If you are not from a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UK Home Office) it's essential that your English language skills are good enough for you to undertake an intensive and challenging academic course that's taught and examined in English. You will need to demonstrate, through your application, that you have sufficient command of English to cope with an academic interview in the language. You should also be on course to achieve C1 standard within the Common European Framework for Languages (CEFR) by the time of admission if you have not already done so.
Normally, any offer is likely to include an appropriate English language condition, based on assessors' judgement of your qualifications, written assessment or pre-submitted work, interview performance and educational background. This condition may be based on a specific level of achievement in a secondary school qualification, or in an approved secure English language test such as those listed below. This will be at the discretion of the Cambridge College that makes you an offer.
You should also have a reasonable standard of spoken and written English at the time of interview and, to be competitive, you should be able to comfortably achieve one of the English language requirements listed below.
Minimum English language requirements
- IELTS Academic1 – normally a minimum overall grade of 7.5, usually with 7.0 or above in each element
- TOEFL Internet Based Test (IBT) – normally a minimum overall score of 110, with 25 or above in each element
- EU students – competence in English at C1 standard as demonstrated as part of a school-leaving exam (eg the Abitur)
- Cambridge English: C2 Proficiency – accepted with a minimum overall score of 200, with no element lower than 185
- Cambridge English: C1 Advanced – accepted with a minimum overall score of 193, with no element lower than 185, in tandem with other evidence of competence in English
- Singapore Integrated Programme (SIP) – please contact a College admissions office for further advice
Secure English language test results are only valid for two years from the date of the exam and should still be valid on the first day of the Cambridge course. Component scores should all be achieved in a single sitting.
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1 For some visa types, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as IELTS for UKVI (Academic). However, in accordance with UKVI policy, as Cambridge is a Higher Education Provider (HEP) it is able to accept other English language qualifications it deems suitable when sponsoring Student visas, so a SELT is not necessary and the standard IELTS Academic test is acceptable.