English Language requirements

Please provide details of your English language qualification(s) in the following places:

1. In your UCAS application
This is the first application form you complete and you should include any English language qualifications you have already taken and and the scores you've achieved along with your other exams in the Education section. You must also include exams you will be taking later in the academic year. These may include English language exams. About the UCAS application.

2. In your My Cambridge Application
When you've applied via UCAS, you get an email with log-in details for the second, Cambridge-specific form called My Cambridge Application. This includes a question on English language qualifications - please complete it! About My Cambridge Application.

3. In your transcript (if you're providing one). 
Many international applicants need to upload a transcript as part of the My Cambridge Application. Your transcript should include reference to your English language qualification(s), the dates sat and scores achieved. Please do not include the full test reports in your transcript pdf, just make sure that you have the report saved on your computer, and we will ask you to upload it later if we make an offer. About transcripts
 

You may have seen that selected applicants have online interviews in December as part of our admissions process. Before we shortlist for interview, we read and consider every application in full as well as taking into account admissions test results in some subjects. Selection for interview depends on a number of factors, but these include evidence that you have attained an appropriate level of proficiency in English. 

If you apply in Sept 2027, we will not be able to select you for interview if you don't meet the requirements below. If you apply in Sept 2026, we will be more lenient in relation to interview selection as the requirement is new, however we encourage you to meet the requirements below if you can - it will be an advantage. Please read the full information below, which includes details for students who have not finished school at the end. 

> IELTS Academic: a minimum score of 6.5 overall, with no element lower than 6.0. See IELTS Academic website.
> Cambridge English: C2 Proficiency: a minimum overall score of 200, with no element lower than 185.
> TOEFL Internet Based Test (IBT) if taken before 21 January 2026 – a minimum overall score of 110, with 25 or above in each element
> A level / International A level: Grade B or above in English Language, English Literature or English Language or Literature
> International Baccalaureate: 7 in HL English Language B OR 6 in SL or HL English Language and Literature A OR 6 in SL or HL English Literature A. 
> Austria Reifeprüfungszeugnis: English Grade 1 (Very good/Sehr gut) 
> Denmark HHX / HF / STX English A: 12 overall
> European Baccalaureate: English as L1, 8, or English as L2, 9
> French Baccalaureate generale: Language approfondie, langue vivante 1, 17
> French BFI: English Language and Literature: 16                                                                
> German Abitur English: benchmarked at C1 or C2 (this will show on your transcript) 
> Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Core English Language: 5**
> Romanian Baccalaureate English: benchmarked at C1 or C2 (this will show on your transcript)  
> Singapore-Cambridge GCE O Level: Grade A
> Singapore SIPCAL: Grade A in English Language or Language Arts (Year 4 in lieu of O Levels)
> Singapore SIP NUS High School Diploma: GPA of 3.5 or above in Core English
> South Africa National Senior Certificate Department of Basic Education: English First Additional Language 70%+ OR Independent Examinations Board: English First Additional Language 80%+ 
> Swiss Maturita: English, Coef 2 or 3 5.5     

Christ's College will also accept the following qualifications which are not in the list above: 
> Bulgaria: State Matriculation Examination: English 5  
> Hungary: Érettségi Bizonyítvány: English Higher 5
> Netherlands: VWO English: 9
> Poland: Język Angielski: English 75%+ in the Advanced Paper

If you have not yet finished school, Christ's College (only) can accept clear evidence that you are on track to achieve any of the school qualifications in the two lists above. This evidence would normally be in the form of predicted grades for your school qualifications from your referee, which should be included in the referee section of your UCAS application. There will be no disadvantage if the grades are predicted rather than achieved. About the reference and predicted grades.

Please be careful when reading the information above to ensure that you are aware of points that are only relevant for Christ's applicants. 
 

As well as looking at qualifications and expected qualifications, we will also assess your English language competency directly during the application process. Throughout the process, interviewers and Admissions Tutors will be assessing your English language skills as well as your academic ability - they will look at your qualifications, any written assessment or essays you have been asked to upload, and your educational background. If you are selected to attend online interviews, your English language ability will also be assessed at interview. 

If your application is successful we may need further evidence to be sure that you have sufficient English language ability to thrive on a high-level fast-moving academic course, taught and examined in English, and we may also need to meet any requirements for your student visa, if you need one.

Your offer may or may not include an English Language condition - you will need to wait to receive your offer to find out, as we will only do our final assessment of whether a condition is needed at the point when we set your offer. Note that if we do set a requirement, the scores we may ask you for as an offer holder may be higher than those required as part of the interview selection in some cases. For example, the scores we look for in IELTS Academic are minimum 7.5 overall with no element lower than 7.0.

If there were concerns about your English language ability during any part of the application process, you may be asked to achieve an English language qualification at the relevant level as part of a conditional offer. We make our offers in late January, and you would then have until the following June to meet all the conditions of your offer.

If you need a student visa to enter the UK and study here, the College and the University must demonstrate that you have sufficient English language ability to succeed on the course.

For some students, an English language qualification may be required in order for the university to issue the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) that you will need from us to apply for your visa. Cambridge University is able to accept English language qualifications it deems suitable when sponsoring student visas, and if we need you to take a qualification, we will make this part of your offer conditions.

English language qualifications are only valid for visa purposes for two years from the date of the exam. If your previous English language qualification was taken more than two years before the start of your course, you may be asked for recent proof of English language ability as part of your offer. Note also that for visa purposes you will need to have achieved all of your English language scores in one sitting. 

Once you have met all of our offer conditions, the CAS that you will receive will confirm either 
> that you are a national of a majority English speaking country (as defined by UK Visas and Immigration). You do not need to prove your knowledge of English if you are from one of the countries listed on the Gov.UK website. 
> or that the University, as a Higher Education Provider, has assessed your English language ability and it is at the required level.

Can I update you with English language qualification scores received after submitting my application?
No - we can only consider the scores included in your application. If you are planning to take an English language qualification it is important to ensure that you take it early enough to receive the scores and include them in your application. If you receive any English language scores during the application process, please save the test report safely on your computer. There will be an opportunity to upload it if you receive an offer.

Do you accept IELTS one-skill retakes? 
As long as you have the result by the time you complete your application forms, we can consider one-skill retakes when looking at your English at the stage of interview selection, however note that for visa and immigration purposes scores for all components of IELTS should all be achieved in one sitting.