For all academic courses, those whose first language is not English and who have not studied in the English medium must show they are sufficiently able to understand and express themselves in English. The most common tests are IELTS and TOEFL.

If you have not taken such a test yet, you can still apply for admission to Essex since we are usually happy to give conditional offers. The University's pre-sessional courses may be useful for those who need to improve their English before starting their academic course.

Typical minimum requirements for overseas students are as follows (different departments set different postgraduate levels), though higher scores are preferable:

• Bridging year: IELTS - 5.0, TOEFL - 500 (Paper based), 173 (Computer-based), 61 (Internet-based)
• Undergraduate: IELTS - 6.0, TOEFL - 540 (Paper based), 207 (Computer-based), 76 (Internet-based)
• Postgraduate: IELTS - 6 - 7, TOEFL 540 - 600 (Paper based), 210 - 250 (Computer-based), 76 - 100 (Internet-based)