St Mary's levels by test
From St Mary's English language requirements page. Tests must be no more than two years old by 1 September of your start year. It accepts IELTS One Skill Retake taken within 60 days of a full IELTS on computer, and Password Skills Plus at home. It does not accept PTE Academic Online, may ask for PTE Academic UKVI instead, and does not list Duolingo or IELTS Online.
| Test | Undergraduate and foundation | Postgraduate |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic (One Skill Retake accepted) | 6.0, no section below 5.5 | 6.5, no section below 6.0 |
| PTE Academic (not online) | 59, 59 in each skill | 61, no component below 59 |
| TOEFL iBT incl. Home Edition, after January 2026 | 4.0; reading, listening, writing 3.5, speaking 4.0 | 4.5; reading and writing 4.0, listening and speaking 4.5 |
| TOEFL iBT incl. Home Edition, earlier scale | 80; reading 18, listening 17, speaking 20, writing 17 | 88; reading 20, listening 19, speaking 21, writing 20 |
| LanguageCert Academic | 65, no band below 60 | 70, no band below 65 |
| Oxford Test of English | 126, 111 in each component | 140, 120 in each subtest |
| Oxford ELLT Global or Digital | 6, minimum 6 | 7, minimum 6 |
St Mary's courses with higher IELTS
Listed on the same page. Foundation degree applicants who need a Student visa, for example on the FdSc Chelsea Football Club Foundation Coaching and Development, must provide a Home Office approved SELT such as IELTS for UKVI or PTE Academic UKVI.
| Course | IELTS |
|---|---|
| Most undergraduate and foundation degrees | 6.0, no section below 5.5 |
| Nutrition BSc; Physiotherapy BSc | 6.5, no section below 6.0 |
| Most postgraduate degrees | 6.5, no section below 6.0 |
| Physiotherapy MSc | 7.0, no section below 6.5 |
| Sports Journalism MA | 7.0, with 7.5 in writing |
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Take a free scored IELTS mock →Indian, Pakistani and Nigerian applicants
St Mary's India page accepts Standard XII, ISC or HSSC English from listed boards if it is no more than two years old for undergraduate entry or five years for postgraduate entry. A medium-of-instruction waiver may be considered for degrees from the top 100 NIRF-ranked Indian universities, completed within the last two years, with a letter from the university itself. The Nigeria page accepts WASSCE or WAEC English at C4. The Pakistan page names no school-English waiver.
| Indian board | St Mary's requirement |
|---|---|
| CBSE, ISC, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Goa | Minimum 70% in English |
| Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Pondicherry, Madhya Pradesh | Minimum 75% in English |
| All other boards | English language test mandatory |
Online pre-sessional and the Student visa
St Mary's pre-sessional page describes online courses run with QA Higher Education: a 10-week course to lift your score by 1.0 and a five-week course for 0.5, with the five-week course for September 2026 starting on 13 July. Because it is online you can take it from home and receive your CAS after you pass. Fees were not shown on the page. The English page warns that even if you studied in English you may still need a UKVI approved SELT.
For a Student visa, UK Visas and Immigration asks for English at CEFR B2 for degree-level study and B1 below degree level, per gov.uk. At degree level, gov.uk adds, your university can assess your English itself and may ask you to take a different test.
Requirements vary by programme and change between admissions cycles. The score that binds you is the one on your St Mary's programme page and in your offer letter, so check it there before you book a test.
| Your degree needs | 10-week entry | Five-week entry |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS 6.0 (5.5) | 5.0, no section below 4.5 | 5.5, no section below 5.0 |
| IELTS 6.5 (6.0) | 5.5, no section below 5.0 | 6.0, no section below 5.5 |
| IELTS 7.0 (6.5) | 6.0, no section below 5.5 | 6.5, no section below 6.0 |
Frequently asked questions
Does St Mary's University Twickenham accept PTE?+
Yes: 59 with 59 in each skill for undergraduates and 61 with no component below 59 for postgraduates. It does not accept PTE Academic Online.
Does St Mary's Twickenham accept Duolingo?+
Duolingo is not on its English language requirements page, which lists IELTS, PTE, TOEFL iBT, LanguageCert, Oxford tests, Password and Cambridge and Trinity exams.
What IELTS do I need for a master's at St Mary's?+
6.5 with no section below 6.0 for most postgraduate degrees. The Physiotherapy MSc needs 7.0 (6.5) and the Sports Journalism MA 7.0 with 7.5 in writing.
Can Indian students study at St Mary's without IELTS?+
Yes, with 70% in English from CBSE, ISC, Maharashtra, West Bengal or Goa, or 75% from eight other listed boards. Other boards need a test.
Does St Mary's accept IELTS One Skill Retake?+
Yes, if you sat a full IELTS on computer and take the retake within 60 days of the original test. You can retake one skill once per test.
Keep reading
Related
- University of Roehampton IELTS requirement
- Kingston University IELTS requirement
- PTE vs IELTS for a UK visa
- Free IELTS mock test with AI band score
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Verified against the linked official sources on 9 October 2026. Rules change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
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