Qualifications advice for international advisers

Your students may worry about whether their qualifications will be accepted by universities in the UK. The good news is that universities will accept a wide range of qualifications.

Universities set their own entry criteria for their courses and can accept any qualification which they feel is relevant to the course being offered. There is no list of ‘accepted qualifications’ because each university will have different entry requirements for their courses.

Due to the wide range of qualifications available around the world, universities may not be able to list every international qualification in their entry criteria. If in doubt, your students should always contact the university directly to find out if their qualification is accepted for the course they wish to study. The university will also be able to give guidance on the type of grades your students will need to achieve to obtain a place.

For many courses, if a student does not speak English as their first language, they may be required to prove their skills. They may also need to take a particular type of test – a Secure English Language Test (SELT) – if they require a student visa. 

IELTS and Trinity’s ISE (if taken at a Trinity SELT centre in the UK) are both approved as a SELT and accepted for UK study visa purposes.

Other English language tests, such as the Pearson Test of English (PTE), TOEFL and Cambridge Assessment English C1 Advanced, and C2 Proficiency tests are widely accepted by UK higher education providers. The pass level will differ according to your study topic.

Many universities will also be able to accept regional qualifications such as the WAEC, Standard XII, CAPE and many more in the place of a formal English language test, so make sure to check with them if your qualification can be considered. 

Entry requirements are usually listed under each course.   

• The Tariff tables help universities to compare the wide range of UK qualifications they see on applications.
• They do not contain international qualifications (with the exception of the Irish Leaving Certificate).
• The IB Diploma – despite being taught internationally – is also included in the Tariff Tables because it is regulated in the UK. Universities can choose to accept Tariff points for the IB Diploma from both UK and international applicants.
• Some universities list their entry requirements in Tariff points. However, this does not mean they do not accept international qualifications.
• If your students wish to study at a university which lists entry requirements in Tariff points, they should speak to the university directly to find out if their international qualification is accepted.

Universities have well-established processes for managing applications from students applying from outside the UK.

When your student applies to a university in the UK, if they receive an offer, they will need to provide evidence of their qualifications to the university. Depending on the university this may be:

• The university will ask your student to send them a copy of their certificate. They will likely have a team of international qualification experts on their staff who will advise on whether the qualifications meets the entry criteria for the course being applied to.
• If the university does not have a good enough understanding of the qualification, they may ask your student to obtain a Statement of Comparability from UK ENIC.