University of Cape Town / Applying to UCT / Criteria for admission

English proficiency

You must submit evidence of proficiency in English as part of your application to study at UCT. These include any of the following:

for South African applicants, either:
- a pass in English Home Language or First Additional Language if you hold the NSC, or
- 40% In English on the Higher Grade (first or second language) if you hold the Senior Certificate
a recent TOEFL score (obtained within 3-5 years before application for admission) of at least
- 570 for the paper-based test or
- 230 for the computer-based test or
- 88 for the Internet-based test
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
a score of 65% or more for the Academic Literacy component of the NBT.