Pre-Sessional English Language with Study Skills (PELSS)
UEIC’s PELSS is available to conditional offer holders, providing integrated training in the academic use of English, as well as important study skills to prepare for degree-level study.
The programme is available at our Colchester campus, and runs for 20, 15 or 10 weeks, providing an uplift to your English language score equivalent to IELTS 1.5, 1 or 0.5.
You will work to develop your skills in grammar and vocabulary, reading and writing, and speaking and listening.
You will also complete an independent project in which you will be given the opportunity to focus on areas relevant to your chosen degree at the University of Essex. The project will introduce you to a range of research and study skills including planning, drafting, and presenting.
20-week PELSS
- Start date: 22 April 2025
- End date: 5 September 2025
- Enrolment date: 16 April 2025
- Application deadline: 9 March 2025
- Deposit deadline: 16 March 2025
- Tuition fees: £9,200
15-week PELSS
- Start date: 27 May 2025
- End date: 5 September 2025
- Enrolment date: 22 May 2025
- Application deadline: 14 April 2025
- Deposit deadline: 21 April 2025
- Tuition fees: £6,900
10-week PELSS
- Start date: 30 June 2025
- End date: 5 September 2025
- Enrolment date: 26 June 2025
- Application deadline: 19 May 2025
- Deposit deadline: 26 May 2025
- Tuition fees: £4,600
Pre-Sessional English Language (PEL)
The PEL focuses on improving your English grammar and vocabulary, and helping you gain further reading, writing, speaking and listening skills.
The 15-, 10- and 5-week PEL are available at our Colchester Campus and provide an English uplift equivalent to IELTS 1.5, 1.0 and 0.5 respectively.
15-week PEL
- Start date: 27 May 2025
- End date: 5 September 2025
- Enrolment date: 22 May 2025
- Application deadline: 15 April 2025
- Deposit deadline: 21 April 2025
- Tuition fees: £6,900
10-week PEL
- Start date: 30 June 2025
- End date: 5 September 2025
- Enrolment date: 26 June 2025
- Application deadline: 19 May 2025
- Deposit deadline: 26 May 2025
- Tuition fees: £4,600
5-week PEL
- Start date: 4 August 2025
- End date: 5 September 2025
- Enrolment date: 31 July 2025
- Application deadline: 23 June 2025
- Deposit deadline: 30 June 2025
- Tuition fees: £2,300
How to apply
Applications can be submitted via your MyEssex Applicant Portal.
If you wish to study PELSS or PEL, you must hold a Secure English Language Test (SELT). It is a UK Home Office requirement that applicants studying below degree level in the UK (which includes PSE courses) hold a SELT and we are not able to make any exceptions to this rule. SELTs we are able to accept are Academic UKVI IELTS, Trinity, or Academic Pearson Test of English for UKVI. The test must be dated within 2 years of the start date of your PSE programme.
If you have any queries, please email PSE@essex.ac.uk
Academic Skills Preparation Programme (ASPP)
ASPP is the only course available to unconditional offer holders and is available at our Colchester campus. This 4-week course will introduce you to the study and research skills common in UK universities. It will also help familiarise you with the University campus and adjust more easily to student life and the academic culture in the UK.
All ASPP applicants will be eligible for a linked CAS which will cover their ASPP and their main programme of study, meaning they only have to make one visa application.
4-week ASPP
- Start date: 18 August 2025
- End date: 12 September 2025
- Enrolment date: 14 August 2025
- Application deadline: 7 July 2025
- Deposit deadline: 14 July 2025
- Tuition fees: £960
How to apply
Applications can be submitted via the “Applying” tab of your myEssex applicant portal. If you wish to study the ASPP you only need to hold an unconditional offer and do not need to hold a secure English language test.
If you have any queries, please email PSE@essex.ac.uk
Results
You will receive your PELSS and PEL results on 5 September 2025. Provided you have successfully passed, and you have satisfied any other conditions of your main course offer, you will be issued an unconditional offer letter for your main programme of study at University of Essex within 5 working days.
Getting your CAS
If you need a student visa to study in the UK, you will need a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) in order to submit a visa application.
We always aim to issue a linked CAS if it is possible for us to do so. This means that you will be given one CAS, which will cover both your PSE programme and your main programme of study, meaning you only need to make one visa application.
Linked CAS will be assigned if:
- You are taking a PSE programme less than 12 weeks long
- Passing the PSE programme is the only remaining condition of your main course offer.
Where this is not possible you will be given two separate standalone CAS (one for your PSE programme and one for your main programme of study at the University of Essex).
The CAS for your PSE programme will be assigned by Kaplan on behalf of UEIC no later than 4 weeks prior to the start date of your programme.
The CAS for your degree course will be assigned by the University of Essex within 5 working days from your PSE results being released on 5 September 2025, (provided you have met any other conditions and have provided us with any information requested). In most cases applicants in this position will be able to make their new visa application from within the UK.
In China Provision
If you are resident in China, you may be interested in taking a PSE programme on campus at one of our partner institutions in China.
Our partners in China teach courses that are 10 or 5 weeks in duration, providing equivalent IELTS uplifts of 1.0 or 0.5 respectively. These PSE programmes focus on enhancing your English language skills to prepare you for undergraduate or postgraduate degree level study. You will be taught further grammar and vocabulary skills as well as additional reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.
If you take a PSE programme with one of our partners in China, you will take the Essex Pathways English language test at the end of the course. If you have successfully passed you will be provided with a transcript and the University will remove the English language condition from your main course offer.
The programmes will be delivered at the following institutions:
- United Kingdom Education Centre (UKEC), Chengdu
- Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS), Guangzhou
The number of spaces on each programme is capped and offers will be made on a first come first served basis.
UKEC and GDUFS 10-week PEL
- Start date: 27 May 2025
- End date: 1 August 2025
- Application deadline: 8 May 2025
- Deposit deadline: 15 May 2025
- Tuition fees: 42,600 RMB
UKEC and GDUFS 5-week PEL
- Start date: 30 June 2025
- End date: 1 August 2025
- Application deadline: 12 June 2025
- Deposit deadline: 19 June 2025
- Tuition fees: 21,300 RMB
How to apply
Applications can be submitted via the “Applying” tab of your myEssex applicant portal.
In order to apply you must hold an accepted English language certificate dated within 2 years of the start date of the PSE programme:
- IELTS, UKVI or non UKVI Academic (including IELTS indicator)
- TOEFL iBT including TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition and My Best Scores
- Trinity ISE
- KITE
- PTE (Pearson Test of English Academic) or PTE (Pearson Test of English Academic) for UKVI
If you have any queries, please email PSE@essex.ac.uk
Results and CAS issue
You will receive your results on 12 August 2025 after your PSE course has ended.
If you have achieved all the conditions of your main course offer, an unconditional offer letter and Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) will be issued for your main programme of study at University of Essex as soon as possible so that you can make a student visa application.
