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.
You are welcome to apply before taking an English language test. If you are made an offer, it will be conditional upon you providing evidence that you have met the English language requirements for your course. You can find out what the requirements are on the relevant course page.
Accepted English language tests
We accept various English language tests for the majority of our postgraduate taught courses. 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 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic (including One Skill Retake) ** | IELTS 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in each component | IELTS 7.0 with no less than 6.5 in each component | IELTS 7.0 with no less than 7.0 in each component |
| IELTS 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 | IELTS 7.0 with no less than 7.0 in each component |
| Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) only. We do not accept the PTE Academic Online test | 62 with no less than 59 in any component | 69 with no less than 62 in any component | 69 with no less than 69 in any component |
| Cambridge Certificate of proficiency in English (CPE) | 176 with no less than 169 in all elements | 185 with no less than 176 in all elements | 185 with no less than 185 in all elements |
| Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) | 176 with no less than 169 in all elements | 185 with no less than 176 in all elements | 185 with no less than 185 in all elements |
| TOEFL iBT ** | 90 overall with no less than 21 in any element | 100 overall with no less than 24 in any element | 100 overall with no less than 27 in any element |
| TOEFL iBT Home Edition ** | 90 overall with no less than 21 in any element | 100 overall with no less than 24 in any element | 100 overall with no less than 27 in any element |
| LanguageCert Academic | B2 Communicator High Pass with no less than 65 in any component | C1 Expert Pass with no less than 70 in any component | C1 Expert Pass with no less than 75 in any component |
| LanguageCert International ESOL | B2 Communicator High Pass with no less than 33 in any component | C1 Expert Pass with no less than 33 in any component | C1 Expert Pass with no less than 33 in any component |
| LanguageCert Academic SELT | B2 Communicator High Pass with no less than 65 in any component | C1 Expert Pass with no less than 70 in any component | C1 Expert Pass with no less than 75 in any component |
| LanguageCert International ESOL SELT B2 | B2 Communicator High Pass with no less than 33 in any component | C1 Expert Pass with no less than 33 in any component | C1 Expert Pass with no less than 33 in any component |
| Trinity College London | ISE III with Pass in all four components | ISE III with Merit in all four components | ISE III Distinction in writing and one other component and Merit in two components |
** For the MA Contemporary European Studies (Euromasters) and MA Contemporary European Studies with Transatlantic Track (Euromasters), we are only able to accept an IELTS or TOEFL test result.
Duolingo - Minimum Overall Score and Subscores *
| IELTS | Duolingo Overall Score | Literacy Subscore | Comprehension Subscore | Conversation Subscore | Production Subscore |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in each component | 120 | 120 | 130 | 115 | 100 |
| IELTS 7.0 with no less than 6.5 in each component | 130 | 130 | 140 | 125 | 110 |
| IELTS 7.0 with no less than 7.0 in each component | 135 | 135 | 140 | 130 | 120 |
*We are not able to accept the Duolingo test for entry onto the MA Contemporary European Studies (Euromasters), MA Contemporary European Studies with Transatlantic Track (Euromasters), MA in Interpreting and Translating, MA Translation with Business Interpreting (Chinese) and MA Translation and Professional Language Skills courses.
Exemptions
Degree from a majority English-speaking country
If you have studied at a level equivalent to a UK Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD degree for at least 12 months in a UKVI recognised majority English-speaking country, you may be exempt from providing an English language test if your degree was awarded no more than 2 years prior to the intended date of admission.
Nationals of Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and India may be exempt if your degree was awarded no more than 5 years prior to the intended date of admission.
Please contact your Admissions team to discuss.
If, as part of your application, you have provided an English language test result that does not meet the requirements of your chosen postgraduate course, you will not be exempt. You will instead need to provide an English language test result that meets the entry requirements of your course.
Nationals of India
If you are a national of India and you have studied at a level equivalent to a UK Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD degree for at least 12 months at an institution in India where the medium of instruction was English, you may be exempt from providing an English language test if your degree was awarded no more than 5 years prior to the intended date of admission.
You will need to provide an official document from your awarding university confirming that the medium of instruction is English (e.g., your transcript, your degree certificate, an academic reference, or a statement of comparability from ENIC).
You will also need to provide evidence that you have reached the required level of Core English in your Indian 12th Standard examinations, as shown in the table below.
| IELTS Academic (including One Skill Retake) | IELTS 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in each component | IELTS 7.0 with no less than 6.5 in each component | IELTS 7.0 with no less than 7.0 in each component |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian 12th Standard (CBSE, ISC OR CISCE boards) and Bachelor's, Master's or PhD taught in English | 75% | 80% | 80% |
| Indian 12th Standard (state boards) and Bachelor's, Master's or PhD taught in English | 80% | 80% | 80% |
If, as part of your application, you have provided an English language test result that does not meet the requirements of your chosen postgraduate course, we will not be able to accept your Indian 12th standard examinations result and confirmation you have studied at a university where the medium of instruction is English. You will instead need to provide an English language test result that meets the entry requirements of your course.
If you have studied in a UKVI recognised majority English-speaking country, please refer to the guidance in the Degree from a majority English speaking country section above.
Nationals of Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa or Uganda
If you are a national of Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, or Uganda and you have studied at a level equivalent to a UK Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD degree for at least 12 months at an institution in one of these countries where the medium of instruction was English, you may be exempt from providing an English language test if your degree was awarded no more than 5 years prior to the intended date of admission.
You will need to provide an official document from your awarding university confirming that the medium of instruction is English (e.g., your transcript, your degree certificate, an academic reference, or a statement of comparability from ENIC).
If, as part of your application, you have provided an English language test result that does not meet the requirements of your chosen postgraduate course, you will not be exempt. You will instead need to provide an English language test result that meets the entry requirements of your course.
If you have studied in a UKVI recognised majority English-speaking country, please refer to the guidance in the Degree from a majority English speaking country section above.
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 5 or 10 week courses that will help you improve your English and academic skills to be ready to start your studies at Bath.