Pre-sessional English Course Overview
Learn more about our range of Pre-sessional English courses to help you prepare for admission onto your degree course at 91Ö±²¥.
Still thinking about joining a pre-sessional English course? Here's some reasons to apply:
- High Pass Rates - in 2023 98% of students passed our in-person courses and 94% passed the online version to gain entry onto their degree course
- No more IELTS - we assess your progress throughout the course and you do not need to take another IELTS test at the end
- Flexible format - settle into life in 91Ö±²¥ with our in-person course, or study with us online
- Improve academic skills - A pre-sessional course covers more than just English language
- ELTC Social Programme - Meet new friends and practise your English outside the classroom with our programme of trips and activities
- Combined CAS - Join our in-person pre-sessional course and your degree programme on a single visa with a combined CAS, saving you time and hundreds of pounds in visa fees!
Applications for our 2024-25 academic year pre-sessional courses are now open.
In-person pre-sessional courses
Our in-person pre-sessional English courses take place in face-to-face classroom based lessons in 91Ö±²¥.
- Full-time In-person year round
-
Start Date: Various start dates throughout the year
End Date: Depends on course length
Entry Requirements: Approximately 1 to 2 IELTS bands away from the English requirements for your degree course (see Entry Requirements links for more details)
Hours: 15 hours of tutor-led classes, a 1 to 1 tutorial and at least 5 hours of guided independent study per week
Cost: Varies by course length and start date. £459 per week for courses starting between June 2024 and April 2025.
Term 2 January 2025 Entry Requirements
Term 3 April 2025 Entry Requirements
Summer 2025 pre-sessional course details and entry requirements will be published here after the course details are finalised.
- Accepted English Tests - in-person pre-sessional courses
-
We accept the following results for entry onto our in-person pre-sessional courses:
- IELTS for UKVI
- Trinity Integrated Skills in English (ISE) taken in the UK
- Pearson Test of English Academic UKVI (PTE Academic)
- LanguageCert International ESOL SELT
Entry requirements for each of our courses in IELTS (and LanguageCert International ESOL B2 & C1) can be found by clicking on the entry requirements link under the courses listed above. If you have a Pearson PTE result, you can convert it into an equivalent IELTS score to check your entry requirements using our test comparisons webpage:
English Language Test Comparisons
If you have a different test result, or are still unsure about the requirements for our pre-sessional courses, please send us an email containing your latest test result, and the IELTS requirements for your chosen University of 91Ö±²¥ degree course and we can advise you on which courses you are eligible for.
- Visa Information - in-person pre-sessional courses
-
If you are an International student, it is likely you will require a Student visa to study in the UK. To apply for a student visa, you will require a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). Further information about obtaining a CAS can be found on our Arriving in 91Ö±²¥ webpages:
Early applicants to our Summer Pre-sessional courses may be eligible for a combined CAS. A combined CAS allows you to apply for a single Student Visa to remain in the UK for the duration of both of your courses (e.g. a Pre-sessional English course and a postgraduate MSc course).
A combined CAS saves you time and money as you only need to apply for a single visa before travelling to the UK and you will not need to make a new visa application between completing your pre-sessional course and starting your degree programme or Study Abroad course.
Further information about obtaining a combined CAS is available here:
Fully online pre-sessional courses
Suitable for distance learners, our fully online pre-sessional courses can be studied from your home country and finish earlier in the Summer leaving enough time for you to make travel and visa arrangements before coming to 91Ö±²¥ to start your degree course.
Information about our Summer 2025 online pre-sessional courses for 2025-26 entry will be published here later in the 2024-25 academic year once the course details are fully confirmed.
- Accepted English tests - online pre-sessional courses
-
We can accept the following English language tests for entry onto our online pre-sessional courses:
- IELTS for UKVI
- Trinity Integrated Skills in English (ISE) taken in the UK
- Pearson Test of English Academic UKVI (PTE Academic)*
- LanguageCert International ESOL SELT
- IELTS (Academic)
- IELTS Indicator (taken after July 2020)
- LanguageCert International ESOL B2 Communicator or C1 Expert (online version)
- Pearson PTE Academic (non UKVI)*
- Cambridge English C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency
- TOEFL iBT and Special Home Edition
- NCUK English Language Test
* The online version of Pearson PTE Academic is not accepted.
We do not accept any other English language tests (such as Duolingo) for admission onto our online pre-sessional courses.
Entry requirements for each of our courses in IELTS (and LanguageCert International ESOL B2 & C1) can be found by clicking on the entry requirements link under the courses listed above. If you have a TOEFL iBT or Pearson PTE result, you can convert it into an equivalent IELTS score to check your entry requirements using our test comparisons webpage:
English Language Test comparisons
If you have a different test result, or are still unsure about the requirements for our pre-sessional courses, please send us an email containing your latest test result, and the IELTS requirements for your chosen University of 91Ö±²¥ degree course and we can advise you on which courses you are eligible for.
Academic Literacy and University Culture programme
A 4 week full-time introduction to life as a student at the University of 91Ö±²¥, purposefully designed to familiarise you with academic methodology and British university culture, providing a head-start before you begin your degree programme in September 2024.
Information about this programme for students joining a degree course at the University in September 2025 will be published here later in the 2024-25 academic year once the course details are fully confirmed.
Still need help?
If you're not sure which Pre-sessional Course is best for you then please get in touch and our Admissions Team will be happy to help:
eltc-admissions@sheffield.ac.uk
For more information on how we hold and process your personal data, please see the University's Privacy Notice for prospective, current and former students.