Your university's own assessment
For a degree, many universities can assess your English themselves, with their own test or an interview.
Free tool · 5 minutes
What's your level of English? Find out in 5 minutes.
15 questions, from easier to harder. We explain the answer to each one, and at the end we give you guidance on your level and the path that suits you best for studying in the UK.
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She ___ to work by bus every day.
“goes”. In the present simple, with he, she or it the verb takes -s.
There ___ any milk in the fridge.
“isn't”. “Milk” is uncountable, so it takes the singular: “there isn't any milk”.
I was born ___ 1998.
“in”. We use “in” with years, months and seasons: in 1998, in May, in summer.
If it rains tomorrow, we ___ at home.
“will stay”. It's the first conditional, for something possible: if + present, will + verb.
I've lived in London ___ three years.
“for”. “For” goes with a length of time (three years); “since” with a starting point (since 2023).
He asked me where ___.
“I lived”. In an indirect question the word order isn't inverted and the tense moves back: where I lived.
Read: “The library closes at 8 pm on weekdays and at 5 pm on Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays.”
When can you NOT visit the library?
“Saturday at 6 pm”. On Saturdays it closes at 5 pm. On weekdays it's open until 8 pm.
By the time we arrived, the film ___.
“had already started”. The past perfect marks something that happened before another moment in the past.
I'm not used to ___ up so early.
“getting”. In “be used to”, “to” is a preposition, so it's followed by -ing.
She suggested ___ a break.
“taking”. “Suggest” is followed by -ing or by “that + subject + verb”, never by “to”.
Despite ___ hard, he failed the exam.
“studying”. “Despite” is followed by a noun or by -ing. With a subject and a verb, use “although”.
Read: “Applicants who have not received a decision by 30 June should contact the admissions office rather than resubmit their application.”
What should you do if you haven't heard back by 30 June?
Contact admissions. “Rather than resubmit” means “instead of sending the application again”.
Hardly ___ the room when the phone rang.
“had I entered”. When a sentence starts with “Hardly”, the subject and the auxiliary are inverted.
Her argument was so ___ that nobody could refute it.
“compelling”. It means “convincing”. “Compulsory” means “obligatory” and “complacent” means “overconfident”.
Read: “While the course is demanding, students who engage consistently with the weekly readings tend to find the final assessment far less daunting than they had anticipated.”
What does the text suggest?
Option b. Students who keep up with the readings every week (“engage consistently”) find the final exam much less intimidating (“far less daunting”) than they expected.
Your scoreCorrect answers · best streak: 0 🔥
Your approximate level: basic (A2 or below)
You have a base to start from. To study in the UK on a student visa you need at least B1, and B2 for a degree.
- The usual step is to start with a general or intensive English course.
- Then a Foundation Year with academic English or, if you reach B2, the degree directly.
Your approximate level: intermediate (B1)
You get by well. B1 is the minimum for courses below degree level, like the Foundation Year.
- A Foundation Year with academic English is a very common route at this level.
- To go straight into a degree, the goal is B2: a pre-sessional can get you there.
Your approximate level: good (B2)
It's the level required to study a degree. Each university will tell you how to prove it: with its own assessment or an official test.
- You can aim for many degrees with direct entry.
- Some degrees ask for a specific score in each skill: we check it with you.
Your approximate level: very good (C1)
Your English opens most doors, including the most demanding degrees and master's.
- You can aim for programmes with high English requirements.
- Next: choose your course and upload your documents. We take care of the rest.
This is a 15-question guide test, not an official certificate. If you already live in the UK, you don't need a visa, and many universities assess your English with their own test or at interview.
And then
How you prove your English
It depends on your course and your situation. These are the usual routes.
An official test (SELT)
Such as IELTS for UKVI or PTE Academic UKVI. It's the one that counts for the visa when the university doesn't assess you.
Duolingo English Test
Many universities accept it for admission, but it isn't a SELT. Check whether it works for you before you take it.
Not sure which test? Read our guide IELTS, Duolingo or PTE: which test suits you.
Your English doesn't have to hold you back
There's a path for every level. Tell us about your situation and we'll tell you where to start.
