English language requirements for international students

All teaching at St George’s is delivered in English, therefore, you must be proficient in reading, writing, speaking and listening in English to excel on your chosen course. The level of English Language you are required to demonstrate is dependent upon the programme for which you have applied.

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that every student requiring a visa to study in the UK must show evidence of a minimum level of English Language in order to be granted a Student Route visa (formerly Tier 4) to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level. For more information about student visas, see St George's Visa and Immigration Support.

Ways to meet our English Language requirements for 2025 entry

You can meet our English language requirements in one of the following ways:

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Country Exemption	English Language Test	Professional Registration	Academic Qualification
If you are from an English-speaking country, you may already meet our requirements. Find out more below.	You can take a specific English Language test to demonstrate your English proficiency. See our requirements below.	You may meet our English Language requirements because of the work you do. Check your registration below.	Studying English Language as part of your academic study can meet our requirements. See the full list below.

Country Exemptions, English Language Tests, Professional Registration

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Country Exemptions

If you are a national from a majority English speaking country as specified by UKVI listed below, you do not need to demonstrate your English Language proficiency:

Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
The Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Canada
Dominica
Grenada
Guyana
Ireland
Jamaica
Malta
New Zealand
St Kitts and Nevis
St Lucia
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
United Kingdom
USA.

Please note: Standard checks must still be carried out to ensure you meet our GCSE English requirements, as published on our course entry requirement pages.

English Language Tests

The requirements for English Language Tests are split into three groups. Review which group you fall into, and then view your test requirements below.

Step 1. Identify your course group

Course groups for English Language Tests
Level	Group 1	Group 2	Group 3
Undergraduate	Diagnostic Radiography	Biomedical Science	None
	Healthcare Science	Clinical Pharmacology
	Medicine (5-year)
	Medicine (Graduate Entry)
	Occupational Therapy
	Paramedic Science
	Physiotherapy
	Radiotherapy and Oncology
Postgraduate	Applied Biomedical Science	Biomedical Science	Physician Associate Studies
	Advanced Breast Practice	Healthcare and Biomedical Education
	Advanced Clinical Practice	Heart Failure
	Clinical Neuroscience Practice	Interpretation and Clinical Application of Genomic Data
	Genomic Medicine	Sports Cardiology
	Global Health
	Healthcare Research Skills & Methods
	Medical Ethics, Law & Humanities
	Occupational Therapy
	Physiotherapy

Step 2. Look up your English Language Test requirement

Please note: all English Language Tests must be dated within two years of the start date of your chosen programme.

Qualification	Group 1	Group 2	Group 3
Most Common
IELTS Academic (Also accept One Skills Retake)	7.0 overall with 7.0 in Writing and 6.5 in all other components	6.5 overall with 6.5 in Writing and 6.0 in all other components	7.5 overall with 7.5 in Writing and 7.0 in all other components
Test of English as a Foreign Language: TOEFL (iBT) and (iBT Paper)	93 overall with 27 in Writing, 20 in Listening and Speaking, and 19 in Reading.	79 overall with 24 in Writing, 14 in Listening and Speaking, and 18 in Reading.	102 overall with 28 in Writing, 22 in Listening and Speaking, and 20 in Reading.
	Please note, we do not accept the TOEFL Paper-Delivered Test
A-Z of English Language Tests
Cambridge Advanced English: CAE	185 overall with 185 in Writing and 176 in all other components	176 overall with 176 in Writing and 169 in all other components	191 overall with 191 in Writing and 185 in all other components
Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English: CPE
LanguageCert ESOL Including SELT, International ESOL, Online version	C1 Expert with 33 in each component OR C2 Mastery with 233 in Writing, Speaking and Reading, and 25 in Listening.	B2 Communicator with 38 in Writing and 33 in all other components OR C1 Expert with 33 in each component OR C2 Mastery with 233 in Writing, Speaking and Reading, and 25 in Listening.	C1 Expert with 33 in each component OR C2 Mastery with 233 in Writing, Speaking and Reading, and 25 in Listening.
LanguageCert Academic (SELT, and non-SELT) (Valid from 1April 2024)	75 overall, with 75 in Writing and 70 in all other components	70 overall, with 70 in Writing and 65 in all other components	80 overall, with 80 in Writing and 75 in all other components
Occupational English Test: OET (OET Paper/Computer) and (OET @ Home)	Grade B/350 in all elements	Grade C+/300 in all elements	Grade B/350 in all elements
ONCAMPUS Test of English (OCTOE)	70% overall with 70% in writing and 65% in all other components	65% overall with 65% in writing and 60% in all other components	N/A
Pearson Test of English: PTE (Academic)	65 overall with 65 in Writing and 59 in all other components	59 overall with 59 in Writing and 59 in all other components	73 overall with 73 in Writing and 59 in all other components
Trinity Integrated Skills in English: Trinity ISE	ISE (III) with pass in all components	ISE (II) with distinction in all components OR ISE (III) with pass in all components	ISE (III) with merit in all components

Professional Registration

You will be considered as having met our English Language requirements if you are able to provide evidence of one of the follow professional registrations:

Current and full registration with the Health Care Professionals Council (HCPC) (not accepted by the Advanced Breast Practice programmes)
Current and full registration with the General Dental Council (GDC)
Current and full registration with a licence to practise with the General Medical Council (GMC)
Current and full registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)

Please note: You are required to list this registration on your application form and provide evidence of your registration when requested by the Admissions team.

Academic Qualifications

There are several academic qualifications that we accept as demonstration of your English Language proficiency. You will need to have studied English Language as a subject.

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UK Qualifications

Please note: any qualification used to meet our English Language requirements must be dated within five years of the start date of your chosen programme.

Academic Level	Qualification	Grade
Level 2	GSCE English Language – for undergraduate programmes	Grade 4 - 6 depending on course. See course pages
	GCSE English Language – for postgraduate programmes	Grade 5
	SQA Scottish Intermediate 2 or National 5 English	Grade B
Level 3	AS Level: English Language	Grade B
	A Level: English Language	Grade B
	International Baccalaureate	See International qualifications (taken prior to degree study) below
	SQA Scottish Higher/Advanced Higher English	Grade B
Level 6	Undergraduate degree	2:2
Level 7	Postgraduate degree	Pass

International qualifications (taken prior to degree study)

Please note: any qualification used to meet our English Language requirements must be dated within five years of the start date of your chosen programme.

If your country or qualification is not listed below, you will be required to obtain another English Language qualification listed on this page, such as IELTS, etc.

Country	Qualification	Grade
Multiple	European Baccalaureate English – Level 1	Grade 6
	European Baccalaureate English – Level 2	Grade 7
	European Baccalaureate English – Level 3	Grade 7.5
Multiple	iGCSE English as a First Language – for undergraduate programmes	Grade 4 - 6 depending on course. See course pages
	iGCSE English Language – for postgraduate programmes	Grade 5
	iGCSE English as a Second Language	One grade higher than for iGCSE English as a First Language (i.e. Grade 5 -7 depending on course)
	Please note, all iGCSEs must state Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening on the statement of results / certificate.
Multiple	International Baccalaureate English A - Standard Level* (Language & Literature; or Literature)	Grade 4 - 5 (See course pages)
	International Baccalaureate English B – Standard Level	Grade 6
	International Baccalaureate English A - Higher Level - Language and Literature; or Literature	Grade 4
	International Baccalaureate English B - Higher Level	Level 5
	Please note: we do not* accept IB English A SL - Literature and Performance
A-Z of countries
Austria	Austria Reifeprüfungszeugnis - English	2 (gut) in written and oral components
Belgium	Belgium Diploma van Secundair – English	80%, 16 out of 20 , grote onderscheiding, avec grande distinction
Belgium	Certificate d'Enseignement Secondaire Superieur - English
Botswana	Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) School Certificate English Language	Grade B
Brunei	Brunei O Level (taken with Cambridge International Exams (Specification 1120)) English	Grade B
Denmark	Bevis for Hojere Forberedelseseksamen English	Score of 10
Denmark	Bevis for Studentereksamen English	Score of 10
Finland	Studentexamensbetyg English	English 5
Finland	Ylioppilastutkintotodistus English	English 5
France	Baccalaureate - English LV1	14 out of 20
France	Baccalaureate - OIB English	12 out of 20
Germany	Abitur – English as a main course	13
Germany	Abitur – English Language as a Leistungkurs	2/6
Hong Kong	HKCEE English	Level 4
	HKDSE English	Level 5
	Hong Kong AS Level English	Grade B
Iceland	Iceland Stúdentspróf (bóknámsbraut) – English as a compulsory language	8
India	HSC English / Standard XII English – National Exam Boards: CBSE/ ISC	70%
India	HSC English / Standard XII English – State Exam Boards (excluding: Haryana/ Uttar Pradesh/ Bihar/ Gujrat/ Punjab/ Uttarakhand)	80%
Ireland (Republic of)	Ireland Leaving Certificate English (Higher or Ordinary)	Grade O4/H4
Kenya	KCSE English	Grade B
Luxembourg	Luxembourg Diplôme de Fin d'Etudes Secondaires – English	45 (bien)
Malaysia	SPM UCLES Syllabus in English	Grade A
Mauritius	Mauritius O Level (taken with Cambridge International Exams (Specification 1125/1126)) English	Grade B
Netherlands	Netherlands Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs (VWO) – English	8 (goed)
Nigeria	See West Africa below.	-
Norway	Vitnemal – English	4 out of 6
Singapore	O Level English Language (taken with Cambridge International Exams)	Grade B
	Singapore Cambridge A-Level (including SIPCAL/ Integrated Programme) – English Language	Grade B
	SIPCAL/ Integrated Programme – General Paper	Grade B
South Africa	South Africa NSC – English Home Language	Grade 5
South Africa	South Africa NSC – English First Additional Language	Grade 7
Sweden	Slutbetyg – English	15/20
Switzerland	Switzerland Certificat de Maturité – English	5 (bien, gut, bene)
	Maturitätszeugnis – English
	Attestato di Maturità – English
Tanzania	Tanzanian Certificate of Secondary Education English	Grade B
Uganda	Ugandan Certificate of Education (UCE) English	Grade 4
USA	High school diploma English	Grade B
West Africa	WAEC / WASSCE / NECO – English	C5
Zambia	Zambian General Certificate of Education, English	Grade 6/C
Zimbabwe	Zimbabwe General Certificate of Education English: C	Credit (5-6)

International qualifications (equivalent to UK degree)

If you have an academic qualification equivalent to a UK Bachelors, Masters, or Doctorate degree which was taught in one of the majority-English-speaking countries below (excludes Canada), you will meet our English Language requirements. The degree must be completed no more than 5 years before the start date of your studies.

Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
The Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Dominica
Grenada
Guyana
Ireland (Republic of)
Jamaica
Malta
New Zealand
St Kitts and Nevis
St Lucia
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
USA

If you have an academic qualification equivalent to a UK Bachelors, Masters, or Doctorate degree, which was taught and examined (in its entirety) in English from one of the countries below, you will meet our English Language requirements. The degree must be completed no more than 5 years before the start date of your studies.

Canada
Ghana
Hong Kong
Netherlands
Nigeria
Singapore
South Africa

To evidence this requirement, you will need:

A statement of comparability from UK ENIC. The Admissions team will be able to obtain this on your behalf once you have applied, but you may wish to obtain your own statement so you can be sure that you are eligible.
An official confirmation from the institution where you completed your degree that the course was taught and examined in English.

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