Profile F
National of an English-speaking country?
Applicants who are nationals of one of the following countries and have completed high school or three years of education (whichever is longer) in their home country, will generally be exempt* from providing additional evidence of their English language ability:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- the Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bermuda
- Canada
- Cayman Islands
- Dominica
- Fiji
- Grenada
- Guyana
- Ireland
- Jamaica
- Malawi
- Malta
- New Zealand
- Pacific Islands
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- UK (including British Overseas Territories and Crown dependencies)
- USA
- Zambia
* The University reserves the right to ask for additional evidence of English language if we have concerns about an applicant’s abilities.
Studying or studied in an English-speaking country?
Applicants who have either completed high school or three years of education in an English-speaking country (whichever is longer) listed below, will be exempt* from providing additional evidence of their English language ability:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- the Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Canada
- Dominica
- Grenada
- Guyana
- Ireland
- Jamaica
- Malta
- New Zealand
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- UK (including British Overseas Territories and Crown dependencies)
- USA
*The University reserves the right to ask for additional evidence of English language if we have concerns about an applicant’s abilities.
Studied a bachelor’s degree in an English-speaking country?
Applicants who have a bachelor’s degree fully taught and delivered in one of the following countries will meet our English language requirements.
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- the Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- China – Nottingham Ningbo Campus only
- Dominica
- Grenada
- Guyana
- Ireland
- Jamaica
- Malta
- New Zealand
- Singapore
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Uganda
- UK
- USA
Studied a Bachelor’s across multiple countries?
Where an applicant has studied their degree in different countries (for instance where they have completed a period of study abroad, or 1+3 degrees), or where the degree is awarded by a different country to where the applicant was studying, the University will require a minimum of three full academic years with a full course load to have been taught fully in English and completed in one of the following countries:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- the Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Dominica
- Germany
- Grenada
- Guyana
- Ireland
- Jamaica
- Malaysia
- New Zealand
- Singapore
- Sri Lanka
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- UK
- USA
Students who have done a 2+2 degree will be required to meet their programme’s English language requirements through an additional English language test or other acceptable qualification, unless three full years were delivered in the above countries.
Studied a degree taught in English?
If an applicant has studied a degree fully taught and delivered in English (excluding study-abroad years) in a non-majority English-speaking country, this may satisfy the University’s English language requirements when taken in a country listed below, and when a letter is provided certifying the medium of instruction:
- China – Nottingham Ningbo Campus only
- Denmark
- Finland
- Germany
- Hong Kong
- Kenya
- Lebanon
- Malaysia – University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, and Monash University Malaysia campus only
- Mauritius
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- South Africa
- Sweden
- Switzerland
Accepted Secure English Language Tests (SELT)
The tests listed below are valid where they are taken no more than two years before the start date of your chosen programme of study.
Qualification |
Grade required |
IELTS Academic for UKVI from authorised test centres only (otherwise see English language proficiency tests): |
6.0 overall with either listening or speaking at 6.5, with no skill below 6.0 |
Trinity Integrated Skills in English (ISE) Level IV: |
pass in all skills |
Trinity Integrated Skills in English (ISE) Level III: |
pass in all skills |
English Language Proficiency Tests
The tests listed below are valid where they are taken no more than two years before the start date of your chosen programme of study. Component scores must be met fully through one sitting of the test; we cannot combine scores from multiple certificates.
Qualification |
Grade required |
IELTS Academic: |
6.0 overall with either listening or speaking at 6.5, with no score below 6.0 |
TOEFL iBT: |
83 overall with either R20, L21, S21 and W20, or R20, L20, S23 and W20 |
Pearson PTE: |
64 average with either listening or speaking at 64, and no skill below 60 |
Cambridge CPE: |
Grade C, or Level C1 |
Cambridge CAE: |
Grade C, or Level B2 with either listening or speaking at 176 and no skill below 168 |
Trinity Integrated Skills in English (ISE) Level IV: |
with pass in all skills |
Trinity Integrated Skills in English (ISE) Level III: |
with pass in all skills |
UK and worldwide school qualifications
The qualifications listed below are valid where they are taken no more than seven years before the start date of your chosen programme of study.
Qualification |
Grade required |
GCSE English Language |
C or 4 |
GCSE English Literature |
C or 4 |
IGCSE English as a 1st Language |
C |
IGCSE English as a 1st language with speaking and listening endorsement |
C with Grade 2 |
IGCSE English as a 2nd Language |
C |
IGCSE English as a 2nd Language with speaking endorsement |
C with Grade 2 |
IGCSE English Literature |
C |
AS Level or A Level English Language or English Language and Literature |
C |
AS Level or A Level English Literature |
C |
International Baccalaureate English A: Literature |
5 at SL or 4 at HL |
International Baccalaureate English A: Literature and Language |
5 at SL or 4 at HL |
International Baccalaureate Language B: English |
5 at SL or 4 at HL |
Cambridge Assessment International Education (CIE) O Level English specifications 1119, 1120, 1123, 1125, 1127 |
C |
European school qualifications
The qualifications listed below are valid where they are taken no more than five years before the start date of your chosen programme of study.
Qualification |
Requirement |
Austria: Reifeprüfung/ Matura |
2 (gut) in both written and oral |
Belgium |
14/20 or 70% |
Croatia |
English A/ visa razina at 4 |
Denmark Studentereksamen Level A |
Grade 7 |
European Baccalaureate |
L1 English at 55%, L2 English at 65%, L2A at 70% |
Finland: Ylioppilastut-kintotodistus |
4 in English A |
France: Baccalaureat |
11 in English LV1 |
France: Option Internationale du Baccalaureat – British English or American English |
10 in English |
Germany where English is taken as a Leistungskurs / Kernfächer / erhöhtem Anforderungsniveau |
11 |
Germany where English is not taken at higher level |
13 |
European school qualifications (continued)
The qualifications listed below are valid where they are taken no more than five years before the start date of your chosen programme of study.
Qualification |
Requirement |
Iceland: Studentsprof when taken as a compulsory language in final year |
6 in English |
Ireland: Irish Leaving Certificate |
O6 or C4 (pre-2017) |
Luxembourg |
40 (bien) in English |
Malta: Secondary Education Certificate |
Grade 4 |
Netherlands |
6 |
Norway: Vitnemal where English is taken as a common core subject |
4 |
Poland |
60th percentile in extended level English |
Scotland: National 5 |
C in English |
Sweden: Slutbetyg where English 7 has been taken |
C |
Switzerland: Maturity Certificate |
5 (on a scale of 6) or 7 (on a scale of 10) |
International school qualifications
The qualifications listed below are valid where they are taken no more than five years before the start date of your chosen programme of study.
Qualification |
Requirement |
Cameroon O level |
C in English |
Canada Alberta |
60% in English Language Arts 30-1 or 50% in English Language Arts 30-2 |
Canada British Columbia |
50% in English 12 or 50% in English Literature 12 |
Canada Manitoba |
60% in ELA 40S/C or 50% in ELA 40U |
Canada Ontario |
60% in ENG4C or 50% in ENG4U |
Canada Quebec |
Not accepted |
Caribbean CSEC |
CSEC English with Three (III) at general proficiency |
Gambia WAEC where scratch-card number supplied |
C6 |
Ghana WAEC where scratch-card number supplied |
C6 |
Hong Kong: HKDSE |
5 in English |
India (CISCE and CBSE) Standard XII: |
68% in English |
India (Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal state boards) |
75% in English |
Kenya KCSE |
English at grade C or 8 |
Liberia WAEC where scratch-card number supplied |
C6 |
International school qualifications (continued)
The qualifications listed below are valid where they are taken no more than five years before the start date of your chosen programme of study.
Qualification |
Requirement |
Malawi MSCE |
English at 7 |
Malaysia SPM |
C in English language |
Nigeria WAEC where scratch-card number supplied |
C6 |
Sierra Leone WAEC where scratch-card number supplied |
C6 |
Singapore: Integrated Programme Literature in English H2 or English Language and Linguistics H2: |
C |
Singapore Integrated Programme General Paper |
C in General Paper |
Singapore Ordinary Level |
Grade C in English |
Singapore: Secondary 4 English Language/Language Arts |
Grade C |
Singapore: NUS Integrated Diploma where EL 6103 (Language in Society III) or EL5101 (Language in Society II) have been taken |
C |
South Africa NSC |
English Home Language with 3 or English First Additional Language with 5 |
Tanzania Secondary School Leaving Certificate |
Grade C in English |
Uganda Certificate of Education |
Grade 7 in English |
United States: AP Language and Composition or AP Literature and Composition |
3 |
United States: ACT plus education at an English-medium school |
23 with 6 in Writing |
United States: SAT (taken after 2016) Reading and Writing scores plus education at an English-medium school |
R 32, W 32 |