Pre-Sessional English

Study Pre-Sessional English in London

Prepare for your University of Portsmouth London (UoPL) degree or London Pathway College (LPC) pathway course with our Pre-Sessional English courses, delivered face-to-face in East London. These courses help international students who don’t yet meet the required English language proficiency for direct entry. With focused support, you'll improve your reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills while developing critical thinking, communication, and research abilities. A single visa can cover your studies from LPC through to your degree at UoPL, ensuring a smooth academic journey.

Key benefits include:

• Multiple entry points throughout the year - created to ensure you are able to progress onto your chosen onward course on successful completion of the PSE 

• Enhanced communication and academic skills

• Confidence in participating in seminars and delivering presentations

• Development of independent study skills for university success

Achieve your goals with LPC’s Pre-Sessional English and seamlessly transition into your degree programme.

English Language Requirements 

The table below outlines the English Language Requirements for our Pre-Sessional English courses at London Pathway College. These requirements vary depending on whether you are applying for undergraduate or postgraduate study, and the duration of your course depends on your current IELTS score. The courses range from 6 to 10 weeks in length. We also offer a 15 week course for students who need a little more time to develop their English language for study at a British University. All our pre-sessional courses are designed to ensure students are well-prepared for their academic journey at the University of Portsmouth London please contact us for more information about the 15 week English Language Course.

* ( ) means "with no component score below this level" in the brackets

Which English test should you take?

Many English tests are available, however you need to take one of the tests we recognise to join us.

As your CAS will be issued by the University they apply a two-year validity at the point of the course start date for all Secure English Language Tests (SELTs) as determined by the Home Office, and to English tests that are not recognised as SELTs. The current list of approved alternative English Language tests is below.

Please note that an additional English language interview may be required for acceptance of some English Language tests.

Due to accreditation requirements, some courses have restrictions on accepted English language. 

English Language Tests

The University of Portsmouth reserves the right to request further evidence of English language proficiency or conduct additional applicant checks at any stage of the application process.

• IELTS – International English Language Test System
• TOEFL – Test of English as a Foreign Language
• TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition
• PTE – Pearson Test of English
• C1 Advanced
• Duolingo
• LanguageCert – SELT version only
• LanguageCert Academic
• Oxford ELLT
• Skills for English UKVI English Language Level Test
• TOEFL Essentials
• Countries exempt from English language requirements 

If you are a national of, or have completed a degree-level qualification from one of the countries listed below, as recognised by UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI), you may be exempt from the UK Visa and Immigration English language requirements.

You will still need to provide acceptable evidence of English language proficiency to meet the academic requirements for your course.

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Australia
• The Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belize
• The British Overseas Territories
• Dominica
• Grenada
• Guyana
• Ireland
• Jamaica
• Malta
• New Zealand
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Lucia
• St Vincent and the Grenadines
• Trinidad and Tobago
• UK
• USA

If you are a National of Canada, you will need to provide evidence of English Language proficiency to meet the academic requirements of your course.

In addition to this, if you hold a Bachelor Degree from the UK or one of the above countries and this course was delivered on campus, this may meet the English Language requirement.