FAQs

We do not require evidence of an offer for a postgraduate degree programme when you apply for the PGPEP programme.

However, you should be intending to go on to study a postgraduate degree programme at a University in the UK and you should check the level of English you would be required to achieve in order to be able to study on your chosen degree programme as requirements vary according to the degree programme and institution.

We are not qualified to give visa advice. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure they have the correct permission to study on our programme. Students who do not have appropriate permission will not be able to matriculate as a student at the University of Edinburgh and therefore will not be able to study with us on the PGPEP programme.

Please contact Student Immigration Services for information regarding visa requirements:

Visit the Student Immigration Service website here >

Contact the Student Immigration Service here >

For most types of visa, we can accept the following internationally recognised certificates:

• Academic IELTS
• TOEFL IBT
• Cambridge Certificates (CAE and CPE)

If you are intending to apply for a Student Route Visa (previously Tier 4) you must provide us with:

• UKVI Academic IELTS
• PTE Academic UKVI                              

We will not be able to provide you with a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) if you provide any other English language certificate. PTE Academic will not be accepted for non-Student Route Visa applicants. The Centre for Open Learning cannot give visa advice. Please contact Student Immigration Services for information regarding visa requirements.

Certificates must be valid by the start of the course. We cannot accept results from more than one certificate. 

For IELTS and PTE tests you will be required to provide the Test Report Form (TRF) number or the Score Report Code (SRC) while completing your application. For all other tests, please send us a scan of the certificate by email to col.admissions@ed.ac.uk. The email should be clearly labelled with your name and University of Edinburgh student number (UUN), if you have this. 

In order to process your application we require all sponsored applicants to provide us with a recent letter from their sponsors confirming their sponsorship covers English language studies. If you are unable to provide this then you would be expected to make the pre-payment. Please note that this is different from the Financial Guarantee Letter which must be provided once you start your programme of study with us. Please note that you will be responsible for any course fees not paid to us by your sponsors.

You will have the option of requesting university self-catering accommodation on your PGPEP application form. For further details, click on the link below:

Find out more about accommodation here > 

PGPEP is an in-person programme and will be taught on campus. 

There is a variety of assessments in PGPEP, related to the language and skills covered in each course. Semester 2 assessments are summative, and you must achieve grades that correspond to the minimum language entrance requirements for your intended PG programme.

You will be assessed during PGPEP in Semester 2 and applicants with an offer to study on a postgraduate degree programme at the University of Edinburgh who meet the English language requirement of their degree programme will be able to use this to demonstrate they have met the English language requirements of their degree programme.

If you have an offer from, or intend to apply to a different institution for postgraduate studies, you will need to check with your chosen institution to confirm their English language requirements. They may or may not accept PGPEP as meeting their entry requirements. 

We cannot advise on your degree course application including any queries about the English language requirements or what will happen regarding your studies on your degree programme. Please contact the Admissions Office handling your degree programme application for specific information.