Entry Requirements

Our Pre-Sessional English courses commence at specific stages throughout the year. The course you apply for will depend on your latest English Language proficiency level and the English Language requirement for the academic programme that you wish to study. Once you know your direct entry profile, and your latest IELTS (or equivalent) level and individual components you can calculate for how long you are recommended to study.

Please note the University can only consider the latest English Language qualification for entry to our Pre-sessional English courses. Combinations of English Language qualifications will not be considered. Single skill IELTS retest is accepted.  The single skill retest must be taken within 60 days of the original test.

The University of Liverpool has six different English Language proficiency entry profiles.  All programmes, with a very small number of exceptions, ask applicants to submit proof that they fit one of these profiles.  The vast majority of applicants use IELTS to prove their level of proficiency in English and so the table below shows what the entry profiles are in terms of IELTS results.

University of Liverpool Entry Profile 
F Overall 7.5 with no band below 7.0
E Overall 7.0 with no band below 6.5
D Overall 6.5 with writing at 6.5 and no other band below 6.0
C Overall 6.5 with no band below 6.0
B Overall 6.5 with no band below 5.5
A Overall 6.0 with no band below 5.5

You can check the English language requirements for your academic course here. Alternatively you can find it on your offer letter.

If you want to study the Pre-sessional English course on-campus, only the following secure English Language tests (SELT) are acceptable:

  • IELTS Academic UKVI SELT
  • Pearson Academic UKVI SELT
  • Language Cert UKVI SELT
  • Skills for English UKVI SELT

If you want to study the Pre-sessional English course online, only the following English Language tests taken face to face in a test centre are acceptable:

  • IELTS Academic UKVI SELT or Non-SELT
  • PTE UKVI SELT or Non-SELT
  • Language Cert Academic
  • Language Cert ESOL SELT or Non-SELT
  • Skills for English SELT
  • Oxford Test of English

The dates of our summer 2024 fully online courses have now been released, please see the Dates & Fees page for full details.

Click here to view the entry requirements for our online pre-sessional courses for 2023/24

Click here to view the entry requirements for our on-campus pre-sessional courses for 2023/24