English language requirements
Some domestic students will need to prove that they meet our English language requirements for entry into undergraduate and postgraduate programmes of study.
All students enrolling at Victoria University of Wellington must have a sufficient level of English language proficiency to support their studies.
If you are a domestic student and your first language is not English, te reo Māori or NZSL, you may be asked to provide evidence of your English language proficiency.
On this page:
- domestic student definition
- undergraduate student requirements
- postgraduate student requirements
- waivers and other enquiries
Domestic student definition
You will be considered a domestic student for admission purposes if you are:
- a New Zealand citizen or a citizen of Niue, Cook Islands, or Tokelau Islands
- a New Zealand resident or permanent resident
- an Australian citizen or permanent resident
- a diplomat or consular assigned to live in New Zealand, or an immediate dependent.
If you're not a domestic student, you should look at the English language and academic entry requirements information for international students.
Undergraduate student requirements
We consider that you have met the English language requirements for most undergraduate programmes of study if you have gained the required score in one of the following tests or met our requirements through your previous studies as detailed below. Some of our health and education qualifications have external requirements.
| English language test | Required score |
|---|---|
|
IELTS (Academic) including IELTS Online and One Skill Retake | Overall score of 6.0 with no band lower than 5.5 |
TOEFL IBT | Total score of 80 |
PTE (Pearson Test of English) | Score of 50, with a Communication score no lower than 42 |
DET (Duolingo English Test) | Score of 105 with no band less than 95 Follow these steps to send your DET results to us |
Cambridge English qualifications | Score of 169, with no skill lower than 162 |
EAP (English for Academic Purposes at Victoria University of Wellington) | Final scores: 4, 4, 4, 3 |
NZCEL (New Zealand Certificate in English Language) | Level 4 (Academic) |
NZAPA (English New Zealand Accredited Pathway Assessment) | Level 2 with no skill lower than Level 1 |
LanguageCert (Academic) | C1 Expert International ESOL Written (LRW) PASS with no less than 25/50 in each skill and Spoken (S) PASS |
Trinity College London ISE | ISE II with no less than DISTINCTION in each band |
Previous studies in New Zealand
You can meet our English language requirements for most undergraduate programmes of study with:
- University Entrance literacy requirements achieved via NCEA Level 3
- University Entrance via Cambridge International (CAIE) or International Baccalaureate (IB) taken in New Zealand
- at least one year completed towards a New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF) qualification at Level 5 or above
- a Foundation studies programme or English language certificate from a university in New Zealand as listed on this page.
Previous studies outside New Zealand
We may consider secondary and tertiary studies that were taught in English at schools or other educational institutions outside of New Zealand.
You can find out more information about the standard English language requirements for entry into most undergraduate programmes on our site for international students.
Programmes with external English language requirements
You need to meet English language criteria set by external institutions and organisations to gain entry into some of our undergraduate qualifications, for example, the Bachelor of Midwifery and Bachelor of Education (Teaching) Early Childhood. Consult this list of programmes with external English language requirements to find out what you need to achieve.
Postgraduate student requirements
We consider that you have met the English language requirements for most postgraduate programmes of study if you have gained the required score in one of the following tests or met our requirements through your previous studies as detailed below. Some of our postgraduate programmes have higher and/or external requirements.
| English language test | Required score |
|---|---|
|
IELTS (Academic) including IELTS Online and One Skill Retake | Overall score of 6.5 with no band lower than 6.0 |
TOEFL IBT | Most postgraduate qualifications: Total score of 90 with a minimum of 20 in Writing |
PTE (Pearson Test of English) | Score of 58, with a Communication score no lower than 50 |
DET (Duolingo English Test) | Score of 120 with no band less than 105 Follow these steps to send your DET results to us |
Cambridge English qualifications | C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency with a score of 176, with each skill score no less than 169 |
EAP (English for Academic Purposes at Victoria University of Wellington) | Final scores: 4, 4, 5, 5 |
NZCEL (New Zealand Certificate in English Language) | Level 5 (Academic) |
NZAPA (English New Zealand Accredited Pathway Assessment) | Level 3 with no skill lower than Level 2 |
LanguageCert (Academic) | C1 Expert International ESOL Written (LRW) HIGH PASS with or |
Trinity College London ISE | ISE III with no less than PASS in each band |
Previous studies in New Zealand
You can meet our English language requirements for most postgraduate programmes of study with:
- a completed bachelor’s degree that is on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF) and that required at least three years of full time study
- a completed postgraduate qualification that is on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF) and that required at least one year of full time study
- a Foundation studies programme or English language certificate from a university in New Zealand as listed on this page.
Previous studies outside New Zealand
We may consider a tertiary qualification that was taught in English at an institution outside New Zealand, but you must have completed it less than two years before starting your studies at Victoria University of Wellington. You can find out more information about the standard English language requirements for entry into most postgraduate programmes on our site for international students.
Programmes with higher and external requirements
Some of our postgraduate programmes of study have higher English language requirements, which may have been set by an external institution or organisation:
- programmes with higher requirements include the Master of Laws, PhD in Law, and PhD in Education
- programmes with externally set requirements include the Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Early Childhood Education, Primary, and Secondary), Master of Teaching and Learning (Primary and Secondary), and Master of Nursing Practice.
Enquiries and waivers
If you believe that you meet the requirements through an English test or a qualification that isn't listed here, email info@vuw.ac.nz
English language requirements waiver
If you're a domestic student and you don't meet our English language requirements, you may—in some cases—be eligible for a waiver. We will evaluate the case for each waiver request on its individual merits. We may ask you to provide additional supporting documentation, such as a CV that demonstrates your extensive professional work experience in an English-speaking environment.
If you are applying for one of our nursing or midwifery qualifications, you won't be eligible for an English language requirements waiver.