English language ability for Student visa holders
Applicants who need a Student visa have a specific set of requirements, to comply with Home Office regulations.
Your English language ability will be sufficient if you meet one of the following criteria:
- You are a national of a majority English-speaking country (see list below).
- You have completed a qualification at a level comparable to RQF 6 that was awarded and taught in a majority English-speaking country (see list below), completed within three years of admission to the College. Non-Canadian nationals with a degree from Canada will be required to take an English language test.
- You have already proved your level of English in a previous UK visa application. This must be at the CEFR B2 level.
- You have completed one of the following English language tests:
- Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English
- Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English
- GCSE or A Level English (where studied at a UK school while you were aged under 18)
- IELTS Academic and IELTS Indicator
- INTO Test of English: IELA
- OnCampus Test of English: OCTOE
- Pearson’s Test of English (Academic)
- TOEFL: IBT and TOEFL Special Home Edition
- Trinity College London: Integrated Skills in English.
- Your IELTS, IELA, OCTOE, Pearson's, TOEFL or Trinity result must be less than two years old when your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) is issued.
- If you don't meet the minimum IELTS (or equivalent) requirement, we offer online pre-sessional English courses and foundation programmes to help you improve your English language skills and get your place at Birkbeck.
EUROPEAN SCHOOL QUALIFICATIONS
- Austria: Matura/Reifeprufung
- Standard and higher requirement: 2 (gut) in English when both written and oral exams are taken
- Belgium: Diploma van Secundair Onderwijs or Certificat d'Enseignement Secondaire Superieur
- Standard and higher requirement: Distinction in English
- Denmark: Bevis for Studentereksamen
- Standard and higher requirement: 10 in English
- Finland: Ylioppilastutkintotodistus/Studentexamensbetgy
- Standard and higher requirement: 5 (magna cum laude approbatur) in English
- Germany: Abitur
- 12 (gut) in English when taken as an achievement/main/intensive course
- Iceland: Studentsprof matriculation examination
- Standard and higher requirement: 8 in English when taken as a compulsory modern language
- Luxembourg: Diplome de Fin d'Etudes Secondaires
- 45 (bien) in English
- Netherlands: Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs (VWO)
- 7 (ruim voldoende) in English
- Norway: Vitnemal for videregaende opplaering
- 5 in English
- Poland: Swiadectwo Dojrzalosci (Certificate of Maturity/Matura)
- Standard requirement: Oral basic - 90%, written basic - 80%
- Higher requirement: Oral basic - 95%, written basic - 85%
- Sweden: Avgangsbetyg/Slutbetgy fran Gymnasieskola
- Standard and higher requirement: VG (val godkant) in English or Grade C in English
- Switzerland: Maturitatzeugnis/Certificat de Maturite/Attestato de Maturita federal maturity certificate or the recognised cantonal maturity certificate
- 5 (gut/bien/bene) in English
MAJORITY ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- The Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Canada
- Dominica
- Grenada
- Guyana
- Ireland
- Malta
- Jamaica
- New Zealand
- Republic of Ireland
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- United Kingdom
- United States of America