How UK Universities Can Clarify English Language Requirements for Prospective Students

Traveling abroad to study poses an array of challenges for global students, from completing complex forms to securing financing to meeting the requirements of both universities and governments. 

For many would-be students, navigating universities’ English language requirements – especially as articulated on their websites – can be one of most confusing parts of the (already laborious) application process. 

In my role at TOEFL, I spend an inordinate amount of time looking at these webpages (who said this job isn’t glamorous?). To help universities sharpen their score guidance, I’ve offered a few modest tips below.

In international education, change is the only constant. Test providers launch new formats, university programs alter their expectations, and visa guidance swings in varying directions. If your webpage has not been checked since “unprecedented times,” it needs attention.

To build students’ confidence that information is relevant today, add a “last updated” date to the relevant webpage and deputise someone to review the page before each round of intake.

Yes, these are small details. But small details can build a lot of trust, especially for students engaged in their dizzying pursuit of an overseas degree.

Back in the wilds of 2006, I’d just started my undergraduate degree at the wonderful University of East Anglia, when Sven-Goran Eriksson was England’s manager and TOEFL replaced the Computer Based Test (CBT) with the Internet Based Test (iBT).

Two decades have now passed, but every now and then I still spy a TOEFL CBT score requirement on a university website. This can confuse students, who may feel a sense of unease when they can’t discover the “TOEFL CBT” online.

In some circumstances, maintaining older requirements can make sense, especially as many English tests remain valid for a few years (in TOEFL’s case, two). But outdated information can often confuse students.

This, admittedly, gets complicated at many universities, especially as English requirements vary from program to program. But students shouldn’t have to do guesswork when they’re scrolling through your guidance.

If requirements vary at your university, each webpage that shows minimum score requirements should highlight – ideally, in bold – whether the page is referencing minimum university requirements or course-specific rules.

No applicant should need seven tabs and a strong coffee to work it out.

There are a lot of English tests out there. And when you combine the vast array of testing options with various in-country qualifications, exemptions and pre-sessional options, a simple webpage starts to get quite crowded.

Break things down a bit for your applicants. A tab for tests, a tab for exemptions and a tab for country-specific qualifications help makes things clearer and allow students to find the information they need without having to endlessly scroll through giant tables.

SELT, CAS, UKVI, CEFR, oh my! The higher education community in the UK loves a dense acronym, but your prospective applicants often find them inscrutable.

Keeping your language user-friendly can help make sure students aren’t using Google – or one of many chatbots, which are often operating from outdated information – to determine what they actually need to send over.

Of course, friendly doesn’t mean fluffy. The clearest pages are direct, specific and kind to the reader’s time. A glossary of terms can also be quite useful!

Show the last updated date on any webpage listing test requirements.

• Delete or archive old requirements.
• Separate general and course-specific rules.
• Clarify exemptions and pre-sessional options.
• Define acronyms.
• Give applicants a clear contact route.

Clear requirements reduce confusion, cut unnecessary enquiries and help students apply with confidence. They also mean fewer panicked emails asking you to explain exactly what you need and avoids wasted time and money when a student takes a test you don’t accept.