London, UK
King’s College London: English test requirements
King's sorts every course into a band (A to E) by faculty or named course, with separate undergraduate and postgraduate pages. Only Bands B and D apply to undergraduate degrees in practice, plus Band A for one dentistry programme; Band C is postgraduate only. Duolingo is not on either page, and the pages say any test not listed cannot be accepted.
Checked on 31 Oct 2026 against the university's own pages. Universities change their requirements, and some courses ask for more. Always confirm on the university's page before you book a test or apply.
IELTS
UG from 6.5
PG from 6.5
TOEFL iBT
UG from 4.5 / 92
PG from 4.5 / 92
PTE Academic
UG from 62
PG from 62
Duolingo English Test
UG Not on the list
PG Not on the list
Undergraduate
Each faculty or named course sits in a band. Tests must be dated within two years of the course start, all scores from one sitting; TOEFL MyBest and IELTS One Skill scores are not taken. Band C is postgraduate only and no undergraduate course currently needs Band E. TOEFL scores depend on test date: before 21 January 2026 (0-120) or from that date (1-6).
| Course group | IELTS | TOEFL iBT | PTE Academic | Duolingo English Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band Ae.g. Dentistry Entry Programme for Medical Graduates BDSSource for this group | 7.57.0 in each skillIELTS Online is accepted at the same score. | 5.5 (from 21 Jan 2026, 1-6 scale) / 109 (before, 0-120)1-6: 5 in each skill; 0-120: 27 in Writing, 25 in each other skillTOEFL iBT Home Edition also accepted. | 7569 in each communicative skillPTE Academic UKVI is accepted; PTE Academic Online is not. | Not on the listNot on the page. The page says tests not listed cannot be accepted. |
| Band Be.g. King's Business School, Dickson Poon School of Law, Medicine and Dentistry, Pharmacy MPharm, Physiotherapy BScSource for this group | 7.06.5 in each skillIELTS Online is accepted at the same score. | 5 (from 21 Jan 2026, 1-6 scale) / 100 (before, 0-120)1-6: 4.5 in each skill; 0-120: 25 in Writing, 23 in each other skillTOEFL iBT Home Edition also accepted. | 6962 in each communicative skillPTE Academic UKVI is accepted; PTE Academic Online is not. | Not on the listNot on the page. The page says tests not listed cannot be accepted. |
| Band De.g. Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences (except courses in Band B), Biochemistry BSc, Neuroscience BSc, Pharmacology BSc, Biomedical Engineering BEng/MEngSource for this group | 6.56.0 in each skillIELTS Online is accepted at the same score. | 4.5 (from 21 Jan 2026, 1-6 scale) / 92 (before, 0-120)1-6: 4 in each skill; 0-120: 23 in Writing, 20 in each other skillTOEFL iBT Home Edition also accepted. | 6259 in each communicative skillPTE Academic UKVI is accepted; PTE Academic Online is not. | Not on the listNot on the page. The page says tests not listed cannot be accepted. |
“If a test you have completed is not listed below, unfortunately we are unable to accept it as meeting our English language requirements.”
Undergraduate English language entry requirements (2027/28 entry)
Postgraduate (taught and research)
Bands B, C and D apply; no postgraduate programme currently needs Band A or E. Requirements are the same for taught and research programmes unless the page says otherwise. Tests must be within two years of the start date, from one sitting; TOEFL MyBest and IELTS One Skill are not taken. The King's Pre-Sessional English course is offered as an alternative route.
| Course group | IELTS | TOEFL iBT | PTE Academic | Duolingo English Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band Be.g. King's Business School (except Global Human Resource Management MSc Distance), Dickson Poon School of Law, Department of Informatics (taught), Nutrition MSc, Dietetics MScSource for this group | 7.06.5 in each skillIELTS Online is accepted at the same score. | 5 (from 21 Jan 2026, 1-6 scale) / 100 (before, 0-120)1-6: 4.5 in each skill; 0-120: 25 in Writing, 23 in each other skillTOEFL iBT Home Edition also accepted. | 6962 in each communicative skillPTE Academic UKVI is accepted; PTE Academic Online is not. | Not on the listNot on the page. The page says tests not listed cannot be accepted. |
| Band Ce.g. Faculty of Arts & Humanities (except the taught programmes of Culture, Media & Creative Industries and Digital Humanities, which are Band B)Source for this group | 7.06.5 in Reading and Writing, 6.0 in Listening and SpeakingIELTS Online is accepted at the same score. | 5 (from 21 Jan 2026, 1-6 scale) / 100 (before, 0-120)1-6: 4.5 in Reading and Writing, 4 in Speaking and Listening; 0-120: 25 in Writing, 23 in Reading, 20 in Speaking and ListeningTOEFL iBT Home Edition also accepted. | 6962 in Reading and Writing, 59 in Listening and SpeakingPTE Academic UKVI is accepted; PTE Academic Online is not. | Not on the listNot on the page. The page says tests not listed cannot be accepted. |
| Band De.g. Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences; Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine (most programmes); Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences (taught, except Informatics); Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative CareSource for this group | 6.56.0 in each skillIELTS Online is accepted at the same score. | 4.5 (from 21 Jan 2026, 1-6 scale) / 92 (before, 0-120)1-6: 4 in each skill; 0-120: 23 in Writing, 20 in each other skillTOEFL iBT Home Edition also accepted. | 6259 in each communicative skillPTE Academic UKVI is accepted; PTE Academic Online is not. | Not on the listNot on the page. The page says tests not listed cannot be accepted. |
“If a test you have completed is not listed below, unfortunately we are unable to accept it as meeting our English language requirements.”
Postgraduate English language entry requirements (2027/28 entry)
Other tests the university lists
- Cambridge C1 Advanced / C2 Proficiency
- Oxford Test of English Advanced
- Trinity ISE Level III
- Occupational English Test (OET, Band A undergraduate only)
- IELTS Online
- King's Pre-Sessional English Language course
The page says these are not accepted
- PTE Academic Online
- TOEFL MyBest scores
- IELTS One Skill Retake scores
- Combining scores from two test sittings
“Not on the list” means the test does not appear on the university page we checked. It does not mean the test is refused: the course page or the admissions office may still accept it, so ask them.
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