Required language skills for European scholarships

Language requirements can vary between universities and different Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PHD’s programmes even inside one European university. You need to find out the programme-specific language requirements from the website of the programme you are interested in. All applicants are required to prove a high level of proficiency in English language. All programmes ask the applicant to submit documented evidence of their level of English.

If you are applying to more than one programme and you are verifying your language skills with a language test, respective University Admissions Office needs to receive the test result only once. All language test results must be verifiable from the test organizer. However, if you can verify your language skills with your degree, you must send as many transcripts of records as there are programmes you are applying to.

Education in English

Language test scores are not required if:

  • If you have graduated from a higher education institution in Great Britain, Ireland, United States, Canada, Australia or New Zealand and your degree has been fully completed in English.
  • If you have completed a minimum of two years of studies at an accredited university or college with English as the medium of instruction. However, language skills requirements are always programme-specific, so please check the universities’ websites for more detailed information.
  • Online studies or studies completed on offshore campuses outside the accepted countries cannot be used to indicate language skills, even if the degree-awarding institution is located in one of the accepted countries.
  • If you have chosen to prove your language skills with a degree from another country than the ones listed above and it is accepted by the programme you are applying to, the language of instruction must always be clearly marked on your educational documents. If the language of instruction is not clearly shown on your transcript of records, you need to submit official documentation, which indicates that the language of instruction is English.
  • If you are indicating your language skills with your educational background, note that although respective University Admissions Office processes your language skills, the universities carry out the student selections and it is at their discretion whether a degree meets the language skill requirement set for the programme. If your degree includes transfer credits from outside the specified country/area or courses conducted in a language other than English, the degree might not meet the requirement.
  • If you are applying with one degree and indicating your language skills with another, you are required to submit educational documents regarding both degrees. In this case, you cannot indicate your language skills with an incomplete degree, i.e. you must have graduated from the degree used as proof of your language skills.

All educational documents must be officially certified (attested).

The language requirements are set by the universities and programmes.

Language Tests

If you are going to verify your language skills with a language test, make sure that you book your test time well in advance. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make his/her own language test arrangements. In general, language tests are valid for two years and the test results must be valid throughout the application period. This means it must not expire prior to the application deadline. This depends on the programme, so please check the website of the university you are interested in.

Please note that if the programme you are applying to has score requirements for different sections of the language test, e.g. total score and writing score, the minimum requirements set by the university must be met in the same test result.

IELTS Academic

When requesting the IELTS test centre to forward your IELTS Score results to the University, please write down respective University Admissions Office as the receiver of the language test result. University accept electronic test scores only when they are made available to us online by the test organizer. Please note that trf links sent by e-mail will not be accepted.

Paper copies of IELTS Score slips are accepted from both the test organizer and the applicant. They do not need to be attested, as we will always verify the test results with the test organizer. Please note that score slips sent to University as e-mail attachments will not be accepted.

Please note that universities only accept IELTS Academic test scores. Tests taken at the general level will not be accepted as proof of the applicant’s language skills.

Also note that after you have taken the test it usually takes about 13 days for the test results to be published. It is advisable to book your test date well before the application period has begun.

TOEFL

When requesting the TOEFL test centre to forward your results to University, please fill in respective University Admissions Office’s  in the Score Report Recipient field. The testing centre must send the score slip directly to respective University Admissions Office or make its electronic equivalent available to University. Please note that test results sent by the applicant will not be accepted. Be advised that after you have been informed of the test score, it takes approximately three weeks for the test result to reach respective University Admissions Office.

CAE/ CPE

Send your test result to respective University Admissions Office together with your application. Your results will be verified from the test organizer. Include your Candidate’s ID  (3 letters and 6 numbers) and secret code (4 numbers). These codes can be found on your Confirmation of Entry and Timetable document. If you do not have these codes, please contact Cambridge ESOL.

Please note that tests taken before 2005 are not accepted.

PTE Academic

Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic is a paperless test, the results of which are typically available within 5 working days following the test session. Once you receive your test score send it to respective University Admissions office from your PTE account. Be advised that online language test results will only be accepted from the test organizer.