English language requirements
All applicants must demonstrate a standard level of English or Welsh language to study on our courses.
In addition to meeting the academic language standard, applicants who require a Student Route (previously Tier 4) visa to study in the UK must present an acceptable English language qualification in order to meet UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) requirements - in most cases this will be the same language evidence.
We accept a variety of English language qualifications for entry. We have minimum admission requirements but for some undergraduate and postgraduate courses our admissions tutors may ask for higher grades.
The University minimum requirement for English is grade C/4 at GCSE or IELTS (Academic) with 6.5 overall and a minimum of 5.5 in each of the subskills, or an accepted equivalent.
We have a number of agreements in place for Universities with whom we have formal partnership agreements in relation to English Language requirements. Applicants from partner institutions should contact their current place of study for more details on eligibility.
For European Exchange applicants, please see the European Exchange study pages on what evidence you will need to provide.
Find out more about accepted English language equivalences for undergraduate and postgraduate study:
From 2 August 2023 Cardiff University no longer accepts the Pearson PTE Online test as evidence of English language for entry. If your PTE Online test result has been revoked and you have been contacted by the university regarding this, you may now take the Duolingo English test or any other language test approved by us to meet your English language requirements.
Choosing the right IELTS test
IELTS for UK Visas Immigration (offered by the IELTS SELT Consortium) is not required for undergraduate or postgraduate courses. We will accept all IELTS (Academic) tests from any IELTS test centre.
For Foundation courses, Pre-sessional English and English for University Study courses, you usually must take an IELTS for UK Visas and Immigration test or a Pearson Academic (UKVI) test.
For English for University Study (EFUS) applicants intending to apply for a Short Term Student Visa, please contact elt@cardiff.ac.uk for advice on other acceptable English language tests.
IELTS, TOEFL, Cardiff University English for University Study, Pearson, Trinity, and Study Group (UK) Academic English Skills overall score comparison table
| IELTS (Academic) | TOEFL iBT (including Home Edition) | Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) | Cardiff University English for University Study Exit Test (EFUS) | Trinity II/III | Study Group (UK) Academic English Skills* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.5 | 109 | 80 | A+ | II: Not accepted III: Accepted | 89% |
| 7.0 | 100 | 76 | A | II: Not accepted III: Accepted | 70% |
| 6.5 | 90 | 69 | B+ | II: Accepted III: Accepted | 60% |
*Study Group International Foundation Programme - Academic English Skills (accepted only when taken as part of a full academic Foundation programme and studied in the UK) / Study Group Pre-Masters Programme - Academic English Skills (accepted only when taken as part of a full academic PMP and studied at the International Study Centre in Cardiff)
IELTS, TOEFL, Pearson, Cardiff University English for University Study, Trinity, and Study Group (UK) Academic English Skills subskill score comparison table
| IELTS (Academic) | TOEFL iBT (including Home Edition) | Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) | Cardiff University English for University Study Exit Test (EFUS) | Trinity II/III | Study Group (UK) Academic English Skills* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.5 | 26 in speaking and 24 in all other subskills | 80 in all communicative skills | A+ | II: Not accepted III: Distinction in all components | 89% |
| 7.0 | 24 | 76 in all communicative skills | A | II: Not accepted III: Distinction in all components | 70% |
| 6.5 | 22 | 69 in all communicative skills | B+ | II: Not accepted III: Merit in all components | 60% |
| 6.0 | 20 | 62 in all communicative skills | B | II: Not accepted III: Merit in all components | 50% |
| 5.5 | 17 for writing, 17 for listening, 18 for reading, and 20 for speaking | 59 in all communicative skills | C+ | II: At least two Distinctions and two Merits III: Pass in all components | 40% |
*Study Group International Foundation Programme - Academic English Skills (accepted only when taken as part of a full academic Foundation programme and studied in the UK) / Study Group Pre-Masters Programme - Academic English Skills (accepted only when taken as part of a full academic PMP and studied at the International Study Centre in Cardiff)
Duolingo English test
For September 2023 entry only, students who have had their Pearson PTE Online test results revoked and have been directly contacted by the university regarding this, can now take the Duolingo English test to meet English language requirements. The following table maps our typical IELTS requirements and equivalent Duolingo test scores.
IELTS overall score | Sub-score requirement | Duolingo requirement |
|---|---|---|
6.5 | None | 115 |
6.5 | 5.5 in all sub-scores | 115 with at least 95 in all components |
6.5 | 6.0 in all sub-scores | 115 with at least 105 in all components |
6.5 | 6.5 in all sub-scores | 115 with at least 115 in all components |
7.0 | None | 125 |
7.0 | 6.0 in all sub-scores | 125 with at least 105 in all components |
7.0 | 6.5 in all sub-scores | 125 with at least 115 in all components |
7.5 | None | 135 |
7.5 | 7.0 in all sub-scores | 135 with at least 125 in all components |
7.5 | 7.5 in all sub-scores | 135 with at least 135 in all components |
Offers with specific IELTS sub-scores
If your offer specifies that you must obtain a specific IELTS sub-score in writing or speaking this will need to be reflected in the relevant Duolingo production score.
For example, if your offer is “conditional on IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.5 in writing and 6.0 in all other scores” this would translate to a Duolingo English test score of 115 with at least 115 in production and at least 105 in all other components.
If you are unsure of how your offer equates to a Duolingo score, please contact the International Office for advice.
Waiting for test results
When applying for most programmes, if you do not have your English language test results you can send these in later. Please indicate on your application form when you took or expect to take the English language test and when you expect to receive your test results. You can then send in your test results once you have them. In this case, your offer will be conditional upon the university receiving the test results.
Please note that in some cases students may be made offers to attend pre-sessional English courses instead of or in addition to an English Language qualification, and some courses will require you to have your English language results when submitting your application.
If you don’t meet the requirements
We offer a range of English language courses to help you meet our entry requirements.
Improve your English before starting your course, or attend a required pre-sessional English course.
