The College requires applicants for entry to an MA course (except Global Innovation Design, see below) to have:

• An IELTS score of 6.5 with a 6.0 in the Test of Written English (TWE) or
• An IBT TOEFL score of 90 with 20 in the Test of Written English (TWE)
• A Pearson Academic (PTE) score of 62 with 54 in the Test of Written English (TWE)
• Alternatively, a pass in the Cambridge Proficiency in English Examination (CPE) or the Cambridge Advanced English (CAE) would be acceptable.

Applicants for the MA/MSc in Global Innovation Design ONLY are required to have English Language proficiency requirements of or equivalent to an IELTS score of 7 with a 6.5 in the Test of Written English (TWE).

MPhil applicants (by project and thesis) must have:

• An IELTS score of 6.5 with a 6.5 in the Test of Written English (TWE) or
• An IBT TOEFL score of 93 with 24 in the Test of Written English (TWE)
• A Pearson Academic (PTE) score of 62 with 62 in the Test of Written English (TWE)
• Alternatively, a pass in the Cambridge Proficiency in English Examination (CPE) or the Cambridge Advanced English (CAE) would be acceptable.

PhD applicants (by project and thesis) must have:

• An IELTS score of 7.0 with a 7.0 in the Test of Written English (TWE) or
• A Pearson Academic (PTE) score of 68 with 68 in the Test of Written English (TWE)
• An IBT TOEFL score of 100 with 30 in the Test of Written English (TWE)

All tests must have been taken a maximum of two years prior to the application deadline, with the exception of students who will require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK. For these students, all tests must have been taken a maximum of one year prior to the application deadline. Tests are not valid if they exceed the periods listed above. Please upload a copy of your test certificate as part of your application.

If you have taken a test and achieved the required grade within the time limits listed above, please bring the original certificate with you to the interview and give it to the Programme Administrator to be copied.  You may then take the original back with you.

If you have not already taken a Secure English Language Test (SELT) and achieved the required score as listed above, then we will advise you to book a test if you are invited to an interview with the College.

In addition to the RCA’s minimum requirements, students who need a Tier 4 visa for their studies at the RCA will need to show that they have met UKBA’s minimum requirements for entry clearance.

The minimum requirements for a Tier 4 visa are either:

You hold a degree from a majority English-Speaking Country as listed on the UKBA Tier 4 Policy Guidance which can be found here:

Or you have met one of the following:

If you are offered a place and you do not already hold a valid IELTS, TOEFL, Pearson or Cambridge certificate at the relevant level, you will be asked to take one of these tests as one of the conditions of your offer.

If you have any queries at all about the English Language requirements please contact admissions@rca.ac.uk.