Entry requirements

Admissions criteria for degree courses

Applicants must satisfy two sets of admissions criteria in order to be accepted onto their chosen course: the university's general entry requirements and those for the specific course. These vary in each case. Universities stipulate not only which qualifications they will accept, but also the minimum grades they expect students to achieve in the core exams. Look on the university websites and the UCAS course search engine, then go to the specific details given for each course. The admissions criteria for those who have followed one of the main British systems of education may be quoted in terms of specific exams and grades or in UCAS tariff points. It is important to realise that all this information is only a guide. Admissions staff can vary the entry requirements from student to student depending on individual circumstances and their decision will reflect their view of your overall suitability for the course.

students on university stepsApplicants for some vocational courses, typically medicine, will also be expected to have had some work experience and/or possess personal qualities relevant to their chosen field. Special entrance tests have been introduced by some universities for highly competitive courses such as medicine (The BioMedical Admissions Test - BMAT, Graduate Medical School Admissions Test - GAMSAT) and law (The National Admissions Test for Law - LNAT) and by Oxford and Cambridge for some of their courses.

All applicants, whether British or overseas, are required to achieve a minimum level of English. Full details of the standards required from international students are given on the website of the UK Border Agency.  In any test of English, applicants will need to prove themselves in all four elements of language: reading, writing, speaking and listening.

The UCAS website provides general information on the status of overseas qualifications with regard to British university entry. A number of overseas national high school leaving diplomas meet the minimum entry requirements for British universities, but applicants should still check with the universities whether their grades will be sufficient for their chosen course. There are various types of bridging courses for overseas students whose qualifications are unlikely to meet the university entry requirements, but care should be taken about choosing the right one.

Professional guidance

Gabbitas Education consultants are highly experienced in advising both overseas as well as British-educated students on university entry. We regularly research into university entry qualifications on behalf of clients and also advise on the choice of courses to be taken to meet the requirements for specific university courses and where to take them. Forward planning is vital. Check with us at least two years ahead of university entry, if you can, to see whether you're on the right track for your chosen degree course, particularly if you are studying outside the British system.