If you are an international applicant whose first language is not English, you must provide evidence of your English proficiency.
English is considered the first language of citizens of Canada, Ireland, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
If you are a domestic applicant and your first language is not English you may be asked to provide evidence of your competence in written and spoken English.
If you have an offer of place conditional on English, you may wish to consider applying for entry to a pathway English language course at the University’s English Language Academy (see below).
Minimum postgraduate English language requirements
Every programme page on our website specifies an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score as the minimum English language requirement for that programme, see Study options finder. You must satisfy the requirements in one sitting. The results are valid for two years from the date on the test certificate until commencement of study at the University of Auckland.
If you have taken a different English language test or qualification, the table below lists what the University accepts as the equivalent scores or marks you need to match the IELTS grade for your programme.
Due to professional registration requirements, only IELTS can be accepted for the Master of Social Work (Professional).
IELTS Academic equivalencies
| IELTS (Academic) | Overall score of 6.5 and no bands below 6.0 |
| Internet-based TOEFL (iBT) | Overall score of 90 and a writing score of 21 |
| Paper-based TOEFL | Overall score of 68 and a writing score of 21 |
| C1 Advanced (previously – Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)) | Overall score of 176 and no bands below 169 |
| C2 Proficiency (previously – Cambridge English Proficiency (CPE)) | Overall score of 176 and no bands below 169 |
| Foundation Certificate in English for Academic Purposes (FCertEAP) | Grade of B- |
| Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic* | Overall score of 58 and no PTE Communicative score below 50 |
| Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) | 85 |
| Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English (ISE) | ISE III with a pass in all 4 components |
| LanguageCert – International ESOL | C1 Expert (LRWS) with a high pass overall and no less than a pass in each skill OR C2 Mastery with a pass overall and no less than a pass in each skill |
*You must authorise the University to view and verify your PTE scores. See How can I submit verified PTE Academic results to the University of Auckland?
English Language Academy pathway programmes
You can meet postgraduate English language requirements by successfully completing:
- The Foundation Certificate in English for Academic Purposes (FCertEAP), or
- The English Pathway for Postgraduate Studies (EPPS).
The ELA grades shown below are deemed to be equivalent to the following IELTS bands for admissions purposes.
- IELTS 7.0: A- in FCertEAP or EPPS
- IELTS 6.5: B- in FCertEAP or EPPS
Equivalent qualifications
If you have successfully completed study in the English medium, you may not have to take a language test. Please see the documents below for approved alternatives to our IELTS requirements.
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