English language requirements

All applicants to the University (from the UK and overseas) are required to show evidence of a minimum English language level in order to be accepted on to our courses.

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that every student from outside the UK must show evidence of a minimum level of English language in order to be granted a UK Student Visa to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level unless the student is exempt.

For students who are applying for our Study Abroad Programme (EU nationals included) we require evidence of a minimum English language level in order to be accepted onto our programme. This applies to students travelling as a non-visa national or on a standard visitor visa.

This level is often referred to as the ‘B2 level’.

• Most of our courses require a minimum English level of IELTS 6.0 (Academic) or equivalent, with no band score under 5.5.
• Trinity ISE: Pass at level III (with a pass in each component) also meets this requirement.
• For January 2023 entry, we are accepting IELTS Indicator.
• Some of our courses ask for a higher score. It is therefore important to look at individual course requirements.
• If you meet the English language level for entry to your chosen course, you will also meet the minimum English language level required by UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) for a Student Visa.
• If you do not meet the English language requirement we may give you a conditional offer subject to you meeting the requirement before the commencement of the course.
• We accept a wide range of alternative English language examinations and tests so please check the list of other accepted tests.

The test is run and invigilated online. It takes up to three hours and five minutes to complete and is made up of four test modules as outlined below.

Reading

• This module consists of five sections. In each section there is one reading task to be completed.
• Duration:  1hour, 15 minutes

Writing

• This module assesses your ability to write an essay.
• Duration:  30 minutes

Listening

• This module consists of five sections. In each section there are one, or more, listening tasks to be completed.
• Duration:  1 hour

Speaking

• This module has five sections with one, or more, speaking tasks (questions) in each. Simply answer by speaking into a microphone.
• Duration:  20 minutes

Please note that the Password Skills Test is only valid for Ulster University Northern Ireland campuses and cannot be used for admission to another university.

If you have any queries, please email global@ulster.ac.uk

Pre-sessional courses

If you do not quite meet our English language requirements then you should consider taking one of our Pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes courses.