Online learning English language requirements
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Overview
Overview
All international applicants must be able to show that their English is of a high enough standard to successfully engage with and complete their course at SOAS.
If you have not yet taken an English language test, you can still apply for your degree, but we will include evidence of language requirements as part of your offer conditions.
The information provided on this page is a basic guide to our English admissions and SOAS reserves the right to use its own discretion in all cases.
Exemptions
You do not need to provide evidence of your English language ability if you:
- Are a national from a government-recognised majority English-speaking country (MESC) and have successfully completed English-medium high school or an English-medium degree in the respective country. (We reserve the right to ask for further evidence from citizens of Canada in regard to their English language proficiency and would ask Canadian nationals to include a transcript of their high school education with the application so we can confirm their English language background.)
- Have completed a degree in the UK or in any majority English-speaking country within the last 10 years.
- Have completed a degree that was taught in English from Canada, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, or South Africa (or from certain recognised English-medium universities) within the last 10 years.
- Have completed a SOAS Pre-Masters or International Foundation (55% in Academic English) within the last 2 years.
- Have passed a Pre-sessional English course at a UK university (2-year validity).
Accepted qualifications
Details of many of the English language qualifications that we accept with minimum scores are provided. We consider these qualifications alongside other evidence of English language ability, such as your references, curriculum vitae or personal statement. Normally these have a 2-year validity.
Where applicants have submitted more than one piece of evidence of English (e.g. an IELTS test and a degree from a majority English speaking country), we are only able to accept the most recent evidence.
| Test | Overall | Subscores |
|---|---|---|
| Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (open validity)/Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English | 180 | 170 in subscores |
| Duolingo | 120 | 110 in subscores (SWRL) |
| 6.5 | 6.0 in subscores | |
| Kaplan Test of English | 480 | 450 in subscores |
| LanguageCert Academic | 70 | 65 in Subscores |
| Oxford Test of English, Oxford Test of English Advanced | 130 | 120 |
| Password Skills Plus | 6.5 | 6.0 in subscores |
PTE Academic (test centre only)
| 65 | 60 in subscores |
| TOEFL iBT/At Home | 95 | 20 in subscores and 23 in writing |
| Trinity ISE III | Pass | Pass in all subscores |
| Trinity ISE IV | Pass | Pass in all subscores |
Alternative qualifications
| Alternative Qualification | Level/Grade | Validity |
|---|---|---|
| English language subject degree (e.g. BA English Language or Literature) | Pass | Open |
| English medium work experience | We may consider 1 year English medium work experience where the majority of work is done in English using all four skills, from a reputable, well-established organisation, with a letter of reference indicating that English is the main working language. We would prefer this to be supported by some historical evidence of English language testing or English related school or university qualifications. | 2 years |
| Translation qualification from a respected institution (various) | High level translation qualification | Open |
In addition to the tests listed above, we also accept a range of alternative qualifications to demonstrate evidence of English language proficiency. Generally, these have open validity, but some may have a 2-year validity. In all cases, Online Learning students will need to meet the direct entry requirements for the alternative qualifications.
If your qualification is not included on this page or on the alternative qualifications page, please contact Distance Learning Admissions at dladmissions@soas.ac.uk.
Pre-sessional and In-sessional English
Pre-sessional and In-sessional English courses are not available for Online Learning applicants. All applicants for postgraduate Online Learning programmes must meet the direct entry English language requirements listed above.
