Doctoral School English language requirements
International
All international applicants must be able to show that their English is of a high enough standard to successfully engage with and complete their course at SOAS. If you have not yet taken an English language test, you can still apply for your degree, but we will include evidence of language requirements as part of your offer conditions. You can demonstrate English language ability in several ways.
Exemptions
You do not need to provide evidence of your English language ability if any of the following apply:
- you are a UK national (we reserve the right to request further English evidence)
- Nationals from a government recognised majority English speaking country who have successfully completed high school or a degree in the respective country
- You’ve completed a degree in the UK or in any majority English speaking country. (5 year validity from the date the degree was awarded)
- You’ve completed a degree which was taught in English from Canada, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, or South Africa (or from certain recognised English-medium universities). (5 year validity from date degree was awarded)
- You’ve completed a SOAS Pre-Masters or International Foundation (60% in Academic English) or ELAS programme (70% in Academic English)
- You’ve passed a Pre-sessional English course at a UK university (2-year validity)
Test scores
Details of many of the English language qualifications that we accept with minimum scores are provided below. We consider these qualifications alongside other evidence of English language ability, such as your references, curriculum vitae or personal statement.
Doctoral School
| Test | Overall | Subscores (minimum) |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic/for UKVI/ Indicator | 7.0 | 6.5 in each subscore (7.0 in Writing) |
| PTE Academic | 70 | 65 in each subscore (70 in Writing) |
| TOEFL | 105 | 23 in each subscore (25 in Writing) |
| IELCA Academic | 40 | 35 in each subscore (40 in Writing) |
| Password Skills Plus | 7.0 | 6.5 in each subscore (7.0 in Writing) |
Doctoral School (with free in-sessional English)
| Test | Overall | Subscores (minimum) |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic/for UKVI/ Indicator | 6.5 | 6.0 in all subscores (6.5 in Writing) |
| PTE Academic | 65 | 60 in all subscores (65 in Writing) |
| TOEFL | 105 | 21 in each subscore (23 in writing) |
| IELCA Academic | 40 | 30 in all subscores (35 in Writing) |
| Password Skills Plus | 6.5 | 6.0 in all subscores (6.5 in Writing) |
Doctoral School (with 4-week pre-sessional English)
| Test | Overall | Subscores (Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic / for UKVI/ Indicator | 6.5 | 5.5 in subscores and 6.0 in writing |
| PTE Academic | 65 | 55 in subscores and 60 in writing |
| TOEFL | 100 | 21 in writing, 20 in speaking and 19 in other subscores |
| IELCA Academic | 35 | 25 in subscores and 30 in writing |
| Password Skills Plus | 6.5 | 5.5 in subscores and 6.0 in writing |
Doctoral School (with 8-week pre-sessional English)
| Test | Overall | Subscores (minimum) |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic/for UKVI/ Indicator | 6.0 | 5.5 in all subscores |
| PTE Academic | 60 | 55 in all subscores |
| TOEFL | 95 | 20 in speaking and 19 in other subscores |
| IELCA Academic | 30 | 25 in all subscores |
| Password Skills Plus | 6.0 | 5.5 in all subscores |
Alternative qualifications
In addition to the tests listed above, we also accept a range of alternative qualifications to demonstrate evidence of English Language proficiency. Generally, these have 5-year validity, but some may have a two-year validity. Some of these are listed below:
| Test | Unconditional direct entry | Direct entry with an In-sessional requirement | Entry with 4 week Pre- sessional condition | Entry with 8 week Pre- sessional condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge Advanced English (CAE)* , Cambridge Proficiency English (CPE) | 185 overall with 176 subscores | 180 overall with 170 in subscores | NA | NA |
| IELTS Indicator (from July 2020)* | 7.0 overall with 7.0 in writing and 6.5 in other subscores | 7.0 overall with 6.5 in writing and other scores at 6.0 | 6.5 overall with 6.0 in
| 6.0 overall with 5.5 in other scores |
| Pre-sessional from a UK university* | Pass | NA | NA | NA |
| Skills for English* (UKVI SELT) | Expert (pass) | B2 Pass with Merit (pass) | Upper Intermediate (pass) | B1 Pass with Merit (pass) |
| SOAS ELAS Academic English* | 70% | 68% | 65% | 63% |
| SOAS FDPS Academic English* | 60% | 58% | 56% | NA |
| Trinity ISE III* (UKVI SELT) | Pass with distinction | Pass with merit | II Pass with merit | II Pass |
| Trinity ISE IV* (UKVI SELT) | Pass | NA | NA | NA |
* 2 year validity
Pre-sessional and in-sessional English
If you do not meet the English Language Requirements for your course in full, you may be offered an In-sessional English course or a four-week or eight-week Pre-sessional English course, depending on your test results.
- In-sessional English courses take place during the academic term and are free
- Pre-sessional English courses take place in the summer before the start of term
Visa requirements and SELT
Applicants who require a Student Visa must prove their knowledge of the English language when applying. As a higher education provider, SOAS can assess your level of English using a variety of tests and qualifications. However, you may be asked to provide evidence of a secure English language test ( SELT ) as part of your Student Visa application.
Doctoral School applicants who require a Student route visa and plan to take a Pre-sessional English course must provide a SELT test.
If you are not sure if you will require a pre-sessional course then we recommend that you take one of the following approved SELT English test, as this is the safest option:
Additional guidance
- In-sessional English courses are free and available to all International applicants whose first language is not English, however, priority will go to applicants with an In-sessional recommendation or requirement
- Degrees from majority English speaking countries or English-medium universities are valid for a period of 5 years before start date of SOAS degree programme
- Where applicants have submitted more than one piece of evidence of English (e.g. an IELTS test and a degree from a majority English speaking country) we are only able to accept the results of the most recent
- For details of English language teaching and resources at SOAS, such as In-sessional or Pre-sessional courses. please visit the IFCELS web pages
- If your qualification is not included on this page or the alternative qualifications page.
- The information provided on this page is a basic guide to our English admissions and SOAS reserves the right to apply the criteria at its own discretion in all cases.