Course information

The 6-week pre-sessional course is for prospective postgraduate Imperial students who hold a conditional offer and who need to improve their English language proficiency to meet the English language entry condition for their degree course.

The aims of the course are to:

• prepare students for the study of their science-related discipline through English
• develop their English language skills to the level needed for College entry to begin their degree course
• advance their academic study skills and independent learning 
• help them become familiar with life at Imperial

Students on the course must complete all course assignments and class work to the required level and pass the three pre-sessional assessments in the final week of the course. Passing the 6-week course means that students have fulfilled the College’s English language entry condition and do not need to re-take IELTS.

The 6-week pre-sessional is a full-time, intensive course with a fast-paced and varied programme of classes, activities and social events. The course will take place on South Kensington campus from 09.00 to 17.00 from Monday to Friday.

Entry requirements

The 6-week pre-sessional course is for prospective Imperial postgraduate students with a conditional offer needing to meet the English Language Requirement 

Offers conditional on English are either for:

1. the STANDARD entry level – IELTS 6.5 overall with no less than 6.0 in any element (or equivalent)
   
   or
   
   
2. the HIGHER entry level – IELTS 7.0 overall with no less than 6.5 in any element (or equivalent)

Students whose English falls below the required entry level for their course, and within the given ranges below, should apply for the six-week pre-sessional course:

Imperial College London considers test scores to be valid for 2 years. Scores must be valid at the beginning of your Pre-sessional English course at Imperial if your application is successful.

* IELTS single score re-takes are not accepted. Candidates must meet the IELTS requirements on a single test sitting.

IMPORTANT - UKVI APPROVED SECURE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEST

If you are an overseas student who will require a visa to study in the UK, you will need a UKVI approved secure English Language test (SELT) result as set out above in order to apply for the 6-week Pre-sessional course.

Other language tests

If you have taken an alternative language test, or if you need any advice about which course to apply for, please contact us at presessional@imperial.ac.uk.

Imperial College Business School applicants

Please note that we cannot accept applicants from Imperial College Business School. If you have any questions about this, please contact the Business School directly.

Application process

1. Check which course you should apply for: read the entry requirements section above.

2. Once you know which course meets your needs and have the relevant documentation (including an eligible test result if you are applying for the 6-week course), complete the online application form. Please note:

• You should use the account details that you set up for your main programme application if you applied through My Imperial. Otherwise, create a new account.
• In the system, the entry term for this course is Late Summer 2023-24. 
• If you are applying with a Pearson PTE Academic UKVI test result, you need to share your result with us through your test account by clicking on the Share Results button and selecting Imperial College London from the list of available institutions.
• We recommend you apply as soon as you receive the offer from your main programme of study and are clear which pre-sessional course will meet your requirements. Offers are made subject to places being available. We will close applications once the courses are full. 

3. We will process your application as quickly as possible but please allow 10 working days for a decision as your application is reviewed. 

4. When you receive an offer, accept it using the online application system in order to secure your place on the programme. You usually need to accept within 28 days but please note that you must accept your offer at least 5 weeks before the start of the course to allow time for all the processes to be completed. See point 6 below.

5. Within 10 working days of accepting your offer, you will receive an invoice for the course fees by email from the Tuition Fees team. In order to secure your place on the course, you must then pay the pre-sessional fees in full within 14 days of the invoice date unless it is close to the start of the course and point 6 below applies. 

N.B. If you are a sponsored student, the invoice for your fees will be sent directly to your sponsor. As soon as you have accepted your offer in the online application system, you should send a copy of your Financial Guarantee Letter to presessional@imperial.ac.uk. Full information on what the letter needs to cover is found on the Sponsored students web page under Fees and Funding. 

6. Please note: Notwithstanding the normal timeframes for accepting an offer and paying  the tuition fees, you must be in a position to enrol on the pre-sessional course in My Imperial by the start of the course and this means meeting all requirements including obtaining a visa if needed. 

7. When you have paid the fees in full and met any other conditions, you will receive confirmation of your place on the programme by email.

8. If required, you should follow the process for applying for a Student Route visa.  

Accommodation

After you have been offered a place on the pre-sessional course, you will receive details by email of the summer accommodation available including how to book and the room rates. 

Visa application process

For students requiring a Student Route visa.

1. Passport upload
As soon as your place is confirmed on the pre-sessional course, you must upload a copy of your passport to the My passport, visa and CAS section of the online student portal, MyImperial. 

2. CAS number
When you have uploaded your passport and paid the pre-sessional course fee, Admissions will issue your CAS number. Provided that your status is Unconditional Firm for the pre-sessional course, it will normally be within a week and you will be able to access it in the online student portal, MyImperial. You will also be sent an email notifying you that it is ready. 

N.B.  Your CAS number will cover your pre-sessional course only.

3. Visa application
You should now apply for your Student route visa.  

Meeting the Student Route Financial Requirements

To meet the Student Route Immigration Rules requirements, applicants must have held a set amount of money in a bank account for a consecutive 28-day period before making the visa application. Students applying for a visa to cover the pre-sessional and their main course will need to have a minimum of £2,668 to cover living costs in the UK along with their tuition fees for the first year of the main course of study. View our guidance on meeting the financial requirements. 

4. Visa extension

Your visa will expire approximately one month after the pre-sessional course end date.

If you pass your pre-sessional course assessment and fulfil all the conditions of  your offer for your main course, you will need to apply to extend your Student Route visa to cover your main degree course. The College's International Student Support Team will provide you with lots of help and guidance during this process.