ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

English proficiency is a requirement for study at the UCT GSB

English is used both for teaching and for examinations at UCT Graduate School of Business. All applicants must show evidence of proficiency in English and must submit evidence of this as part of their application to study at UCT GSB. International applicants whose home language is not English must submit, as part of their application to study, one of the following:

  1. A stipulated score on the National Benchmark Tests (NBTs). Postgraduate applicants require a score of at least 65% (proficient) or above on the Graduate Academic and Quantitative Literacy (G-AQL) Test, unless otherwise stipulated.

NBTs are offered by UCT's Centre for Educational Testing for Admission and Placement (CETAP) and arrangements can be made for you to take these tests anywhere in the world.

  1. A recent score (obtained within 3-5 years before application for admission) of at least 600 (for the paper-based test) or at least 230 (for the computer-based test) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL); or 88 on the Internet-based TOEFL test.
  2. A recent overall band score of 7.0 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), with no individual element of the test scoring below 6.0.
  3. A Score on the Pearson PTE Academic test of 64.

English language proficiency can also be demonstrated through successful completion of the UCT International English Pathway programme

Note: The tests must be taken at your own expense, before sending in your application. These are the minimum levels of English proficiency you will need to be considered for admission to UCT GSB.

Additional Resources

For information about the TOEFL and IELTS tests, including information on how to register and the dates when tests are held, applicants should contact:

TOEFL

For information about the TOEFL internet based tests (iBTs), or the TOEFL paper based tests (PBTs), (which are being phased out) go to www.ets.org/toefl.

IELTS

For information about IELTS, test content, location and dates go to www.ielts.org.

PEARSON PTE ACADEMIC

For information about PEARSON PTE ACADEMIC, test content, location and dates go to www.pearsonpte.com