If you are planning to study in a British university, then you must know that you need to show excellent skills in English language. There are standard examination tests that measure the level of your skills in English. The most common one in UK is IELTS. IELTS is the standard test a student whose mother tongue is not English is required to take in order to show his proficiency in English.
IELTS test is the first hurdle you need to pass when you start the application process for a university in UK. Your entire stay in UK will depend on this. But did you know that however there are some universities that do not require you to appear for IELTS exam.
Universities in UK where international students can study without IELTS:
• Sheffield Hallam University
• University of Warwick
• University of Basel
• Birmingham City University
• University of Bristol
• Audencia Nantes School of Management
• Riga Technical University
• University of Geneva
• London Southbank University
• Northumbria University
• Robert Gordon University
• The University of Bolton
• University of Northampton
• University of Plymouth
• Portsmouth University
• Swansea University
• University of Greenwich
• University of Central Lancashire
• Aston University, Birmingham
In some cases, if the university does not require you to appear for IELTS, then usually they check your command over the English language in a different way.
You should always check if your university estimates your English proficiency through different methods so that you can save your time and efforts by not giving the IELTS exam. One of these methods can be to look at the method of your previous education.
If you have studied in a school where you got all your instructions in English, the admission board might take this into account while checking your English proficiency.
Here are three situations in which usually the university may waive the IELTS for you in order to be admitted:
They can only take into consideration your English score in high school. Moreover, they may only focus on your senior year scores. If your score in English during your 10th and 12th was above 60% some particular universities can accept your application.
The second opportunity is what we already mentioned it: your prior education in English taught school. Nowadays there are many schools outside the UK that offer education in the English language. If you have attended your high school at this kind of institution and your scores were excellent, the British university may not request an IELTS.
Another way the IELTS can be avoided is by having an online interview. Some universities may ask you to give an online interview through Skype so they can assess your English level if you haven’t taken the IELTS and you feel is unnecessary.
Your English proficiency is one the requirements to get a Tier 4 (General) student visa so if you find a university that waives off the IELTS test, you must ask them hand to you a document that you’re eligible to take a visa.
Note that some universities may not ask you to prove your English proficiency if you had been attending a course in prior for 1 or 2 years and your grades have been higher. Furthermore, there are universities that may not specifically ask for the IELTS, but they may ask you to prove your English level through another examination test.
