UK universities that accept Class 12 English
UKVI lets a university assess your English itself if you study at degree level, as long as it is equivalent to B2 (IELTS for a UK Student visa). That is why a school English mark can replace a test. The table lists what each university's own India or English-requirements page says, as restated in our guide.
How we counted: each figure comes from our own guide to that university, which restates its admissions pages (read 4 to 9 October 2026). We took the lowest rule each guide's tables give; where a table could not be read cleanly the university is left out of the count rather than guessed. This list was classified by hand from each guide's India section. The full list, with a CSV, is on our IELTS university requirements data. A course page can ask for more than the university minimum, so check yours before you book.
| University | Class 12 English rule | Some boards excluded or restricted? |
|---|---|---|
| Aston University | CBSE/ICSE 70% or 75%; state boards and NIOS 75% or 80% | Not stated |
| Bangor University | 65% from central and state boards | Yes |
| Birmingham City University | 65% for IELTS 6.0 courses; some boards also need BCU's test | Yes |
| Bournemouth University | 70% CBSE (Core 301) or ICSE for IELTS 6.0 courses | Not stated |
| Brunel University of London | 70% (80% for IELTS 7.0+ courses), CBSE, ICSE, Maharashtra, West Bengal | Not stated |
| Canterbury Christ Church University | 65% CBSE/ISC for IELTS 6.0 courses; 70% listed state boards | Not stated |
| Cardiff Met | 60% CBSE or ISC (80% for some postgraduate courses) | Not stated |
| Cardiff University | 70% (or 140/200), 75% for higher levels | Not stated |
| City St George's | 70% in each skill undergraduate, 75% postgraduate, CBSE or ISC | Not stated |
| Coventry University | 60% (undergraduate) or 65% (postgraduate), listed boards | Not stated |
| Edge Hill University | 70% CBSE/ICSE, 75% other boards, within 10 years | Yes |
| Edinburgh Napier University | 70% or higher, case by case | Not stated |
| Glasgow Caledonian University | 70% CBSE or CISCE, only for IELTS 6.0 (5.5) programmes | Not stated |
| Heriot-Watt University | 68% from CBSE, CISCE or recognised state boards | Yes |
| Lancaster University | 70% undergraduate; postgraduate 75% CBSE/ISC or 80% other boards | Yes |
| Leeds Beckett University | CBSE or CISCE only, undergraduate and postgraduate | Not stated |
| Liverpool John Moores University | 70% from CBSE, CISCE and listed boards | Yes |
| London Metropolitan University | 65% for IELTS 6.0 and 6.5 courses, 70% for 7.0 | Yes |
| London South Bank University | 65% ICSE, CBSE, Maharashtra; 70% other boards | Not stated |
| Manchester Metropolitan University | 70% CBSE or CISCE; 80% three state boards (India page) | Not stated |
| Middlesex University | 65% undergraduate; 70% postgraduate (65% Business and Law) | Yes |
| Northumbria University | Accepted from CBSE, CISCE and eight listed state boards | Yes |
| Nottingham Trent University | 70% (or 160/200) from CBSE and select state boards | Not stated |
| Oxford Brookes University | 60% to 70% depending on board and level | Not stated |
| Queen's University Belfast | 70% for most degrees (not Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy), listed boards | Not stated |
| Robert Gordon University | 60% undergraduate, 65% postgraduate | Yes |
| Royal Holloway | 70% undergraduate and taught master's, 80% research | Not stated |
| Sheffield Hallam University | At your course's IELTS level, not for every course (not Health) | Not stated |
| St Mary's University Twickenham | 70% or 75% from listed boards, recent results only | Not stated |
| Staffordshire University | 65% overall and in English, CBSE, CISCE and ten state boards | Not stated |
| UCLan (University of Lancashire) | 70% undergraduate; 70% or 75% postgraduate | Yes |
| UWE Bristol | 70% from listed boards | Not stated |
| UWS | 70%, certificate no older than eight years | Not stated |
| Ulster University | 70% in English Core, CBSE/ICSE and listed state boards | Not stated |
| University of Aberdeen | 80%, certificate no older than 10 years | Not stated |
| University of Bedfordshire | 70% from CBSE, CISCE and listed state boards | Not stated |
| University of Bradford | 70% CBSE, CISCE (ICSE) or ISC | Not stated |
| University of Buckingham | 75% from CBSE, CISCE or a state board | Yes |
| University of Chester | 75% across boards (not NIOS); some states excluded | Yes |
| University of Dundee | 70% CBSE or CISCE only | Not stated |
| University of Gloucestershire | 70% within five years, listed boards | Not stated |
| University of Greenwich | 65% for undergraduate and master's, most boards | Not stated |
| University of Hertfordshire | 65% undergraduate; 70% postgraduate on the India page | Not stated |
| University of Kent | 70% CBSE, CISCE, Maharashtra; 75% eight other state boards | Not stated |
| University of Law | 70% CBSE for IELTS 6.0 and 6.5 courses, up to six years old | Not stated |
| University of Leicester | 70% for IELTS 6.0 courses, 80% for higher levels | Not stated |
| University of Lincoln | 70%, usually within five years | Not stated |
| University of Plymouth | 70% CBSE/CISCE, 80% state boards; five states also need Duolingo | Yes |
| University of Roehampton | 70%, no boards named | Not stated |
| University of Salford | 70% undergraduate, 75% postgraduate, listed boards, within seven years | Not stated |
| University of South Wales | 65% to 70% depending on board | Not stated |
| University of Sussex | 70% CBSE English Core or CISCE (80% for Advanced level) | Not stated |
| University of Winchester | 70% in English Language, first attempt | Yes |
| University of Wolverhampton | 68% to 72% undergraduate, 75% to 78% postgraduate, by board | Not stated |
| University of Worcester | 65% for undergraduate and postgraduate | Not stated |
| Wrexham University | 70% | Yes |
| York St John University | 60% to 65%, undergraduates only; India applications via an approved partner | Not stated |
Only with an extra condition
University of Bath: Only with an English-medium Indian degree (within five years) plus 75% or 80% in Core English. Teesside University: 65% CBSE/ICSE or 70% listed state boards, plus a university interview.
Some universities that accept Class 12 English add an interview, a speaking test or a time limit on the certificate (often five to ten years), so read the guide for yours.
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Universities that still want a test
These say plainly that Indian applicants need IELTS or an equivalent, or publish no school-English route: De Montfort University, University of Strathclyde, University of Huddersfield, University of Northampton, University of Bolton (Greater Manchester), Bath Spa University, Aberystwyth University, Liverpool Hope University, UAL. The top research universities (Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, UCL, LSE, Edinburgh and others) do not mention a Class 12 route in our guides either.
If your board is excluded or your mark is short, the cheapest full test in India is PTE Academic at INR 18,900, then IELTS at INR 19,000 (cheapest test for a UK Student visa). Some universities also run their own free or low-cost test: University of South Wales offers its English test free in India and Swansea University lets offer holders take its SWELT test once for free.
Frequently asked questions
Which UK universities accept 12th English marks instead of IELTS?+
57 of the 114 UK universities in our data, including Coventry, Greenwich, Hertfordshire, Kent, Leicester, Salford, Sussex and Royal Holloway. The usual bar is 65% to 75%.
Is a Punjab or Haryana board English mark accepted?+
Often not. 16 universities in our data exclude or restrict some boards, most often Punjab and Haryana; Middlesex, Lancaster, Buckingham, Wrexham, Winchester and London Met name them.
Will UKVI accept my Class 12 marks for the visa?+
At degree level your university can assess your English itself, and that assessment must be equivalent to B2. Below degree level you need a Secure English Language Test.
What percentage do I need in 12th English for a UK master's?+
Usually 65% to 75% for postgraduate study, higher than the undergraduate bar at the same university, and some ask 80% for courses needing IELTS 7.0.
How old can my Class 12 certificate be?+
It depends on the university: some set five years, some seven, eight or ten, and some state no limit. Check the guide for yours.
Keep reading
Related
- IELTS for a UK Student visa
- Cheapest English test for a UK visa from India
- IELTS fee in India
- IELTS for the UK
- IELTS university requirements data
- All 970 guides
Verified against the linked official sources on 10 October 2026. Rules change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
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