MUIC English requirements
All applicants for study at Macquarie University International College are required to provide evidence of English language proficiency. However, not all courses at Macquarie require the same level of English proficiency.
The English language proficiency requirements for the Macquarie University International College on the IELTS scale are:
| Overall | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | |
| Standard Foundation Program | 5.5 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Intensive Program | 6.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| Diploma | 6.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
These requirements may also be met through achieving one or more of the following criteria:
- hold an assessable qualification from an approved country (see Table A)
- complete a qualification with a specified English score (see Table B)
- complete an approved language test with a specified English score (see Table C)
- study at an approved English language centre (see Table D)
- complete an ELICOS program with a specified English score (see Table E)
- have studied in English for at least the final year of your course
- hold documentary evidence of at least five years residency in an English speaking country.*
Please note: All English language test scores must be less than two years old at the date of course commencement at Macquarie University International College.
International students are required to submit test scores directly to Macquarie International as soon as they are available. An offer of admission may be made pending the receipt of an English test result if all other entry criteria are satisfied.
Eligible students who do not meet the English language requirements for entry to Macquarie University International College may be issued an offer of study that includes an English preparation program at the Macquarie University English Language Centre. International students with a packaged offer can apply for one student visa covering both their English language program and their course at Macquarie University.
*Please note: Certified documentation must be provided to support evidence of an applicant's residency. Applications are individually assessed on a case-by-case basis. The documentation applicants can submit to support their case include passport and visa. If employed during this period, employment references on official letterhead from the employer can also be used as supporting evidence.
A successfully completed approved qualification may be considered only if:
- it has been completed within five years prior to the date the applicant will commence the course at Macquarie University International College
- the language in which an approved qualification was undertaken was in English.
- Senior secondary/Tertiary studies completed in English
The limitation period does not apply to applicants who meet the minimum institutional English language proficiency requirements, and can show evidence that they have continuously resided in an English speaking country since the completion of their studies until commencing studies at Macquarie University.
American Samoa, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, Canada, Cameroon, Cook Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Gambia, Gibraltar, Grenada, Ghana, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Maldives, Mauritius Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Philippines, Samoa, Seychelles, South Africa, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, United Kingdom (including Northern Ireland), United States of America, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe
TABLE B: COMPLETE QUALIFICATION WITH A SPECIFIED ENGLISH SCORE
COUNTRY | QUALIFICATION | Standard Foundation Program | Intensive Program and Diploma |
Australia | USYD Foundation | Grade of D in English | Grade of C- in English |
| UNSW Foundation | Grade of C- in English | Grade of C in English | |
| Trinity College Foundation Studies | English for Academic Purposes (EAP) 50-64% | ||
Austria | Maturity Certificate (Reifexeugnis / Reifeprufungszeugnis / Matura / Maturazeugnis Austrian High School Diploma | GPA of 2 in English from the last year | |
Upper Secondary School | B Level English | ||
Completion of High School | Grade of 8 in English unit | ||
Germany | Fachhochschulreife | Minimum grade of 3 (or 2) in the final year | |
DAAD | Minimum top two scores in all 4 sections | ||
Diploma of Secondary Education | Top half of cohort from a band 1 and band 2 school, or Top third of cohort from a band 3 and band 4 school, or HKDSE English Level 2 Writing Level 2 | HKDSE English Level 3 | |
Stúdentspróf | Grade of 6.0 in English | ||
Senior secondary qualifications from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), or the National Open School | Grade of 70% in English | ||
Malaysia | STPM1119 | Minimum grade of C in English in Literature | |
Cambridge English Language Assessment | Grade of C7 | ||
Malaysian Independent Chinese Secondary Schools Unified Examination Certificate | Grade of B5 in English | ||
VWO (pre-university education) | Overall score of at least 7 in English | ||
HAVO | Overall score of at least 7 in English (after at least 1 year of tertiary education) | ||
Upper Secondary School | IEC - 6 | IEC - 5 | |
Singapore | Cambridge GCE A Level | O Level - English C | GCE A Level- English D |
Upper Secondary School | Very Good (MVG) | ||
United Kingdom | O Level - English C | GCE A Level - English D | |
GCE AS Level | D | C | |
GCSE | D | ||
Various | English A Literature or English A Language and Literature at Standard or higher Level; |
English A Literature or English A Language and Literature at Standard or higher Level; OR English B at Higher Level with a Grade of 3 or more; English B at Standard Level with a Grade of 4 or more | |
TABLE C: COMPLETE AN APPROVED LANGUAGE TEST with a specified English score
The tables below outline the tests and qualification levels accepted by Macquarie as proof of English language proficiency.
IELTS ACADEMIC ENGLISH
Overall | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | |
Standard Foundation Program | 5.5 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
Intensive Program/Diploma | 6.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
P-TOEFL (PAPER BASED)
Overall | Listening | Reading | Structure/Written Expression | TWE | |
Standard Foundation Program | 525 | 50 | 48 | 56 | 4 |
Intensive Program/Diploma | 550 | 52 | 51 | 58 | 4.5 |
I-TOEFL (INTERNET BASED)
Overall | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | |
Standard Foundation Program | 66 | 9 | 10 | 16 | 14 |
Intensive Program/Diploma | 73 | 11 | 12 | 19 | 16 |
PEARSON TEST OF ENGLISH (PTE) ACADEMIC GENERAL
Overall | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | |
Standard Foundation Program | 49 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 |
Intensive Program/Diploma | 57 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 |
CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH: CAE and CPE
Standard Foundation Program | 162 |
Intensive Program/Diploma | 169 |
CET GENERAL
Standard Foundation Program | Minimum Overall Score of D Grade in Advanced English |
Intensive Program/Diploma |
OCCUPATIONAL ENGLISH TEST (OET)
Standard Foundation Program | Grade C or above for all four components (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking) |
Intensive Program/Diploma |
EIKEN Practical English Test
Standard Foundation Program | Grade 1 |
Intensive Program/Diploma |
TABLE D: STUDY AT AN APPROVED ENGLISH LANGUAGE CENTRE
Standard Foundation Program | Intensive Program and Diploma | |
English Language Program (073884K) | Minimum of Pass in overall score and Pass in Writing | Minimum of Pass in overall score and Pass in Writing |
TABLE E: COMPLETE AN ELICOS PROGRAM with a specified English score
A successfully completed approved qualification may be considered only if it has been completed within two years prior to the date the applicant will commence the course at Macquarie University.
PROVIDER | Standard Foundation Program | Intensive Program and Diploma | ||
Ability English CRICOS Provider No 01530K (Sydney), 03112A (Melbourne) | EAP 2 - Pass | EAP 3 - Pass | ||
Australian International College of English (AICE) | EAP Level 2 (Pass) | EAP Level 3 (Credit) | ||
Australian Pacific College | EAP A - Grade B | EAP A - Grade B | ||
ELS Universal English College (UEC) | AE3-B Grade | AE3 - A Grade | ||
Greenwich College | AEP-Pass | Cert IV in AE/EAP - Pass | ||
CRICOS Provider No 00859D | AE 3 - Pass | AE 4 - Pass | ||
KIE Sydney City CRICOS Provider No 01165D | EAP 1 - minimum overall of 65% | EAP 2 - minimum overall of 65% | ||
Sydney English Language Centre (SELC) | AEP 2 - 60% | AEP 1 - 70% | ||
University of NSW Institute of Languages | FEEC-D+ | FEEC-C | ||
English Language Company | AE1a with minimum overall of 60% or above | AE1b - with minimum overall of 60% or above | ||
Embassy English | EAP 2 with minimum of D letter grade | EAP 3 with minimum of D letter grade | ||