English language requirements
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If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, you will need to demonstrate that you have a reasonable knowledge of the English language to study at the Royal College of Art.
You can either prove this by taking an approved English language test or through your previous degree studies. You do not need to do this prior to submitting your application to the RCA, but it will be required in order for you to enrol at the College.
Majority English-speaking countries
Nationals of the following countries are not required to prove their English language proficiency:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- British Overseas Territories
- Canada
- Dominica
- Grenada
- Guyana
- Ireland
- Jamaica
- Malta
- New Zealand
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- United Kingdom
- United States of America
All other nationalities will need to either take an approved English language test or prove their English proficiency through their previous degree studies (see below).
Approved English language tests
We only accept the following English language tests, which must have been taken no more than two years prior to the start date of your RCA programme:
- IELTS Academic
- IELTS for UKVI
- IELTS Online
- Password Skills Plus
All of those tests follow the same scoring system. You can see the IELTS score requirement for each programme on the individual programme web pages, and a summary is provided lower down on this page.
If you have not already taken one of the above approved English language tests and achieved the required score, we advise you to book a test as early as possible. English language test results must be submitted to the College no later than one month prior to the start date of the programme.
We encourage prospective students to work hard on their English language even before an offer might be made. Individuals are rarely able to improve their English by more than a full point on the IELTS scale over the course of six months, so we strongly advise that candidates consider whether they will be able to achieve the required English language scores before making their application to the College.
Previous degree studies
If, no more than five years prior to the start date of your RCA programme, you have received the equivalent of a second-class (upper division) undergraduate degree from a university in one of the following countries, you are exempt from needing to take an approved English language test. Applicants applying for MPhil/PhD will be required to take an approved English language test.
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- British Overseas Territories
- Canada
- Dominica
- Grenada
- Guyana
- Ireland
- Jamaica
- Malta
- New Zealand
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- United Kingdom
- United States of America
Applicants with an undergraduate degree (taken in the past five years, equivalent to a UK upper second class honours) that was taught and examined in the English language, but was not from one of the countries listed above, will not normally need to provide other evidence of English language ability. We would need to see sufficient proof from the institution to prove that the degree was taught and examined in English.
English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Pre-Sessional Courses
If you have not reached the required IELTS level to begin your Masters programme at the RCA, the College offers an 8-week online EAP pre-sessional course from July to August every year. Please see below for the IELTS level needed to qualify to join the 8-week Pre-Sessional course.
We also offer a 4-week online version of the pre-sessional course in August. This is for students who have reached the required IELTS score for their programme but wish to improve their language and academic skills in a context specifically designed for Art and Design postgraduate students at the RCA.
The pre-sessional course provides a valuable chance to practise academic English in the context of art and design with authentic and relevant tasks and materials.
Our Pre-Sessional courses are accredited by the global forum BALEAP – the British Association of English for Academic Purposes.
Find out more about our pre-sessional courses and how to join. We also provide In-Sessional support once you begin your RCA programme.
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