Qualifications required to meet the minimum standards of English
Requirements
To be accepted onto a course at AECC University College, you will need to meet minimum standards in English.
If English is not your first language, you will have to provide evidence that you have been assessed in all four components of English (reading, writing, speaking and listening) to the required standard for your degree course. Accepted qualifications are listed below.
Please note to be accepted onto our undergraduate and postgraduate courses; you will also need to demonstrate that you meet the minimum standards of English. Qualifications are listed below.
For all of our postgraduate courses, along with meeting the minimum standards of English (detailed below), if English isn’t your first language along with demonstrating the minimum standards of English, we require:
An undergraduate or postgraduate degree from a UK university or a completed undergraduate or postgraduate degree which has been taught in a ‘majority English-speaking’ country.
These are: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America and British Overseas Territories
Accepted English Language Tests: Qualifications
Acceptable scores from these tests are valid for 2 years and will need to be taken within 2 years prior to the start of the course. Any other English Language test not listed below will not be accepted. If applicants have any questions about these qualifications, please complete the form below.
IELTS (Academic) 
- Undergraduate courses require a 6.0 overall (with no less than 5.5 in each component)
- Postgraduate course requirements differ between courses, requiring either 6.0 overall (with no less than 5.5 in each component) or 7.0 (with no less than 6.0 in each component)
Please refer to the individual course page to check requirements.
Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) and Proficiency (CPE)
- 169 overall with a minimum score of 162 in each component
- 185 overall with a minimum score of 169 in each component.
Pearson PTE (Academic)
- 54 overall with a minimum score of 51 in each component
- 68 overall with a minimum score of 54 in each component.
Language Cert International ESOL
- 144 overall with a minimum score of 32 in each section (B2 level)
- 144 overall with a minimum score of 32 in each section (C1 level).
TOEFL (IBT)
- 79 overall with a minimum score of 11 in listening, 12 in reading, 17 in speaking and 20 in writing.
- 100 overall with a minimum score of 19 in reading, 20 in listening and speaking and minimum score of 23 in writing.
UK Qualifications
English language grades required are listed below. If applicants have any questions about these qualifications, please complete the form below.
GCSE English or English Language
- Grade C/4 or above
O-level English Language
- Grade C or above
International Baccalaureate
- Higher Level English – 4
- Standard Level English – 5
SQA Intermediate 2 English or National 5 English
- Grade B or above
Non-UK qualifications and English language grade required
All of the below country specific qualifications are accepted for entry to all courses where an overall IELTS score of 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in each component is required. Applicants who present the following qualifications must have achieved the requisite scores within 2 years prior to the start of the course. If applicants have any questions about these qualifications, please complete the form below.
Austria
- Matura: Grade 2 or above (both written and spoken parts must be completed).
Belgium
- Certificat d’Enseignement Secondaire Supérieur: 7.5
or 75% - Diploma Van Hoger Secundair Onderwijs: 15/20
Canada
- High School Diploma: 60% or above
Cyprus
- Apolytirion of Lykeio: 19/20 or above
Czech Republic
- Maturitni Zkouska: 1 výborný (excellent)
or - Maturita: 1 výborný (excellent)
Denmark
- Studentereksamen: Grade 7 or above
Finland
- Studentexamen: 5 (Magna Cum Laude) or above.
France
- French Baccalaureat: Grade 10 or above
Germany
- Abitur: Grade 10 or above
Greece
- Apolytirion of Lykeio: 19/20 or above
Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Diploma: Grade 4 or above in English as 1st Language
Ireland
- Irish Leaving Certificate (ILC): H4/O4 or above (2017 onwards)
- Grade D at Higher Level/C at Ordinary level (pre
2017)
India
- Standard XII (CBSE and ISC boards) 70% or above
Netherlands
- Diploma Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs (VWO): Grade 8 or above
Norway
- Vitnemal: Grade 4 or above
Portugal
- Certificado de fim de Estudos Secundários: Grade 14 or above.
South Africa
- National Senior Certificate: Grade 3 or above.
Spain
- Titulo de Bachiller: Grade 8 or above.
Sweden
- Slutbetyg från Gymnasieskola: Grade VG or C or above
Switzerland
- Maturité Cantonale: Grade 5 or above
- Kantonale Maturität: Grade 5 or above
USA
- High School Graduation Diploma: Grade C or above
- SAT: Score of 600 or above in English Subjects / ACT composite score of 23+
- Advanced Placements (AP): Grade 3 or above in AP
European Baccalaureate
- English as 1st Language: 6 or above
- English as 2nd Language: 7 or above
Cambridge IGCSE English – First Language
- Must have done syllabus 0500 or 0522. Grades A-C accepted. Certificate must show all four components of test (reading, writing, listening, speaking)
CIE O-level
- Grade C or above required. Only following syllabuses accepted:Singapore – 1127
Malaysia – 1119
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