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Study in UK Without IELTS 2026: 22 Universities, Class 12 Marks & Visa Rules
- Last Updated on: September 23, 2026 by
- Shiva Sai Bejawada
Yes. For a degree course, your UK university can accept your Class 12 English marks or your degree instead of IELTS. It records that on your CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies), the document your visa uses. Foundation courses, one-year courses before a UK degree for students who need extra preparation, still need a test. So you can study in UK without IELTS in 2026, as long as your university confirms you have upper-intermediate English, which UK rules call CEFR B2. In 2026, the Home Office, the UK government department that runs visas, asks for that level on degree courses and one step lower, B1, on foundation and pathway courses. Below are the Class 12 English marks 22 universities accept, board by board, including Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Most also take state-board marks, though often 5 points higher.
Written by
Senior Counsellor (British Council Certified) -UK & Ireland
Shiva Sai Bejawada is a British Council Certified overseas-education counsellor at AOEC India who guides Indian students through UK and Ireland university selection, admissions, and student visa documentation.
6 Years, 96% visa approval rate 
Reviewed by
Managing Director
Mr. Kongara Sridhar, Director of AOEC India, has over 12 years of experience in overseas education consulting, admissions, and student visa guidance.
Over 12 years Experience Key Takeaways
- Your university can replace IELTS for a degree by confirming upper-intermediate English on your CAS.
- Class 12 English of 55% to 85% replaces IELTS for a bachelor’s at 22 universities.
- About half ask state-board students 5 points more than CBSE or ISC; the rest take the same mark if your board is listed.
- Nottingham accepts master’s applicants from 15 named Indian institutions; Manchester and York refuse MOI (medium of instruction) letters.
- Foundation and pathway courses almost always need an approved test; nurses registering with an Indian qualification need IELTS or OET.
- The visa costs £558, charged as ₹73,795 by the Home Office (it won’t match a currency converter), plus £1,164 (₹1,47,800) health surcharge on a 1-year master’s visa.
Table of Contents
Which no-IELTS route fits your profile
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How the UK Student visa accepts English without IELTS
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UK universities accepting Class 12 English instead of IELTS
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UK master’s without IELTS: degree, MOI and Class 12 routes
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IELTS alternatives UK universities accept
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When you still need an English test
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What studying in the UK without IELTS costs
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Which no-IELTS route fits your profile
Your board and course level decide the route.
| Your profile | Your route | What you submit | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| CBSE or ISC Class 12, applying for a bachelor’s | Class 12 English waiver | Class 12 marksheet showing your English % | The mark rises with the course’s IELTS band |
| State board, incl. Telangana or Andhra Pradesh, applying for a bachelor’s | Class 12 waiver where your board is listed | Class 12 marksheet showing your English % | Same mark or 5 points more; some boards excluded |
| Indian graduate, applying for a taught master’s | Named-institution degree, MOI letter or Class 12 marks | Degree certificate, MOI letter, sometimes an Ecctis statement (the UK body checking overseas qualifications) | An MOI letter alone is never visa evidence |
| Foundation or pathway course | An approved Secure English Language Test (SELT), almost always | PTE Academic UKVI or IELTS for UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) result | Your university can’t assess you itself |
| Nursing | Class 12 or degree route for admission | For registration: your UK nursing degree, or a test | Test only if you register with a qualification from India |
For a bachelor’s with a Telangana board, use Greenwich (65%), Leeds (70% or 75%), Aston (75% or 80%), Kent, Reading and Portsmouth (75%), Birmingham (75% to 85%), or Sheffield (80%), Liverpool (80%, if it accepts your board). Sussex takes it for a master’s. Coventry, Exeter, Birmingham City, Queen Mary, York, Bristol, Southampton, Essex, Newcastle and Edinburgh don’t list Telangana, Nottingham takes no state board, and Hertfordshire and Sheffield Hallam don’t say which boards they take.
If two rows fit you, say a CBSE student who now holds a degree, use the route with fewer documents: Class 12 marks need only a marksheet. Whichever route you use to study in UK without IELTS, don’t ask a university “do you accept MOI?” Ask “what will you write on my CAS about my English?”
- Shortlist the universities that list your board or degree.
- Ask each university the CAS question, and get the answer in writing.
- Gather the one document your route needs: Class 12 marksheet, MOI letter or Ecctis statement.
- If you’re starting with a foundation or pathway course, book an approved test now; if you’ll register as a nurse with an Indian qualification, plan for IELTS Academic or OET.
How the UK Student visa accepts English without IELTS
In 2026, a UK Student visa doesn't need an IELTS certificate for a degree course. Your university checks your English, writes how it checked on your CAS, and the visa accepts that (Home Office English rules). The CAS must confirm upper-intermediate English, CEFR B2, in reading, writing, speaking and listening.
If CAS is a new word for you, our explainer on the CAS full form in the UK covers what the document holds. Here’s how each kind of proof works:
- Class 12 marks count when your university accepts them, which is how all 22 universities below use them. The visa doesn’t accept them on their own, only UK school exams such as GCSEs and A levels (the exams UK students take at 16 and 18).
- An Indian degree needs Ecctis to stand alone. To use your degree as visa proof by itself, you need an Ecctis statement (£210). Otherwise your university decides.
- An MOI letter works only if your university agrees to rely on it. The visa rules don’t list it as proof, and your university has to write on the CAS how it checked you.
So treat an MOI letter as something a university may accept, never as something the visa guarantees. For the steps around the CAS, start from the study in the UK hub.
From our counselling desk: In our 2026 UK intake work, the most common avoidable delay wasn't the visa itself. It was a CAS listing an English condition the student assumed was already waived. We now ask every university to state the CAS English wording in writing before a student pays a deposit, because reversing it later costs weeks.
UK universities accepting Class 12 English instead of IELTS
Class 12 English marks of 55% to 85% replace IELTS for bachelor’s entry at the 22 UK universities below, for 2026-27. The lowest is Queen Mary University of London’s 55% for CBSE and ISC (Indian School Certificate) on its lowest course band; the highest, Edinburgh’s 85%, covers Medicine only.
| University | CBSE / ISC English | Telangana / AP board | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queen Mary University of London | 55%, 60%, 70% or 80% by course band | AP 5 points more; Telangana not on their list | Result must be verifiable with the board |
| Coventry University | 60% | AP 60%; Telangana not on their list | Other boards: Coventry University English Test |
| University of Hertfordshire | 65% | Not stated | Bachelor’s courses |
| University of Greenwich | 65% | Same as CBSE (65%) | Bachelor’s and master’s |
| Birmingham City University | 65% (IELTS 6.0 courses) to 80% (7.0) | AP same as CBSE; Telangana not on their list | Mark rises with the course’s IELTS band |
| University of Bristol | 70% to 80% by course profile | Not on their list | Bachelor’s only |
| University of Birmingham | 70% (IELTS 6.0 courses) to 80% (7.0) | 75% to 85% | Mark rises with the course’s IELTS band |
| Aston University | 70% (IELTS 6.0) or 75% (6.5) | 75% or 80% | Mark rises with the course’s IELTS band |
| University of Leeds | 70% or 75% | 70% or 75% | Bachelor’s and master’s |
| University of Nottingham | 70% (IELTS 6.0) to 85% (7.5) | State boards not accepted | CBSE or CISCE (Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations) only |
| University of Southampton | 70% | Not on their list | CBSE or ISC only |
| University of Exeter | 70% | AP 70%; Telangana not on their list | Profile C courses only |
| University of Kent | 70% | 75% | Marks within 8 years of course start |
| University of Essex | 70% | Not on their list | No separate test, normally |
| University of Reading | 70% | 75% | Bachelor’s courses |
| Sheffield Hallam University | 70% | Not stated | “May be considered”; course page decides |
| University of Sheffield | 75% | 80% | Bachelor’s and master’s |
| University of Liverpool | 75% | 80% | English-medium schooling required |
| Newcastle University | 75% | Not on their list | Exam within 3 years, else interview |
| University of Portsmouth | 75% | Same as CBSE (75%) | Same mark for all levels |
| University of York | 75% | AP 75%; Telangana not on their list | Within 7 years; MOI not accepted |
| University of Edinburgh | 85% | Not on their list | Medicine only |
What this means for you: if you’re on a state board, shortlist only the rows that list your board or take all boards. A Telangana board student with 78% in English clears Kent, Reading, Portsmouth and Greenwich, but not Sheffield or Liverpool, which want 80%. A Punjab board student can’t use the waiver at Liverpool, Portsmouth or Greenwich and should plan for a test. If fees matter as much as the waiver, check your shortlist against the affordable universities in the UK for Indian students.
State-board students usually need a higher mark, and at a few universities their board isn’t accepted, so some end up taking a test. If you’re still choosing a course straight after school, the rest of the application is mapped out in study in UK after 12th.
UK master’s without IELTS: degree, MOI and Class 12 routes
An English-taught Indian degree doesn’t clear the English requirement everywhere. For a master’s, some universities would rather see your Class 12 marks than your college’s MOI letter.
| University | Route that replaces IELTS | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| University of Nottingham | Bachelor’s from 15 named Indian institutions, incl. all IITs | No time limit; Madras graduates add an MOI document |
| Aston University | MOI letter from a university on Aston’s Tier 1 list | Letter signed and stamped in ink; English classes alongside your degree |
| University of Kent | Degree certificate, MOI letter and Ecctis statement | Ecctis cost refunded if the statement meets the requirement (Sept 2026, Jan 2027 starts) |
| Newcastle University | Class 12 English 75% (CBSE or CISCE) | Degree over 3 years old: you may have an interview |
| University of Sheffield | Class 12 marks as for a bachelor’s; or a degree finished in the last 12 months plus a B1 test | Degree alone: No |
| University of Birmingham | 75% CBSE/CISCE, 80% other boards; 80-85% for courses needing IELTS 6.5 | West Bengal board: 75% on both |
| University of Sussex | Class 12 CBSE English Core 70% or 80%; named state boards incl. Telangana and Andhra Pradesh | State-board results within 6 years of course start; Indian degree doesn’t exempt |
| University of Hertfordshire | Class 12 English 70% to 75% | Board not stated |
| Coventry University | Class 12 English 65%, named boards only | Telangana not listed; others take the Coventry test |
| University of Greenwich | Class 12 English 65% | Not for Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand |
| University of Manchester | Class 12 English, by board and score | Mode-of-instruction letter: Not accepted |
| University of York | Class 12 English only | MOI letter: Not accepted at any level |
We’ve seen applicants pick a university off a generic no-IELTS list, then find their MOI letter didn’t count for that programme. So rank your options by how few conditions they carry: a named-institution degree first, Class 12 marks next if they’re recent, and an MOI letter last. Aston grades Indian universities in its own Tier list; Tier 1 is the top group. Tier 2 and Tier 3 graduates also need Class 12 English of 65% (CBSE or ICSE, the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education) or 70% (state boards).
Our list of MOI-accepted universities in the UK covers the wider set. MOI letters most often get turned down for vague wording, so check yours against the medium of instruction certificate format first.
IELTS alternatives UK universities accept
Six main English tests cost between ₹15,729 and ₹19,250 in India, and only three of them count for a foundation-course visa. At degree level, any of the six works if your university accepts it, because the university assesses your English itself and records it on your CAS.
| Test | Counts for a foundation-course visa? | Fee in India | Results in |
|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS for UKVI | Yes, approved SELT | ₹19,250 (computer) | 13 days on paper; computer time not published by IDP |
| IELTS Academic | No, university admission only | ₹19,000 | 1 to 2 days (computer test) |
| PTE Academic UKVI | Yes, approved SELT | ₹18,900 (Pearson, 2 Oct 2026) | About 2 days |
| PTE Academic | No, university admission only | ₹18,900 (Pearson, 2 Oct 2026) | About 2 days |
| TOEFL iBT | No, university admission only | ₹15,729 incl. taxes | 3 days |
| LanguageCert Academic SELT | Yes, approved SELT | ₹16,430 | 5 working days |
For a foundation or pathway course the choice narrows to the Home Office’s approved list of Secure English Language Tests (SELTs), so you’d book IELTS for UKVI, PTE Academic UKVI or LanguageCert Academic SELT. TOEFL iBT, Duolingo and standard PTE Academic aren’t on that list. Your SELT result also has to be less than two years old when you apply.
If you aren’t sure yet whether you’ll need a SELT, book the UKVI version. PTE Academic UKVI is the same test as PTE Academic with a reference number for your visa, at the same fee. At degree level each university decides whether to take the Duolingo English Test, so check the Duolingo-accepted universities in the UK against your course first.
When you still need an English test
On a foundation or pathway course, you’ll almost always need an approved test, a Secure English Language Test (SELT). Those courses need CEFR B1, your university can’t assess it itself, Class 12 doesn’t count for the visa, and India isn’t on the English-speaking-country list (2026 Home Office student rules). The exception is an English-taught degree confirmed by Ecctis.
- Foundation and pathway courses. Take one of the three approved SELTs in the alternatives table above. Our guide to the PTE score required for UK universities lists the bands school by school.
- Pre-sessional English courses are short English courses before your degree starts, and they don’t replace a test. Warwick, for example, asks for a test score before you join, and if your CAS covers only the pre-sessional you’ll need IELTS for UKVI.
- Nursing registration. A UK pre-registration nursing degree is taught and examined in English, which is one of the routes the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the UK nursing regulator, accepts. If you register with a qualification from India or another one not taught in English, plan for a test. The NMC’s test route asks for IELTS Academic 7 (6.5 in writing) or OET (Occupational English Test) grade B (C+ in writing).
- An offer that names a test. The English condition on your offer letter binds you, even if the same university waives the test for other courses.
If a foundation year is your way in, book the test early so the result is ready before your CAS.
What studying in the UK without IELTS costs
A Telangana board student heading to Sheffield in January 2027 on an 80% Class 12 waiver saves the test fee but still pays every visa cost below. Her maintenance figure also rises if she applies on or after 30 November 2026.
| Item | Cost (GBP) | Cost (INR) | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student visa fee, applying from outside the UK | £558 | ₹73,795 (2 Oct 2026), charged in rupees by the Home Office, so it won’t match a currency converter | One-off visa application fee; rupee fee set by the Home Office |
| IHS (Immigration Health Surcharge) for a typical 1-year master’s | £1,164 | ₹1,47,800 | One year’s charge plus half, for a visa of 12-18 months |
| Maintenance funds, per month | £1,529 London / £1,171 elsewhere; £1,570 / £1,203 for applications from 30 Nov 2026 | ₹1,94,200 / ₹1,48,700; ₹1,99,400 / ₹1,52,800 from 30 Nov 2026 | Money that must sit in your bank account for 28 days, not a fee; covers up to 9 months |
| Ecctis statement, if you use your degree as English proof | £210 | ₹26,700 | Result aimed within 20 working days |
Apply before 30 November 2026 and the current, lower figures apply, even for a January 2027 start. If you’re planning the January intake in the UK, file by 29 November.
Parents: the maintenance figure tells you how big a loan or savings balance you need, whether through HDFC Credila, Avanse or SBI. The money must sit in the account for 28 days in a row, ending no more than 31 days before you apply. For 9-month totals and which accounts and loan letters count, see the UK student visa proof of funds rules.
When you study in UK without IELTS, a waiver saves you one test fee and some weeks, while the visa fee, health surcharge and maintenance money stay the same. Tuition and rent sit on top, and our breakdown of the cost of studying in the UK prices them by city.
Get in Touch
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a UK Student visa without IELTS?
Yes, on a degree course. If your university is allowed to assess your English itself (ask admissions), it can and confirm upper-intermediate (CEFR B2) English on your CAS, so no IELTS score goes to the Home Office. On a foundation or pathway course you’ll normally need an approved test such as PTE Academic UKVI or IELTS for UKVI.
Is an MOI certificate enough for UK universities?
Only at universities that choose to accept it. Aston takes an MOI letter from universities on its Tier 1 list and Kent takes one alongside an Ecctis statement, but Manchester and York refuse MOI letters. For the visa, an MOI letter never stands alone: your university’s assessment, written on the CAS, is what counts.
Is Duolingo accepted for the UK Student visa?
At degree level, yes, if your university accepts it and records it on your CAS. For 2026-27 entry, Reading asks for 125 overall with no sub-score below 100, and Sussex asks for 110 to 130 on its master’s courses, taken within two years of the start date. On a foundation or pathway course, plan on an approved visa test instead.
What Class 12 English marks do UK universities need for state boards?
About half the universities ask 5 points more than CBSE or ISC, so a 70% CBSE bar becomes 75% for your board; the rest accept the same mark if your board is listed. Check that your board is named at all: Telangana appears at some universities and not others, and Punjab and Uttarakhand boards are excluded at several.
Can I study nursing in the UK without IELTS?
University admission and nurse registration are separate decisions. To register, the Nursing and Midwifery Council also accepts a pre-registration nursing qualification taught and examined in English, or one year of recent practice in a majority-English-speaking country. Without either, plan for IELTS Academic or OET from the start.
Your board and your course level decide your route; pick the university after that, not before.
Ardent Overseas counsels Indian students applying to UK universities from its offices in Hyderabad and Tirupati. The team matches each student’s Class 12 marks, board or degree to the universities that accept them, and checks the English condition on every offer before the visa file goes in.
Sources
Official sources first, then universities, then test providers.
Government and regulators
- GOV.UK (Home Office), Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 584 (3 Sep 2026), retrieved 02 Oct 2026, gov.uk
- UK Visas and Immigration (GOV.UK), Prove your English language abilities with a secure English language test (SELT) (Sep 2026), retrieved 02 Oct 2026, gov.uk
- GOV.UK (Home Office), Immigration Rules: Appendix English Language (EL 4.1, EL 5.4, EL 7.1, EL 8.1, EL 8.2) (Aug 2026), retrieved 02 Oct 2026, gov.uk
- GOV.UK (Home Office), Immigration Rules: Appendix Student (ST 13.1, ST 13.3) (Aug 2026), retrieved 02 Oct 2026, gov.uk
- GOV.UK (Home Office), Student visa: Knowledge of English, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, gov.uk
- GOV.UK (Home Office), Student visa, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, gov.uk
- GOV.UK (Home Office), Student visa: Money, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, gov.uk
- UK Home Office, Visa application fees: India, Study, Student, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, visa-fees.homeoffice.gov.uk
- GOV.UK, Pay for UK healthcare as part of your immigration application, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, gov.uk
- Nursing and Midwifery Council, Accepted English language tests (Mar 2024), retrieved 02 Oct 2026, nmc.org.uk
- Nursing and Midwifery Council, English language requirements, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, nmc.org.uk
- Ecctis, English Proficiency and Qualification Comparison: price and timeframe, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, qls.ecctis.com
Universities
- University of Kent, English language requirements (Sep 2026), retrieved 02 Oct 2026, kent.ac.uk
- Queen Mary University of London, Accepted English language tests and qualifications, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, qmul.ac.uk
- Coventry University, Entry requirements: South Asia, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, coventry.ac.uk
- University of Hertfordshire, Application requirements, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, herts.ac.uk
- University of Greenwich, India, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, gre.ac.uk
- Birmingham City University, Accepted qualifications, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, bcu.ac.uk
- University of Bristol, India, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, bristol.ac.uk
- University of Birmingham, Undergraduate international entry requirements, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, birmingham.ac.uk
- University of Birmingham, Postgraduate taught international entry requirements, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, birmingham.ac.uk
- Aston University, India, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, aston.ac.uk
- University of Leeds, India, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, leeds.ac.uk
- University of Nottingham, India country information, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, nottingham.ac.uk
- University of Southampton, English language requirements, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, southampton.ac.uk
- University of Exeter, English language requirements: Profile C, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, exeter.ac.uk
- University of Essex, India, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, essex.ac.uk
- University of Reading, English language requirements, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, reading.ac.uk
- Sheffield Hallam University, Entry requirements for India, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, shu.ac.uk
- University of Sheffield, English language requirements, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, sheffield.ac.uk
- University of Liverpool, Country-specific qualifications, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, liverpool.ac.uk
- Newcastle University, English language requirements, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, ncl.ac.uk
- University of Portsmouth, English language requirements, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, port.ac.uk
- University of York, India, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, york.ac.uk
- University of Edinburgh, India, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, ed.ac.uk
- University of Sussex, English language requirements: international Masters applicants, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, sussex.ac.uk
- University of Manchester, India, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, manchester.ac.uk
- University of Warwick, Entry Requirements for the Pre-sessional English course, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, warwick.ac.uk
- University of Warwick, Visa Information for the Pre-sessional English course, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, warwick.ac.uk
Test providers
- IDP IELTS India, IELTS Exam Fee in India 2026 (2026), retrieved 02 Oct 2026, ieltsidpindia.com
- IDP IELTS India, IELTS Results Time 2026 (2026), retrieved 02 Oct 2026, ieltsidpindia.com
- Pearson PTE, PTE Academic UKVI, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, pearsonpte.com
- Pearson PTE, PTE Academic, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, pearsonpte.com
- ETS, TOEFL iBT Test Fees (India), retrieved 02 Oct 2026, ets.org
- ETS, TOEFL iBT: Get Your Scores, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, ets.org
- LanguageCert, LANGUAGECERT Academic SELT, retrieved 02 Oct 2026, languagecert.org
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