Waiving an English language condition for postgraduates

We can waive the need for a specific English language test where an applicant has the one of the qualifications listed below, taken within five years of your course start date.

Where an applicant has one of the qualifications below, but was taken more than five years before your course start date, we can waive a specific English language test, if you can also provide official evidence that you have graduated with a Bachelor degree ‘taught and examined’ in English in the past five years.

For applicants with one of the qualifications below from Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda or Zimbabwe (i.e. those countries listed in ECCTIS with English as their sole Official Language), we can accept the qualification indefinitely, and therefore do not also require evidence of a Bachelor degree taught in English.

Any courses with an overall IELTS requirement of 7.0, or one of the courses listed below as an exception, are not able to be covered by one of these waivers:

  • MSc Disaster Interventions and Humanitarian Aid
  • MSc Early Years Practice Health Visiting
  • MRes Educational Research
  • MSc Human Resource Management
  • MSc Management and English Language Teaching
  • MSc TESOL
  • MSc TESOL (Online)

Individual courses may have additional specific requirements. English language requirements are listed on each individual course page.

Qualification IELTS 6.0 with no skill below 5.5 / IELTS 6.5 with no skill below 6.0

A/AS/O Level English

Grade C or above

GCSE English

Grade C/4 or above

iGCSE English as first language

Grade C/4 or above

iGCSE English as second language

Grade B/6 or above

SQA Higher English/ESOL

Grade C or above

SQA National 5 English

Grade B or above

International Baccalaureate English

Standard or Higher Level Grade 4 or above

European Baccalaureate English

L1: English: 60% or above; L2: English: 70% or above; L3: English: 70% or above

INTO Pathway Programmes (Stirling and other centres)

CEFR B2 stated and four elements scored with equivalent to IELTS provided

Approved English preparation or Foundation course validated by a UK University and clearly stating scores in reading, writing, speaking and listening

CEFR B2 stated and four elements scored with equivalent to IELTS provided

BALEAP accredited pre-sessional programmes provided by Heriot-Watt University (taught in Edinburgh and Bangkok)

C Grade overall / B Grade overall with a C Grade in all sub-skills

Canada

Ontario Secondary School Certificate English Grade C (70%) or above

Denmark Studentereksamen (Upper Secondary School Leaving Examination); also Hojere Forberedelseseksamen (HF) and Hojere Handelseksamen (HHX)

Grade 7 or above in English

Finland Ylippilaustukintotodistus / Studentexamensbetyg (Finnish National Matriculation)

English Grade 5 (Magna cum laude approbatur)

French Baccalaureate (option International du Baccalaureat)

Grade 10 or above in English

German Abitur

Grade 10 or above in English

Ghana WAEC/WACCSE

 

C6 or above in English

Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE)

English overall 3 with no bands below 3

Indian Standard XII Examination – CBSE/ISC/ICSE, or Metro State Boards (Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal)

70% or above in English, plus MOI letter

Indian Standard XII Examination - Other boards

80% or above in English, plus MOI letter dated within the last five years (a SELT may also still be required depending on the state board)

Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE)

Grade C or above

Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) 119/Cambridge O Level

Grade C or above

Netherlands VWO

English Grade 8 or above

Norway Vitnemal

English Grade 4 or above

Nigeria WAEC

C6 or above in English

Pakistan High School Certificate

60% or above in English, plus MOI letter dated within the last five years from a recognised university on our specified list.

Singapore Cambridge O level English Grade C or Singapore Integrated Programme Secondary 4

English Language Grade C or above

South African National Senior Certificate

Grade 4 (50%) or above in English

Sweden Slutbetyg fran Gynmasieskolan

VG Pass with Distinction in English

Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE)

3-6 or Credit in English

USA High School Graduation Diploma

3.0 GPA in English

USA SATS II (Subject)

Will be considered on an case by case basis subject to academic background and grades

Zimbabwe General Certificate of Education at Ordinary Level

Grade C or above