Cirencester, UK
Royal Agricultural University: English test requirements
The RAU publishes one table with four columns: Undergraduate, GDA, Postgraduate Taught and Postgraduate Research. IELTS Academic is its preferred test, and visa applicants need the UKVI version.
Checked on 2 Nov 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.
Applicants from Foundation degree applicants needing a Student visa
Applicants to Foundation degrees who need a Student visa and are not nationals of a majority English-speaking country must take IELTS Academic UKVI or another UKVI-approved SELT (LanguageCert Academic UKVI SELT 65 with 60 per component, PTE Academic UKVI 60 with no element below 59, or Trinity ISE II SELT pass in all sections).
Applicants from Singapore
The Singapore General Paper is not accepted as evidence of English. The page says: “General Paper not accepted as proof of English Language ability”
IELTS
UG 6.0
PG from 6.0
PhD 6.5
TOEFL iBT
UG 80
PG from 80
PhD 88
PTE Academic
UG 60
PG from 60
PhD 70
Duolingo English Test
UG 115
PG from 115
PhD 125
Undergraduate
The Undergraduate column of the main table. The undergraduate offer page repeats IELTS Academic 6.0 with no band below 5.5, and says all courses also need GCSE English at grade 4 (C) or equivalent.
| Test | Overall | Each part | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 6.0 | no element below 5.5 | AcceptedIELTS Academic is the preferred test; students needing a visa take the IELTS Academic (UKVI) variant. |
| TOEFL iBT | 80 (0-120) / 4.5 out of 6 (tests taken after 1 January 2026) | 0-120: Listening 17, Reading 18, Speaking 20, Writing 17; 1-6: no element below 4 | AcceptedOlder 0-120 scale and the 1-6 scale for tests taken after 1 January 2026 are listed in separate rows. |
| PTE Academic | 60 | no individual element below 59 | Accepted |
| Duolingo English Test | 115 | no less than 100 in any integrated sub score | AcceptedOnly tests taken after 1 July 2024. |
| LanguageCert Academic | 65 | no less than 60 in each component | AcceptedOnline version included. |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced | 161 | Grade C for tests before January 2015 | AcceptedScore applies to tests taken from January 2015; older tests use the grade shown on the page. |
“The University’s preferred test is the IELTS (Academic)”
English language requirements (all levels)
Postgraduate taught
The table has a separate GDA column next to Postgraduate Taught; the page does not define GDA. The postgraduate offer page repeats IELTS 6.5 with no element below 5.5.
| Course group | IELTS | TOEFL iBT | PTE Academic | Duolingo English Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDASource for this group | 6.0no less than 6.0 in the other componentsIELTS Academic is the preferred test; students needing a visa take the IELTS Academic (UKVI) variant. | 80 (0-120) / 4.5 out of 6 (tests taken after 1 January 2026)0-120: Listening 19, Reading 20, Speaking 22, Writing 19; 1-6: no element below 4Older 0-120 scale and the 1-6 scale for tests taken after 1 January 2026 are listed in separate rows. | 60no individual element below 60 | 115no less than 115 in any integrated sub scoreOnly tests taken after 1 July 2024. |
| Postgraduate Taughte.g. MSc Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security, MSc Agricultural Technology and InnovationSource for this group | 6.5no element below 5.5IELTS Academic is the preferred test; students needing a visa take the IELTS Academic (UKVI) variant. | 88 (0-120) / 5 out of 6 (tests taken after 1 January 2026)0-120: Listening 17, Reading 18, Speaking 20, Writing 17; 1-6: no element below 4Older 0-120 scale and the 1-6 scale for tests taken after 1 January 2026 are listed in separate rows. | 70no individual element below 59 | 125no less than 100 in any integrated sub scoreOnly tests taken after 1 July 2024. |
GDA, other tests: LanguageCert Academic 65; Cambridge C1 Advanced 169
Postgraduate Taught, other tests: LanguageCert Academic 70; Cambridge C1 Advanced 169
Postgraduate research
The Postgraduate Research column of the main table.
| Test | Overall | Each part | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 6.5 | Writing 6.0, no less than 5.5 in other elements | AcceptedIELTS Academic is the preferred test; students needing a visa take the IELTS Academic (UKVI) variant. |
| TOEFL iBT | 88 (0-120) / 5 out of 6 (tests taken after 1 January 2026) | 0-120: Listening 17, Reading 18, Speaking 20, Writing 19; 1-6: no element below 4 | AcceptedOlder 0-120 scale and the 1-6 scale for tests taken after 1 January 2026 are listed in separate rows. |
| PTE Academic | 70 | Writing 65, no less than 60 in any other component | Accepted |
| Duolingo English Test | 125 | Writing 115, no less than 100 in any integrated sub score | AcceptedOnly tests taken after 1 July 2024. |
| LanguageCert Academic | 70 | Writing 65, no less than 60 in any other element | AcceptedOnline version included. |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced | 185 | Grade B for tests before January 2015 | AcceptedScore applies to tests taken from January 2015; older tests use the grade shown on the page. |
Other tests the university lists
- Trinity ISE II (SELT variant only)
- GCSE / IGCSE / O-Level English (grade C/4)
- A-Level or AS-Level English
- International Baccalaureate
- European Baccalaureate
- Irish Leaving Certificate
The page says these are not accepted
- Singapore General Paper
“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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