From 12th August 2010, it is now compulsory under Tier 4 that any General students have sat an approved English language test. This is still the case even if the student have sat IGCSEs or a similar qualification already. The only exceptions are students applying from the following countries:

• Antigua and Barbuda;
• Australia;
• The Bahamas;
• Barbados;
• Belize;
• Canada;
• Dominica;
• Grenada;
• Guyana;
• Jamaica;
• New Zealand;
• St Kitts and Nevis;
• St Lucia;
• St Vincent and the Grenadines;
• Trinidad and Tobago;
• United States of America.

The approved tests for student visas are as follows:

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
PTE (Pearson Test of English Academic)
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) – General Training or Academic Module

What level of English do students need?

TOEFL – Level B1 (Listening 13, Reading 8, Writing 17, Speaking 19)
PTE – Level B1 (Listening 43, Reading 43, Writing 43, Speaking 43)
IELTS – Level B1 (Listening 4.0, Reading 4.0, Writing 4.0, Speaking 4.0)

For more information visit the following websites:

TOEFL: www.ets.org/toefl
PTE: www.pearsonpte.com/testme
IELTS: www.ielts.org