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How to apply

Find out how you can apply for our Pre-sessional English course as a self-funded applicant or a sponsored applicant.

Most of our students go on to study at the University of Liverpool, but on our longest course (40 weeks) we also welcome students who are planning to study at other UK universities. Students planning to study at another university should check with that institution to see if they will accept results from our English Language Centre (ELC) Pre-sessional English course. A comprehensive end of course report can be provided on request.

For students going on to study at universities which do not accept results from the University of Liverpool, we are also a test centre for IELTS.

Self-funded applicants

If you are a self-funded applicant, a £1000 deposit is required and this will form part of your Pre-sessional English course offer. To pay, please visit our dedicated payment pages.

Please read our ELC PSE Payment Policy for self-funded students (148KB, PDF).

Please ensure you have submitted an application for your Undergraduate or Postgraduate programme before submitting your Pre-sessional English application. If you do not currently hold an offer for an Undergraduate, Postgraduate or PhD programme at the University of Liverpool, or a different University, you will not be able to apply to study one of our Pre-sessional English courses.*

*Exceptions apply for the 40-week course and 30-week applications made before October 2024 – no undergraduate, postgraduate or PhD degree application required, but participation in, or completion of, the Pre-sessional English course does not guarantee progression to any academic study unless you have subsequently been offered a place on an academic course which accepts successful completion of the Pre-sessional course.

Some students may also be eligible for a Combined CAS, please see the Combined CAS process page for more information.

Sponsored applicants

If you are a sponsored applicant, you will need to submit full copies of your official sponsorship letters with your application. Without these documents, we will assume that you are a self-funded applicant and will not be able to make a decision on your application without a deposit.

Please read our ELC PSE Payment Policy for sponsored students (195KB, PDF).

Please ensure you have submitted an application for your Undergraduate or Postgraduate programme before submitting your Pre-sessional English application. If you do not currently hold an offer for an Undergraduate, Postgraduate or PhD programme at the University of Liverpool, or a different University, you will not be able to apply to study one of our Pre-sessional English courses.*

*Exceptions apply for the 40-week course and 30-week applications made before October 2024 – no undergraduate, postgraduate or PhD degree application required, but participation in, or completion of, the Pre-sessional English course does not guarantee progression to any academic study unless you have subsequently been offered a place on an academic course which accepts successful completion of the Pre-sessional course.

Some students may also be eligible for a Combined CAS, please see the Combined CAS process page for more information.

Course conditions

Please read our Pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Course Conditions. By submitting an application, you are confirming that you have read and understood these conditions.

Pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Course Conditions 
  • Progression onto your academic programme for the following academic year is not automatic. To progress on to your University of Liverpool academic Undergraduate or Postgraduate programme, you must successfully complete the Pre-sessional EAP course or achieve the direct English Language requirement and successfully achieve any academic conditions. 
  • Please check your Undergraduate or Postgraduate offer for further details. If your academic offer letter contains both academic and English conditions, you will need to satisfy both of these conditions to ensure that you can progress on to your academic programme. If you do not meet the academic conditions of your offer, you will not be able to progress to academic study in September 2025/26. 
  • It is your responsibility to ensure that your academic qualifications are at the required level to progress on to a degree programme. 
  • The English Language Centre is not responsible for your academic offer. If you have not received an offer email for your academic study, you should contact the International Admissions Team directly and request this. 
  • If you have an academic offer from a different UK institution, it is unlikely that they will accept successful completion of the University of Liverpool Pre-sessional EAP course as a measure of your English. You will need to meet the Institution’s specific English Language requirements. Please check that the Institution will accept a Pre-sessional EAP course completed at the University of Liverpool. 
  • You will take a number of in-house assessments throughout your course to ensure that you are making sufficient progress. Progression from one stage to the next is not automatic and it will depend on the results of assessments you take during your course. 
  • If the English Language condition in your academic offer does not refer to the Pre-sessional EAP course, you are welcome to apply for the Pre-sessional EAP course but please be aware that you will be required to take an IELTS examination on completion of the Pre-sessional EAP course. 
  • If you intend to progress to a programme that will not accept the Pre-sessional EAP course as evidence of English Language, you must book your IELTS examination at the earliest opportunity due to the popularity of our IELTS examination at the English Language Centre’s IELTS Centre. We will not arrange this test for you. 
  • In order to enrol on the Pre-sessional EAP course, you must achieve the required IELTS score and obtain a Student Visa. You must use your University of Liverpool Pre-sessional EAP CAS to do so. A CAS for our Pre-sessional EAP courses will only be issued following an offer and on receipt of confirmation of intent to study, and the full payment of non-refundable deposit or a certified letter of sponsorship that guarantees financial support. 
  • The course comprises of approximately 18 hours of lessons and tutorials and approximately 20 hours per week of directed self-study after class and at weekends. You must aim to attend your Pre-sessional EAP course all of the time. Failure to do so may be a violation of your Student Visa agreement and the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) will be notified. 
  • In accordance with UK Visas and Immigration guidelines, if you have a Student Visa and decide to withdraw or suspend studies from the course, you will need to return to your home country. The University of Liverpool is required to pass on details of students who do not commence on their start date or who leave their course early to the UK Visas and Immigration. 
  • If you are a sponsored student, you must provide a hard copy of a Financial Guarantee to the English Language Centre before, or no later than, the start date of the course. You will not be permitted to study without this. 
  • If you arrive after the specified latest possible start date for your course, you will not be allowed to start the course and will be required to return home. Details of latest possible start dates and application deadlines can be found on the ELC website. 
  • You accept that that the University of Liverpool reserves the right to change these conditions without prior notice. 
  • By signing your application form and submitting the application, you are acknowledging and agreeing to the conditions as stated in this document.