English language requirements

At UWA, English is the language of instruction and assessment. You will need to meet the English language requirements of the University to be eligible for a place.

Below is the list of ways the English Language Competencies (ELC) requirement can be met for admission to UWA.

English language assistance

International applicants who do not meet the English language requirement for direct entry may consider an Academic English and Study Skills Bridging course at the UWA Centre for English Language Teaching (UWA CELT).

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Coursework degrees

The below tests and qualifications can be used to meet the university’s Minimum standard English Language Competence requirements. Some courses have Higher standard or Accreditation ELC requirements which are listed in their course rules.
Australian tests and qualifications
TEST/QUALIFICATIONREQUIREMENT
Western AustraliaAchieved a final year 12 school grade of C or a scaled mark of 50 in either:
  • English ATAR;
  • Literature ATAR;
  • English as an Additional Language/Dialect ATAR
New South Wales (HSC)English Standard - 50 or above (Band 2 or above)
English Advanced - 50 or above (Band 2 or above)
English Extension 1 - 25 or above (Band E2 or above)
English Extension 2 - 25 or above (Band E2 or above)
Pre-2001: Contemporary English (2U) - 50 or above
English (General) (2U) - 50 or above
English (2U) - 50 or above
English (3U) - 25 or above
Comparative Literature (2U) - 50 or above
E.S.L. - 70 or above (Band 4 or above)
Queensland (QCE)English (Must be Board or QSA subjects) - SA or above.
South Australia (SACE) / Northern Territory (NTCE)English Studies (PES) - 10 or above (C- or above)
English Communications (PAS) - 10 or above (C- or above)
English as a Second Language (PES) - 10 or above (C- or above)
Tasmania (TCE)English / English Communication - SA or above
English Literature / English Studies - SA or above
Writer's Workshop / English Writing - SA or above
World Literature - SA or above ESL Stage 4 - SA or above
Victoria (VCE)English - 25 or above English Language - 25 or above
Literature - 25 or above ESL - 25 or above
Australian Capital Territory (ACT Yr 12 Certificate)English - Scaled mark 125 or above
ESL - Scaled mark 125 or above
Must be 'T' courses taken as a Major, Major/Minor or a Double Major
Combined Universities Language Test (CULT)Minimum score of 70% (valid for two years only).
Foundation Programs from Other Group of Eight UniversitiesA pass in the English paper of a Go8 foundation program.
Skills for Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)Verbal: Minimum of 140
Written English: Minimum of 140
Complete a Communications unit in your first year of studyTo satisfy English Language Requirements you may be able to complete the Communication in Practice [PACM1101] unit in your first year of study at UWA.
Degree studies in Australia 
At least one successful year of full-time or equivalent degree studies undertaken in Australia within the past two years; or
At least two successful years of full-time or equivalent degree studies undertaken in Australia completed more than two years ago.
Australian University Enabling ProgramsSuccessful completion of an Australian University Enabling program.
International tests and qualifications
QUALIFICATIONREQUIREMENT
Advanced Placement English (USA)A grade of 3 or higher in AP English Language and Composition or AP English Literature and Composition.
All India Examination (CBSE) and Indian School Certificate (CISCE)English language components with a minimum grade B2 (CBSE) or 60% (CISCE).
Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) and the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)

Minimum grade of 180 with no band less than 170.

Master of Clinical Exercise Physiology requires an overall score of at least 185.

Results are valid for two years only.

Canadian Pre-University (CPU)

Minimum score 65% in English subject ENG4C; or

Minimum score 50% in English subject ENG4U.

Other Canadian matriculation results are accepted on a case-by-case basis.

Danish Studentereksamen

Level B English Oral and Written: a minimum grade of 7 or above.

Level A English Oral and Written: a minimum grade of 4 or above.

Finnish Upper Secondary School Diploma (Lukionpaastotodistus)

Grade 8 or above in English A or English (Advanced).

Pass in the Matriculation examination (Ylioppilastutkinto) in English (Advanced).

GCE A-level

Minimum grade E in English Language, English Literature or English Language and Literature.

Must be endorsed by CIE, OCR, Edexcel, AQA or other UK authority (independent and school-assessed A-levels are not sufficient).

GCE AS-level (General Paper or English Language)Minimum grade C awarded by CIE.
GCE A-level (Singapore-Cambridge)

Minimum grade E in Knowledge & Inquiry, Literature in English, or English Language and Linguistics.

Minimum grade C in General Paper.

GCE O-level (GCSE)

Minimum grade of C6 or 4 in English, English Language, English (First Language) or English Literature.

Must be endorsed by CIE, OCR, Edexcel, AQA or other UK authority (independent and school-assessed O-levels are not sufficient).

GCE O-level (IGCSE)

Minimum grade of A or 7 in IGCSE English as a Second Language in conjunction with Grade 1 (One) in Oral/Aural Communication.

Must be endorsed by CIE, OCR, Edexcel, AQA or other UK authority (independent and school-assessed O-levels are not sufficient).

GCE O-level (Singapore-Cambridge)Minimum grade C6 in English
German AbiturMinimum grade 3 in German Abitur, in conjunction with a minimum grade B in DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) Certificate of Language Proficiency test.
Hong Kong A-level Examination (HKALE)Minimum grade C in 'Literature in English'.
Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE)

Core English Language - minimum Level 4; or

Literature in English (elective) - minimum Level 3 .

International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB)

English A: Literature or Language and Literature at SL - Minimum grade 4.

English A: Literature or Language and Literature at HL - Minimum grade 3.

Literature and Performance at SL - Minimum grade 4.

English B at HL - Minimum grade 5.

New Zealand - Bursary
New Zealand - NCEA

English - Minimum score 50.

English: 17 credit points with Standard Type Achievement and Standard. Results Achieved, Merit or Excellent in English at Level 2 and/or 3.

The University will consider a combination of credits achieved in the approved subject of English across both Level 2 and Level 3 to meet the standard English requirement.

Netherlands VWO High School Certificate (Voorbereidend Wetenschappellijk Onderwijs)Minimum grade 8 in the English component.
Norwegian VitnemålMinimum grade 4 in the English component.
Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM)1119 English Paper – A grade of C6 or higher on the GSCE grading system, or a grade of C1 or higher on the CEFR grading system.
Swedish SlutbetygMinimum grade of VG / C in the English paper.
Overseas secondary studies taught and examined in EnglishSecondary teaching and examination in English is acceptable if deemed equivalent to Australian matriculation (Year 12) with a pass in the final year English paper, completed within two years of application.
Vocational education and training taught and examined in English outside AustraliaSuccessful completion of a diploma at Nanyang Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic, or Temasek Polytechnic undertaken in Singapore fully in English within the last two years.
Degree studies taught and examined in English outside Australia

At least one successful year of full-time or equivalent degree studies, undertaken in Canada (excluding Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States of America completed within the past two years; OR

At least two years of successful full-time or equivalent degree level studies undertaken and examined in English at a tertiary institution outside Australia, and assessed by UWA to be equivalent to Australian degree studies, as set out in the Admissions Policy Appendix - Schedule A (Appendix 2).

The below Tests of English meet the University’s Minimum Standard English Language Competence requirement and are valid for two years from the test date. Where a Test of English is accepted for meeting Higher standard requirements the grade/score requirements are listed. For Courses with Accreditation ELC requirements refer to the course rules in the handbook.

TESTREQUIREMENT
Cambridge C1 Advanced or Cambridge C2 Proficiency
  • Minimum standard ELC requirements - a minimum overall grade of 170 with a minimum grade of 175 in the Speaking and Writing sections, and a minimum grade of 165 in the Listening and Reading sections.
  • Higher standard ELC requirements - a minimum overall grade of 180 with a minimum grade of 185 in the Speaking and Writing sections, and a minimum grade of 170 in the Listening and Reading sections.
Duolingo
  • Minimum standard ELC requirements - an overall score of 125 with a minimum score of 115 in Speaking, 125 in Writing, 115 in Reading and 110 in Listening.
IELTS (Academic) 
IELTS for UKVI (Academic)
IELTS One Skill Retake
  • Minimum standard ELC requirements - a minimum overall score of 6.5 with no band less than 6.0.
  • Higher standard ELC requirements - a minimum overall score of 7.0 with no band less than 6.5.
LanguageCert Academic
  • Minimum standard ELC requirements – a minimum overall score of 67 with a minimum score of 70 in the Speaking section, 57 in the Listening section, 60 in the Reading section and 64 in the Writing section.
  • Higher standard ELC requirements – a minimum overall score of 73 with a minimum score of 76 in the Speaking section, 62 in the Listening section, 65 in the Reading section and 71 in the Writing section.
Michigan English Test
  • Minimum standard ELC requirements – a minimum overall score of 58 with a minimum score of 48 in the Speaking section, 56 in the Listening section, 55 in the Reading section and 57 in the Writing section.
  • Higher standard ELC requirements – a minimum overall score of 62 with a minimum score of 53 in the Speaking section, 59 in the Listening section, 59 in the Reading section and 64 in the Writing section.
PTE (Academic)
  • Minimum standard ELC requirements - a minimum overall score of 64 with no band score less than 60.
  • Higher standard ELC requirements - a minimum overall score of 70 with no band score less than 64.
TOEFL Internet-Based Test (iBT) (0-120 Scale)

To allow verification of your scores use our TOEFL Institution Code: 7496 University of Western Australia (UWA).

  • Minimum standard ELC requirements - a minimum overall score of 82 with a minimum score of 20 in the Speaking and Writing sections, and a minimum score of 17 in the Listening and Reading sections.
  • Higher standard ELC requirements - a minimum overall score of 92 with a minimum score of 23 in the Speaking and Writing sections, and a minimum score of 20 in the Listening and Reading sections.
TOEFL Internet-Based Test (iBT) (1-6 Scale)

To allow verification of your scores use our TOEFL Institution Code: 7496 University of Western Australia (UWA).

  • Minimum standard ELC requirements – a minimum overall score of 4.5 with a minimum score of 4 in the Writing section and a minimum score of 3.5 in the Listening, Speaking and Reading sections.
  • Higher standard ELC requirements – a minimum overall score of 5 with a minimum score of 4.5 in the Listening and Writing sections, and a minimum score of 4 in the Speaking and Reading sections.
Academic English and Study Skills Bridging Course by UWA CELT

Please note: UWA CELT is not available to all cohorts of students.

To meet the Minimum standard ELC requirements a final UWA CELT Bridging Course examination grade of 70% or above with no band score less than 60% is required.

For the following courses with the Higher standard ELC requirement a final UWA CELT Bridging Course examination grade of 75% or above and a score of 70% or above in each band is required:

  • Bachelor of Modern Languages
  • Bachelor of Social Work (Honours)
  • Graduate Certificate of Health Professions Education
  • Graduate Diploma of Educational Leadership (articulated)
  • Graduate Diploma of Forensic Odontology
  • Graduate Diploma in Health Professions Education
  • Graduate Diploma in International Law
  • Graduate Diploma in Law
  • Graduate Diploma in Law, Policy and Government
  • Graduate Diploma in Natural Resources Law
  • Graduate Diploma in Taxation Law
  • Master of Business Administration (coursework or coursework and dissertation)
  • Master of Education (coursework and dissertation or thesis and coursework)
  • Master of Educational Leadership (coursework and dissertation or thesis and coursework)
  • Master of Health Professions Education (coursework and dissertation or thesis and coursework)
  • Master of International Law
  • Master of Laws
  • Master of Law Policy and Government
  • Master of Legal Practice
  • Master of Mining and Energy Law
  • Master of Resources and International Commercial Law

Courses with accreditation ELC requirements at UWA do not have a pathway from the UWA CELT Bridging Course due to post graduation registration requirements that specify an external test measure such as IELTS or OET.

The UWA CELT Bridging Course is not accepted for meeting ELC requirements for the following courses:

  • Bachelor of Education (Primary) (Honours)
  • Bachelor of Nursing (Honours)
  • Bachelor of Science and Master of Teaching - Secondary
  • Bachelor of Arts and Master of Teaching - Secondary
  • Bachelor of Human Sciences (Pharmaceutical Health) and Doctor of Pharmacy
  • Graduate Diploma in Clinical Neuropsychology
  • Graduate Diploma in Clinical Psychology
  • Master of Applied Human Performance Science (coursework and dissertation)
  • Master of Clinical Audiology (coursework)
  • Master of Clinical Exercise Physiology (coursework)
  • Master of Industrial and Organisational Psychology
  • Master of Professional Psychology (coursework)
  • Master of Social Work (coursework or coursework and dissertation)
  • Master of Teaching - Primary (coursework)
  • Master of Teaching - Secondary (coursework)
  • Doctor of Clinical Dentistry
  • Doctor of Dental Medicine
  • Doctor of Medicine
  • Doctor of Optometry
  • Doctor of Pharmacy
  • Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Clinical Audiology
  • Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Clinical Neuropsychology
  • Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Clinical Psychology
  • Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Industrial and Organisational Psychology
  • Doctor of Podiatric Medicine

Higher Degrees by Research

All applicants for a Higher Degree by Research course, including Australian applicants, must satisfy the requirements for English language competence set by the Graduate Research School.
Australian and international tests and qualifications

All English test results with an asterisk (*) must have been obtained within the past two years. Higher scores are required for applicants in certain schools, as indicated below.

TEST/QUALIFICATIONREQUIREMENT
Qualification through Australian Secondary Education (such as WACE, TEE or equivalent)Pass in English, English Literature, or English as a Second Language.
GCE O-level (GCSE and IGCSE)
  • Minimum grade C / C6 in English, English Language, English (First Language) or English Literature.
  • Minimum grade A in IGCSE English as a Second Language, with grade 1 (One) in Oral/Aural Communication.
  • Must be endorsed by CIE, OCR, Edexcel, AQA or other UK authority (independent and school-assessed O-levels are not sufficient).
GCE A-level
  • Minimum grade E in English Language, English Literature or English Language and Literature.
  • Must be endorsed by CIE, OCR, Edexcel, AQA or other UK authority (independent and school-assessed A-levels are not sufficient).
GCE A-level (Singapore-Cambridge)
  • Minimum grade E in Knowledge & Inquiry, Literature in English, or English Language and Linguistics.
  • Minimum grade C in General Paper.
  • Plus one year of qualifying degree studies taught and examined in English.
*TOEFL Internet-Based Test (iBT) (0-120 Scale)Overall score of 82 with a minimum of: Writing 22, Speaking 20, Listening 20, Reading 18
(“Home Edition” is not accepted).
*TOEFL Internet-Based Test (iBT) (1-6 Scale)Overall score of 4.5 with a minimum score of 4.5 for Writing, and 4 for Speaking, Listening, and Reading (“Home Edition” is not accepted).
*IELTS (Academic)
(IELTS One Skill Retake not accepted)		Overall score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each section.
*Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English or Certificate of Proficiency in EnglishB grade.
*UWA CELT Bridging CourseOverall score of 70% with a minimum of 65% in each section.
*Pearson Test of English (PTE) AcademicOverall score of 64 with a minimum of 60 in each band.
Danish Studentereksamen
  • Level B English: a minimum grade of 10 or above.
  • Level A English: a minimum grade of 02 or above (since 2007). Pre-2007: a minimum grade of 6 or above.
  • Plus at least one year of qualifying degree studies taught and examined in English.
Finnish Upper Secondary School Diploma (Lukionpaastotodistus)
  • Grade 8 or above in English A or English (Advanced).
  • Pass in the Matriculation examination (Ylioppilastutkinto) in English (Advanced).
  • Plus at least one year of qualifying degree studies taught and examined in English.
German Abitur
  • Minimum grade 3 in German Abitur and minimum grade B in DAAD Certificate of Language Proficiency.
  • Plus at least one year of qualifying degree studies taught and examined in English.
Netherlands VWO High School Certificate
  • Minimum grade 8 in the English component.
  • Plus at least one year of qualifying degree studies taught and examined in English.
Norwegian Vitnemål
  • Minimum grade 4 in the English component.
  • Plus at least one year of qualifying degree studies taught and examined in English.
Swedish Slutbetyg
  • Minimum grade VG / C in the English paper.
  • Plus at least one year of qualifying degree studies taught and examined in English.
Degree studies taught and examined in EnglishAt least one year (full-time or equivalent) of qualifying degree studies completed within the past two years in Australia, Canada (excluding Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or the United States.

Higher English scores are required for admission to Higher Degrees by Research in some schools at UWA:

Law School
  • IELTS: Overall 7.0 with minimum 7.0 in each band.
  • PTE: Overall 70 with minimum 70 in each band.
  • TOEFL: Overall 94 with minimum 24 in Listening and Reading, 23 in Speaking, and 27 in Writing (0-120 Scale).
  • TOEFL: Overall 5 with a minimum of 5 in Listening, Reading and Writing, and 4.5 in Speaking (1-6 Scale).
  • CELT Bridging Course: Overall 80% with minimum 80% in Reading and Writing, and 75% in Speaking and Listening.
Graduate School of Education
  • IELTS: Overall 7.0 with minimum 6.5 in Reading and Writing.
  • PTE: Overall 70 with minimum 64 in each band.
  • TOEFL: Overall 94 with minimum 20 in Listening and Speaking, 19 in Reading, and 24 in Writing (0-120 Scale).
  • TOEFL: Overall 5, with a minimum of 4.5 in Listening and Writing, and 4 in Reading and Speaking (1-6 Scale).
  • CELT Bridging Course: Overall 75% with minimum 70% in Reading and Writing.
Dental School
  • Clinically based research projects only: IELTS overall 7.0 with minimum 7.0 in each section.
  • CELT Bridging Course: Overall 75% with minimum 70% in Reading and Writing.
UWA Business School
  • IELTS: Overall 6.5 with minimum 6.5 in Reading and Writing.
  • PTE: Overall 70 with minimum 64 in each band.
  • TOEFL: Overall 84 with minimum 20 in Listening and Speaking, 19 in Reading, and 24 in Writing (0-120 Scale).
  • TOEFL: Overall 4.5, with a minimum 4.5 in Listening and Writing, and 4 in Reading and Speaking (1-6 Scale).
  • CELT Bridging Course: Overall 70% with minimum 70% in Reading and Writing.