To be accepted onto our programmes, you must be able to satisfy the University's English language requirements. The level required will depend on the programme you are applying for. We strive to make your application process as easy as possible, however in all cases we reserve the right to request an English language qualification and / or conduct an interview.
We accept a wide range of English language qualifications including:
- IELTS Academic
- TOEFL
- PTE Academic
- TOEFL iBT Home Edition
- Password
- Language Cert International ESOL SELT
- Kaplan International Tools for English (KITE)
- Cambridge Advanced Test (CAE)
- Cambridge Proficiency Test (CPE)
Check the tables below on this page to find out our required scores for a range of English language tests.
- Main Entry IELTS Minimum Band Scores
Undergraduate (Bachelor Degrees)
School/Programme Reading Writing Listening Speaking Overall Aston Medical School 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 Aston Business School Two bands at 5.5 and other bands at 6.0 and above Two bands at 5.5 and other bands at 6.0 and above - - 6.5 Engineering and Physical Sciences 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 6.0 Health and Life Sciences (except Aston Medical School) 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.5 Health and Life Sciences (Optometry) 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 7.0 School of Social Sciences and Humanities 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 6.0 * The above is applicable to students entering Years 1 and 2 of undergraduate programmes. Articulation into the Final year will vary depending on the degree programme and subject to the agreement with the partner.
** BSc Biochemistry, BSc Neuroscience, BSc Biology, and BSc Psychology programmes (all) will accept applications from candidates where one band is at 5.5 and the others at 6.0 and above.
Postgraduate Taught (Masters Programmes)
School / Programme Reading Writing Listening Speaking Overall Aston Business School 1 band at 5.5 as a minimum. Other bands at 6.0 and above 6.5 Aston Business School - MBA 1 band at 5.5 as a minimum. Other bands at 6.0 and above 6.5 Engineering and Physical Sciences 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 6.0 Engineering and Physical Sciences - Engineering Systems and Management Programmes 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.5 Health and Life Sciences 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.5 Health and Life Sciences - OSPAP 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 School of Social Sciences and Humanities 1 band at 5.5 as a minimum. Other bands at 6.0 and above 6.5
* Postgraduate masters students enrolling with Aston Business School with a 5.5 in one of the 4 IELTS sections will be required to engage with English language tuition as part of the Aston Global Advantage. There will be no extra cost to the student.Postgraduate Research Programmes
School / Programme Reading Writing Listening Speaking Overall Aston Business School 6.5 6.5 6.0 6.0 6.5 Engineering and Physical Sciences 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.5 Health and Life Sciences 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.5 School of Social Sciences and Humanities 6.5 6.5 6.0 6.0 6.5 - Main Entry TOEFL Minimum Band Scores
Undergraduate (Bachelor Degrees)
School / Programme
Reading
Writing
Listening
Speaking
Overall
Aston Medical School
26
28
26
23
101
Aston Business School
Reading
Writing
Listening
Speaking
Overall
12
20
11
17
93
No more than 2 bands in red
18
23
19
19
* The above is applicable to students entering Years 1 and 2 of undergraduate programmes. Articulation into the Final year will vary depending on the degree programme and subject to the agreement with the partner.
Engineering and Physical Sciences
12
20
11
17
78
Health and Life Sciences (except Aston Medical School)
18
23
19
19
93
Health and Life Sciences – OSPAP
26
28
26
23
101
School of Social Sciences and Humanities
12
20
11
17
78
** BSc Biochemistry, BSc Neuroscience, BSc Biology, and BSc Psychology programmes (all) will accept applications from candidates where one band is at 5.5 and the others at 6.0 and above.
Postgraduate Taught (Masters Programmes)
Aston Business School
Reading
Writing
Listening
Speaking
Overall
12
20
11
17
93 Only 1 band in red
18
23
19
19
*Postgraduate masters students enrolling with Aston Business School with one band in red will be required to engage with English language tuition as part of the Aston Global Advantage. There will be no extra cost to the student.
Reading
Writing
Listening
Speaking
Overall
Engineering and Physical Sciences
12
20
11
17
78
Engineering and Physical Sciences -
Engineering Systems and Management Programmes18
23
19
19
93
Health and Life Sciences (except Aston Medical School)
18
23
19
19
93
Health and Life Sciences – OSPAP
26
28
26
23
101
School of Social Sciences and Humanities
Reading
Writing
Listening
Speaking
Overall
12 20 11 17 93 Only 1 band in red
18
23
19
19
Postgraduate Research Programmes
School / Programme
Reading
Writing
Listening
Speaking
Overall
Aston Business School
22
26
19
19
93
Engineering and Physical Sciences
18
23
19
19
93
Health and Life Sciences
18
23
19
19
93
School of Social Sciences and Humanities
22
26
19
19
93
- Main Entry Pearson Minimum Band Scores
Undergraduate (Bachelor Degrees)
School / Programme
Reading
Writing
Listening
Speaking
Overall
Aston Medical School
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Aston Business School
Two bands at 59 and other bands at 64 and above
67
Engineering and Physical Sciences
59
59
59
59
64
Health and Life Sciences (except Aston Medical School)
64
64
64
64
67
School of Social Sciences and Humanities
59
59
59
59
64
* The above is applicable to students entering Years 1 and 2 of undergraduate programmes. Articulation into the Final year will vary depending on the degree programme and subject to the agreement with the partner.
** BSc Biochemistry, BSc Neuroscience, BSc Biology, and BSc Psychology programmes (all) will accept applications from candidates where one band is at 42 and the others at 50 and above.
Postgraduate Taught (Masters Programmes)
School / Programme
Reading
Writing
Listening
Speaking
Overall
Aston Business School
1 band at 59 as a minimum. Other bands at 64 and above
67
Aston Business School – MBA
1 band at 59 as a minimum. Other bands at 64 and above
67
Engineering and Physical Sciences
59
59
59
59
64
Engineering and Physical Sciences - Engineering Systems and Management Programmes
64
64
64
64
67
Health and Life Sciences
64
64
64
64
67
Health and Life Sciences – OSPAP
76
76
76
76
76
School of Social Sciences and Humanities
1 band at 59 as a minimum. Other bands at 64 and above
67
*Postgraduate masters students enrolling with Aston Business School with a 42 in one of the four sections will be required to engage with English language tuition as part of the Aston Global Advantage. There will be no extra cost to the student.
Postgraduate Research Programmes
School / Programme
Reading
Writing
Listening
Speaking
Overall
Aston Business School
67
67
64
64
67
Engineering and Physical Sciences
64
64
64
64
67
Health and Life Sciences
64
64
64
64
67
School of Social Sciences and Humanities
67
67
64
64
67
- Language Cert International ESOL SELT
- Undergraduate
School/Programme Reading Writing Listening Speaking Overall Aston Medical School C1 33/50 C1 33/50 C1 33/50 C1 33/50 N/A Aston Business School B2 39/50 B2 39/50 B2 39/50 B2 39/50 N/A College of Engineering and Physical Sciences B2 33/50 B2 33/50 B2 33/50 B2 33/50 N/A College of Health and Life Sciences (excl. Aston Medical School) B2 39/50 B2 39/50 B2 39/50 B2 39/50 N/A School of Social Sciences and Humanities B2 33/50 B2 33/50 B2 33/50 B2 33/50 N/A * The above is applicable to students entering Years 1 and 2 of undergraduate programmes. Articulation into the Final year will vary depending on the degree programme and subject to the agreement with the partner.
Postgraduate taught
School/Programme Reading Writing Listening Speaking Overall Aston Business School (incl. MBA) B2 39/50 B2 39/50 B2 39/50 B2 39/50 N/A College of Engineering and Physical Sciences B2 33/50 B2 33/50 B2 33/50 B2 33/50 N/A College of Engineering and Physical Sciences (Engineering Systems and Management programmes) B2 39/50 B2 39/50 B2 39/50 B2 39/50 N/A College of Health and Life Sciences B2 39/50 B2 39/50 B2 39/50 B2 39/50 N/A College of Health and Life Sciences (OSPAP only) C1 33/50 C1 33/50 C1 33/50 C1 33/50 N/A School of Social Sciences and Humanities B2 39/50 B2 39/50 B2 39/50 B2 39/50 N/A
Postgraduate research
School/Programme Reading Writing Listening Speaking Overall Aston Business School B2 39/50 B2 39/50 B2 33/50 B2 33/50 N/A College of Engineering and Physical Sciences B2 39/50 B2 39/50 B2 39/50 B2 39/50 N/A College of Health and Life Sciences B2 39/50 B2 39/50 B2 39/50 B2 39/50 N/A School of Social Sciences and Humanities B2 39/50 B2 39/50 B2 39/50 B2 39/50 N/A - KITE - Kaplan International Tools for English
Register for the KITE test
Please register here to take the testUndergraduate (Bachelor degrees)
School/programme Reading Writing Listening Speaking Overall Aston Medical School 495-526 495-526 495-526 495-526 495-526 *Aston Business School Two bands at 396-425 Two bands at minimum 426-458 - - 459-494 Engineering and Physical Sciences 396-425 396-425 396-425 396-425 426-458 Health and Life Sciences (except Aston Medical School) 426-458 426-458 426-458 426-458 459-494 Health and Life Sciences (Optometry) 459-494 459-494 459-494 459-494 495-526 School of Social Sciences and Humanities 396-425 396-425 396-425 396-425 426-458 Postgraduate Taught (Masters programmes)
Please note: KITE test is not accepted for postgraduate research
School/Programme Reading Writing Listening Speaking Overall *Aston Business School One band at 396-425 and other bands at minimum 426-458 - - - 459-494 *Aston Business School MBA One band at 396-425 and other bands at minimum 426-458 - - - 459-494 Engineering and Physical Sciences 396-425 396-425 396-425 396-425 426-458 Engineering and Physical Sciences - Engineering Systems and Management Programmes 426-458 426-458 426-458 426-458 459-494 Health and Life Sciences 426-458 426-458 426-458 426-458 459-494 Health and Life Sciences - OSPAP 495-526 495-526 495-526 495-526 495-526 *School of Social Sciences and Humanities One band at 396-425 and other bands at - - - 459-594
If you meet any of the criteria below, then you may not need to provide an English language qualification:
Graduated from a UK university?
If you studied for a minimum period of one year in the UK and achieved at least a 2:2 within the last two years then we will consider you to have met Aston’s English language requirements for Postgraduate study.
- National of a majority English Speaking Country
If you have one of the following nationalities and you hold a degree level qualification or a University approved A level equivalent qualification from one of these countries then you will be exempt from the English Language requirements:
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.
- Academic qualification equivalent to a UK Degree - Taught in majority English Speaking Country
If you have a qualification from overseas and it is deemed to be equivalent to a UK degree. The degree must have been taught in one of the following majority English speaking countries:
Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America.
You must have graduated within the last two years.
Students will also have to provide provide official documentation produced by UK NARIC which confirms the evaluation that the overseas academic qualification is equivalent to a UK degree (does not include professional or vocational qualifications).
Exemptions for undergraduate applicants
If you have studied or are studying recognised qualifications in English, such as GCSE English or IB, an IELTS qualification is not required provided you meet our minimum requirements.
Unfortunately, this does not apply to any courses below degree level.
We accept GCSE grades - the requirements vary per course and they are listed on each course webpage.
If you have studied the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme, we accept either a Standard or a Higher Level English Language or Literature. For courses which typically require 6 or 6.5 in IELTS, we will ask for 4. For courses which require 7 in IELTS, we will ask for 5. You can check our IELTS requirements table above to check your course/college IELTS requirement which will inform the IB score that we require. IB entry requirements are also specified on each course webpage.
These don't apply to me
If you don't meet the above criteria you will need to meet our English language requirements as listed below.
For applicants whose English falls short of our minimum entry requirements we provide a range of Pre-sessional English Language programmes which aim to enable our applicants to reach our requisite levels of English and help them to become more confident about studying in English in the UK.
See pre-sessional dates and costs.
Which English Language test should I take?
- IELTS
If you have been asked to provide evidence of an IELTS Academic test (not the IELTS General test) at a certain level, there are now two to choose from.
A standard IELTS Academic test. IELTS Academic test from a UKVI approved test centre.The following applies to those who need a Student visa and have been made an offer based on an IELTS score:
If you have a direct entry unconditional offer for an undergraduate or postgraduate programme, you can take any IELTS Academic test, whether from a UKVI approved centre or not. If you require a CAS for a single Pre-sessional course or have been made an unconditional offer for a Foundation year you must take your IELTS Academic test from a UKVI approved test centre. If you are not sure which to choose, we strongly recommend that you take the UKVI approved test. If you have any further questions, please contact the Visa Compliance Team or alternatively please contact the International Office.- TOEFL
We will only accept TOEFL for Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes, and will be able to issue your CAS to support your overseas Student Visa application (if you hold a suitable level). However, we will not be able to accept TOEFL for programmes below degree level, including Foundation and pre-sessional programmes.
If you have been made an offer for direct entry on to an undergraduate or postgraduate programme, then we will still accept a range of qualifications as evidence of your English Language ability, and you are NOT required to provide evidence of these for a Tier 4 visa application.