no more than two years before your intended PhD start date for this to apply, unless you have continued to live in a majority English speaking country since you graduated. A longer period may apply if you are from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda or India and completed your secondary school education in this country also. Please contact the Doctoral Admissions team for further information.
Pre-sessional Programmes
Applicants who need to improve their English language skills may be able to attend a pre-sessional programme at the University of Bath. We provide a range of courses that will help you to improve your English and academic skills to be ready to start your studies at Bath.