English language requirements for postgraduate students
The requirements on this page are relevant for postgraduate applicants for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 academic years. The 2022-2023 academic year includes courses starting in September 2022 and January 2023 whilst the 2023-2024 academic year includes courses starting in September 2023 and January 2024.
As ongoing Covid restrictions in China, Hong Kong and Macao continue to prevent students from taking English language tests in person, applicants from these territories studying a programme with a start date from September 2022 to August 2023, will be able to present the following online tests as evidence of English language proficiency:
- TOEFL iBT Home Edition.
- PTE Academic Online.
- The online version of LanguageCert International ESOL.
These online tests will not be accepted for programmes with start dates from September 2023 to August 2024.
Do I need to provide an English language test score?
Whether you will need to provide an English language test score to evidence your English language ability depends on your educational background. Decisions are normally taken based on the criteria below, but the University of St Andrews reserves the right to ask for additional evidence of English language ability.
You should not need to provide an English language test score to evidence your English language ability if one of the following applies (click on headings below for details):
Students who cannot provide any of the evidence mentioned in the three sections above will need to submit a valid English language test score as indicated in the sections below.
Which English language test score should I provide?
This will depend on whether you are a postgraduate taught student or a postgraduate research student. See details below.
Providing your English language evidence
To submit evidence of your English language ability, follow the relevant link below:
If you do not have evidence available when you submit your application, this will form part of any conditional offer made by the University and:
- you will be expected to provide the evidence at a later date
- you may be required to attend a pre-sessional course.