Pre-Sessional courses

If you join a UEIC Pre-Sessional English programme you will take Kaplan’s own English language test at the end of the course. If you successfully pass this, the University will remove the English language condition from your main course offer. You will not be required to take another independent English language test such as IELTS, TOEFL or Pearson.

Pre-Sessional English Language with Study Skills (PELSS)

Kaplan’s PELSS is available to conditional offer holders, and provides you with integrated training in the academic use of English, as well as important study skills to prepare you for degree-level study.

The programme is available at our Colchester campus or online, 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.

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 week PEL provides an equivalent IELTS uplift of 1.5 and is available either at our Colchester campus or online.

The 10 and 5 week PEL provide uplifts of 1.0 and 0.5 respectively and are available at either our Colchester or Southend campus or online.

Academic Skills Preparation Programme (ASPP)

Kaplan’s ASPP is the only course available to unconditional offer holders, and is available at the 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.

Study in person or online

If you are unable to attend in-person classes during your course, you may have the option to study your Pre-Sessional English course online, so that you do not miss out.

How to apply

If you would like to join one of the English Language programmes available at the University of Essex International College, you can apply via the myEssex applicant portal or contact us to answer any questions you might have.

Studying in person on campus

If you wish to study PELSS or PEL on campus in the UK you must hold a Secure English Language Test such as UKVI IELTS (academic), Trinity or Academic Pearson Test of English (PTE) for UKVI. This must be dated within 2 years of the start date of your Pre-Sessional programme.

This will enable us to know your baseline level of English and determine which programme you may be eligible for depending on the uplift you require.

If you do not hold a secure English language test but wish to study on campus in the UK please email PSE@essex.ac.uk to discuss your options.

Studying online

If you would like to apply to study the Pre-Sessional programme online from your home country, you do not need to hold a secure English language test. However, you must hold an accepted English certificate to enable us to know your baseline level of English and determine which programme you may be eligible for depending on the uplift you require.

The certificates we are able to accept are:

• Academic IELTS (UKVI or non UKVI), including IELTS indicator (the online test)
• TOEFL IBT including the Special home Edition and “my best scores”
• Trinity ISE
• Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic or PTE for UKVI.

If you hold an English language certificate that is not listed please email pse@essex.ac.uk and we can advise whether we are able to accept it for admission to a Pre-sessional programme.

We are unable to accept Duolingo for entry to our Pre-Sessional programmes.

In China Provision

If you are resident in China, you may be interested in taking a Pre-Sessional programme on campus at one of our partner institutions in China.

These Pre-Sessional 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 Pre-Sessional English 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.

These programmes were previously advertised as 11 weeks (providing an equivalent IELTS uplift of 1.0) and 6 weeks (providing an equivalent IELTS uplift of 0.5). However, in response to concerns around visa delays in China these programmes have now been condensed so that they are 7.5 and 5 weeks long respectively, (whilst providing the same English uplift) and the start and end dates have been moved forwards. The total teaching hours and costs remain the same.

United Kingdom Education Centre (UKEC), Chengdu - Available online only

Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS), Guangzhou - Available online only

Beijing Zhongguancun Foreign Language School (BZFLS), Beijing - Available online only

Results and CAS issue

You will be provided with your results after 5 August 2022.

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.

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 Pre-Sessional programme:

• IELTS, UKVI or non UKVI Academic (including IELTS indicator)
• TOEFL iBT including TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition and My Best Scores
• Trinity ISE
• PTE (Pearson Test of English Academic) or PT (Pearson Test of English Academic) for UKVI
• CET-4
• CET-6

If you have any queries please email PSE@essex.ac.uk

English classes for dependants

The Department of Language and Linguistics offers free English classes for dependants of international students and staff at the University of Essex. To find out more about eligibility and available classes, please visit the department's website.