If you dream about studying in the UK and feel that IELTS is not your cup of tea, you are just at the right place. Don’t worry; you are among the thousands of Indian students who want to pursue their higher studies in the UK, but IELTS has become a tall hurdle in their path. Keep on reading, and you will get to know various details about how you can study in the UK without IELTS, UK Universities without IELTS Requirement, UK without IELTS universities list and Universities in London without IELTS. Without further ado, let us take you a step closer to your goal of studying in the field you love.
Can I Study in the UK without IELTS Requirement?
The first piece of information that we want to bring forward is that it is possible to study in the UK without sitting for IELTS. In recent years, many universities and colleges in the UK have started to accept candidates without the requirement of IELTS. The necessity of IELTS has been alternated with other conditions by various universities and colleges in the UK. The majority of these alternate requirements are much easier as compared to IELTS.
So, don’t let IELTS be the hurdle between you and your wish to study in the UK.
IELTS – The Burden of International Students
IELTS is the most common entrance exam that tests students’ competency in English, and it is accepted worldwide by many universities and colleges. Candidates can sit for IELTS 4 times a month, i.e., 48 times a year. The duration is 165 minutes, and it costs about USD 250 per exam.
Anyway, it is not that easy to score a high score band in IELTS, and many students face many problems while appearing for IELTS. The lockdown imposed in many cities due to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the cancellation of several IELTS exams. Taking these reasons into consideration, several universities in the UK have come up with alternate competency requirements.
How to Study in the UK without IELTS
If you belong to any one of the five categories mentioned below, you will be eligible for applying to various universities and colleges in the UK.
Step 1. The Candidate’s School/ College had English as the primary medium of instruction.
If you belong to an English-medium school or college and have English as a primary subject then you can apply for admission to many universities and colleges in the UK without the requirement of IELTS.
This alternate requirement is quite helpful for students who have always studied in English-medium schools. You will have to furnish a bonafide letter from your school/ college stating that it is registered with English as the primary medium of instruction.
Step 2. The Candidate has scored high marks in English in Class 10 & Class 12 Board Exams.
If a student has appeared for English as a major exam in Class 10 & Class 12 board exams, they are eligible to apply for admission without IELTS. The catch over here is that the student should have scored relatively high marks in English, i.e., above 70%.
The Queen Mary University of London has the following conversion chart for average English marks:
Average marks in English in Class 10 & Class 12 and its equivalent IELTS score:
- 60% – 6.0.
- 70% – 6.5.
- 80% – 7.0.
Step 3. University Interview
Various colleges and universities in the UK conduct personal academic interviews to test the competency of the Candidate in English. If a student decides to go through this route, they must impress the panel with their English skills.
Step 4. Alternate English Entrance Tests
Other than IELTS, several other English proficiency exams are accepted by universities and colleges in the UK. Below-mentioned is a few of these alternatives:
- TOEFL.
- Integrated Skills in English (ISE).
- Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE).
- PTE Academic.
- Duolingo English Test.
Step 5. English Crash Course offered by the University
Many universities offer pre-admission English courses to aspirants who don’t have an IELTS score. If you finish the course and score the required marks at the end, you won’t have to sit for IELTS. The duration of these courses is around three months to 6 months.
Also Read: MBA in UK without IELTS
UK Universities without IELTS List
- London Southbank University
The London Southbank University is a top tier university located in England. It is highly ranked amongst its peers and offers many courses at the UG level and PG level.
The English competency is checked by the marks scored by them in Class 10 and Class 12 board exams. Along with that, the candidate also has to cover a pre-study English course.
- The University of Bristol
Bristol University offers various courses that do not require IELTS for admission. Students have to take up a pre-study English course at the University to be eligible. Alternate to that, if the student has an English certification from a recognized agency, they will be eligible to apply.
- Sheffield Hallam University
Located in South Yorkshire, Sheffield Hallam University is one of the highly ranked universities in the UK. To be eligible for applying, you will have to study the English Language course offered at the university’s TESOL centre.
- The University of Warwick
Aspirants can apply for admission to the University of Warwick based on their Class 10 and Class 12 English board exam marks. This criterion will exempt them from IELTS. For admission through this method, students have to take a pre-session English course offered before beginning classes.
- Robert Gordon University
Robert Gordon University is very well known for its STEM courses, i.e., Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Robert Gordon University is a good choice for students who wish to pursue higher education in these fields.
Without IELTS, you will either have to cover a two month pre-session English course or appear for the RGU English Proficiency Test, which is quite simple compared to IELTS.
Apart from the Universities mentioned above, several other universities accept students without IELTS.
List of some of the UK Universities without IELTS Requirement are given below.
- Brunel University London.
- Imperial College London.
- Kingston University London.
- London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
- The Queen Mary University of London.
- University College London (UCL).
- Birmingham City University.
- The University of Bolton.
- The University of Northampton.
- The University of Plymouth.
- Portsmouth University.
- University of Basel
- Aston University.
Note: Make sure that you check the official eligibility on the University’s official site before applying.
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