English Language Entry Criteria

We accept the following tests for entry to the school.  Our preferred tests are those approved by the Home Office, as listed in bold below.

• IELTS Academic for UKVI
• Trinity College London (ISE II or ISE III)
• Pearson PTE Academic UKVI
• LanguageCert International ESOL SELT exam - B2. or above, (Listening, Reading, Writing & Speaking)
• IELTS Academic
• Trinity College London ISE II or ISE III
• PTE Academic
• C1 Advanced (formerly known as Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)
• TOEFL iBT & TOEFL iBT Home Edition

The score requirements for each test (including total and sub-score requirements) are listed in the document below.

Students will usually be exempted from English language testing if they can evidence that they:

• Are from a majority English-speaking country as categorised by the UK Home Office
• Have successfully completed (or will complete by summer prior to entry) a qualification equivalent to a UK degree in a majority English-speaking country, as categorised by the UK Home Office
• Have successfully completed (or will complete by summer prior to entry) one of the following externally-assessed qualifications:
   
• A Level
  • English Language: Grade C or above
  • English Language and Literature: Grade C or above
  • English Literature: Grade C or above
• IB
  • IB English A (SL): Language and Literature or Literature: Grade 5 or above
  • IB English A (HL): Language and Literature or Literature: Grade 4 or above
  • IB English B (for non-native speakers) (SL): Grade 7 or above
  • IB English B (for non-native speakers) (HL): Grade 5 or above 
• European Baccalaureate
  • English Language 1: pass
  • Advanced English 1: pass
  • English Language 2: pass
  • Advanced English 2: pass
• US High School Diploma (for non-US passport holders)
  • English Language at grade B or above / overall GPA of 3.0
• Australian Grade 12 Certificate (HSC, CoE etc.) or ATAR (for non-Australian passport holders)
  • English language at high pass grade / overall high pass in qualification as a whole

Please note: we reserve the right to request an external English test from any prospective student. This is to ensure that students’ English skills meet the required standard to access their chosen programme of study. 

Please send your admissions coordinator a scan of your results certificate or reference number as soon as you receive passing results. 

If you have taken one of the accepted tests but your certificate is dated more than two years before the start of the course, it will not be accepted and you must re-sit one of the approved tests. 

You are strongly recommended to begin studying towards the required standard as soon as you decide to apply to Guildhall School. If you are offered a place with an English language test as a condition of entry, you must submit your test results by the deadline or your offer may be withdrawn. 

Test results can often take several weeks to be released, so you must plan and book your test well in advance.

Applicants must be completely fluent. Language proficiency is assessed at audition so an English language proficiency exam is not required.

Applicants who are not native speakers of English should have achieved a minimum overall score of 6.5 in the IELTS Academic Training examination with no individual component score below 6.0 (or equivalent).

Applicants who are not native speakers of English should have achieved a minimum overall score of 6.5 in the IELTS Academic Training examination with no individual component score below 6.0 (or equivalent).

Applicants who are not native speakers of English must have achieved a minimum overall score of 5.5 in the IELTS Academic Training examination with no individual component score below 5.5 (or equivalent)

Applicants who are not native speakers of English should have achieved a minimum overall score of 7.0 in the IELTS Academic Training examination with no individual component score below 6.0 (or equivalent)

Applicants who are not native speakers of English should have achieved a minimum overall score of 7.0 in the IELTS Academic Training examination with no individual component score below 6.0 (or equivalent).

Applicants who are not native speakers of English should have achieved a minimum overall score of 7.0 in the IELTS Academic Training examination with no individual component score below 5.5 (or equivalent).

Given the high English language threshold for this programme, ideally applicants should demonstrate that they have met the language requirements before the second round interviews  which are held in the spring.

Where there are more suitable applicants than places at second round, evidence that an applicant meets this entrance requirement will be taken into account when offers are made.

Applicants who are not native speakers of English should have achieved a minimum overall score of 6.5 in the IELTS Academic Training examination with no individual component score below 6.0 (or equivalent).

In exceptional circumstances this requirement may be replaced by the submission of an essay of adequate standard.

The School reserves the right to require non English speaking students to attend a non credited class in the English language.

Applicants who are not native speakers of English should have achieved a minimum overall score of 7.0 in the IELTS Academic Training examination with no individual component score below 6.0 (or equivalent).

Applicants who are not native speakers of English should have achieved a minimum overall score of 6.5 in the IELTS Academic Training examination with no individual component score below 6.0 (or equivalent).

All other Music applicants who are not native speakers of English must have achieved a minimum overall score of 5.5 in the IELTS Academic Training examination with no individual component score below 5.5 (or equivalent).