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Application Guide

English language proficiency

Do I need to demonstrate my English language proficiency?
Evidence of English language proficiency self-evaluation tool
Majority English-speaking countries recognised by UKVI
Tests and minimum scores
Do I need to have test scores when I apply?
Providing English language information and scores

Do I need to demonstrate my English language proficiency?

In order to take up a place on one of our courses, you must be able to demonstrate English language proficiency at the University's standard or higher level. Each course page states the required level for that course.

You do not need to provide evidence of English language proficiency if you meet one of the following criteria:

Your first language is English and you have always been a citizen of and primarily resident in a majority English-speaking country recognised by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI); or
You are a current Oxford student applying for readmission.

You can use our English language requirement self-evaluation tool (below) to guide you.

If you do not meet one of the criteria above, you will have to provide evidence that you meet the English language requirement for your course if you are offered a place. However, you may request a waiver of the requirement to provide language test scores when you submit your application. Please consult our guidance on English language test waivers for further information.

Majority English-speaking countries recognised by UKVI

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
United States of America

No other countries are considered majority English-speaking countries by UKVI.

Evidence of English language proficiency self-evaluation tool

Instructions

Use our tool to find out if you need to provide evidence to demonstrate that you meet the English language requirement for your course.

This requirement does not need to be met at the time of applying and will not affect assessment of your application, so do not delay submitting your application for this reason. If you still need to meet the requirement and are made an offer, this will be set as a condition.

Evaluation

Please answer the question below to start the evaluation.

Is English your first language and are you a citizen of and have been primarily resident in a majority English-speaking country?

Yes No

Are you a current University of Oxford student?

Yes No

Have you achieved the required level in an approved English test within two years of the start date of your course?

You can check on the course page whether your course uses the Higher or Standard level

Yes No Not quite

If you have narrowly missed the English requirement, one option to meet a language condition would be to participate in our online pre-sessional course.

Back Finish

Have you studied/are you studying a degree of at least nine months taught in English completed no more than two academic years before the course to which you are applying?

Yes No

You may be able to apply for a waiver based on substantial professional experience if:

you have worked for a minimum of two years in a majority English speaking country where the main language for the role was English;
your role involved daily professional use of each of the four language components (reading, writing, listening and speaking);
you worked in an appropriately technical context to demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively in an academic environment; and
your role has ended no more than two years before the start date of the course to which you are applying.

Do you have substantial professional experience in English?

Yes No

You will not need to meet the English language requirement.

Please upload your test scores and certificate with your application.

You can apply for an English language test waiver as part of your application using our form.

If your request is based on previous study, you can upload evidence of this with your application form.

Approval will be at the discretion of the academic department. If your request is not approved, this will not affect the academic assessment of your application; if you are offered a place, meeting the English language requirement will be a condition of your offer.

You will need to take an approved English test either before submitting your application or, if you are made an offer, as a condition of your offer. Meeting the English language requirement is not a criterion in the academic assessment, so it will not affect your chances of success if you wait until you have the decision from the academic department.

Tests and minimum scores

Which tests can I take?

IELTS: Two versions of the IELTS Academic test are available: IELTS Academic and IELTS Academic for UKVI. The two versions differ only in their administrative format and test score report layout, and we can accept either version. We recommend that you sit the IELTS Academic test (referred to simply as the 'IELTS' test), as the IELTS for UKVI test is more expensive and generally less accessible.

We are not able to accept the IELTS General Training or IELTS Online tests.

TOEFL: candidates should take the TOEFL iBT test, including the ‘Home Edition’. We do not accept the ‘Essentials’ test or ‘My Best Scores’ - you must achieve at least the minimum component scores and the minimum overall score in a single test.

Cambridge: we accept the C1 Advanced test and the C2 Proficiency.

We are not able to accept other types of English language test.

What score do I need to achieve?

For each course, the University requires either a standard or higher level of ability in English. Each course page states the required level for that course.

Minimum scores required to meet the University's standard level requirement
Test	Minimum overall score	Minimum score per component
IELTS Academic	7.0	6.5
TOEFL iBT, including the 'Home Edition' (Institution code: 0490)	100	Listening: 22 Reading: 24 Speaking: 25 Writing: 24
C1 Advanced*	185	176
C2 Proficiency^†	185	176

Minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level requirement
Test	Minimum overall score	Minimum score per component
IELTS Academic	7.5	7.0
TOEFL iBT, including the 'Home Edition' (Institution code: 0490)	110	Listening: 22 Reading: 24 Speaking: 25 Writing: 24
C1 Advanced*	191	185
C2 Proficiency^†	191	185

*Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)
^†Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)

Can I still satisfy the English language condition if my test scores are below the minimum requirements?

If you have obtained a language test result within the past two years which is no more than 0.5 IELTS points lower than the minimum overall score, and no more than 1 IELTS point lower than the minimum overall score in any of the four components (reading, writing, speaking, listening) as per the Standard or Higher level, the online pre-sessional English course could be used to meet your English language condition. This six-week intensive programme, which is offered by the Oxford Language Centre, will develop in international students the necessary level of academic English literacy to function effectively in an English-speaking university environment.

The minimum scores required to enrol on the pre-sessional English Course are shown in the table below.

Minimum scores required to enrol on the pre-sessional English course
Test	Minimum enrolment score for courses requiring standard level	Minimum enrolment score for courses requiring higher level
IELTS Academic	6.5 overall (6.0 minimum component)	7.0 overall (6.5 minimum component)
TOEFL iBT, including the 'Home Edition' (Institution code: 0490)	92 overall (21 minimum component)	100 overall (23 minimum component)
C1 Advanced	176	185
C2 Proficiency	176	185

Successful completion of the course will enable you to meet your English language condition. The assessment will be completed in time for international students who need to submit a visa application.

If you wish to use the English language pre-sessional course to meet your English language condition, you should first contact your academic department (using the contact details on the relevant course page) to inform them, since it is likely they will need to extend your deadline for completing your conditions. To enrol for the pre-sessional English course or for further details, please visit the Language Centre's website.

If your scores are more than 0.5 IELTS points, or equivalent, lower overall then you will need to resit the English language test.

Do I need to have test scores when I apply?

If you already have English language test scores at the required level achieved within two years of the start of the course to which you are applying, please include them in your application. However, you are not required to provide test scores when you submit your application.

If you apply without submitting test scores, you submit test scores below the required level, or your test score is out of date, the academic department will assess your application as normal. If you receive an offer of a place, the department may require you to submit language test scores by a specific deadline as a condition of your offer.

It can take several months to secure a place for a language test, so we recommend arranging to sit a test as soon as you decide to apply.

For more information about providing your scores as part of your application, see Providing your English language information and scores below.

Providing your English language information and scores

The ‘Languages' tab of the application form includes a series of questions about your English language proficiency, and allows you to provide test scores if you have them.

Your test must have been taken less than two years before the start date of the course for which you are applying.

For IELTS and TOEFL, you can nominate the University of Oxford as a score recipient. For TOEFL you should use the institution code 0490 (TOEFL iBT) when you sit the test.

‘English language skills’

In this section of the application form, you are asked:

whether English is your first language
whether you have completed, or are completing, a degree-level course taught and assessed entirely in English; and
whether you have completed any course under a child student visa.

Your answers to these questions may indicate whether you will need to provide evidence of your English language proficiency, and if you are eligible for a waiver of this requirement. (Please refer to the English language test waivers section of this page.)

If you have any queries about visas and immigration, visit the University's Student Immigration website.