International students need clarity, choice and support on English language requirements, new UKCISA research finds
June 22, 2026
New research, led by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA), features the voices and experiences of international students who have taken part in English language testing.
Across the UK higher education sector, there is increasing scrutiny and discussion about English tests and requirements for international students, as well as their English language proficiency and preparedness for study. However, the experiences of international students themselves have been underrepresented.
UKCISA’s new research report, ‘International students’ experiences of meeting English language requirements for UK higher education’ brings student voice into a debate that can too often focus only on systems, standards, risk, compliance and immigration rhetoric.
The research, which drew on focus groups and surveys involving approximately 750 international students from a range of countries, educational routes and institutional contexts, found that:
- many students reported uncertainty about which English language tests and evidence routes are accepted by which universities and courses.
- cost, geography, test-centre access and speed of results create real barriers, particularly for students from lower-income backgrounds, rural areas, second-tier cities or countries with limited test infrastructure.
- choice and flexibility matter because students’ financial, geographical, technological and personal circumstances differ, while rigorous standards must continue to be maintained.
UKCISA makes the following recommendations:
- UK universities should ensure that information on English language requirements is clear, prominent and consistently understood and communicated internally and externally, enabling students and their advisers to understand the full range of accepted tests and other forms of English language evidence.
- UK universities and the wider sector should ensure that students have flexibility and choice in English language tests and evidence routes, supporting access and equity for students who have different financial, geographical, technological and logistical circumstances.
- English language test providers should review test formats to minimise unnecessary format dependency and cultural unfamiliarity, while ensuring that tests continue to assess the language skills that students need for UK higher education.
- UK universities should develop a shared cross-institutional understanding that meeting English language requirements is not the end point of student preparedness and ensure that academic and professional services staff are equipped to support international student communities.
- UK universities should develop clearer and more consistent approaches to recognising prior English-medium education and qualifications from UK transnational education partnerships where these can appropriately evidence English language ability and where institutions are permitted to exercise such discretion.
Yinbo Yu, Head of Engagement and Partnerships at UKCISA said:
“English language requirements play an important role in supporting student success and maintaining confidence in UK higher education. But this report reminds us that they sit within a much broader journey of aspiration, transition and belonging. For international students, evidencing English language ability is not simply an administrative step. It can shape where they apply, how much they spend, how confident they feel, and how prepared they are for study and life in the UK.
As a former international student, I know how life-changing the journey into UK education can be. But life-changing opportunities are not experienced equally. This is not about lowering expectations; it is about ensuring that expectations are clear, fair and supported, and that the debate around English language requirements remains focused on students’ lived experiences.”
UKCISA says English language requirements play an important role in maintaining confidence in UK higher education, but must be clear, fair, accessible and supported.
You can hear more from our Head of Engagement and Partnerships Yinbo Yu, on why English language requirements are about more than just getting in, on Wonkhe.
About UKCISA
The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) is a UK-based charity and membership organisation committed to supporting international students and the educators, institutions, and organisations that work with them.
Through education and advocacy UKCISA aim to ensure that every international student in the UK enjoys a positive experience.
For more information, get in touch with press@ukcisa.org.uk
About the report: limitations and methodology
The research used a mixed-methods approach, combining a survey of approximately 750 respondents with qualitative focus groups involving international students from a range of countries, educational routes, and institutional contexts.
The findings should be read as reflecting the experiences and perceptions of respondents and participants in this study, rather than as a statistically representative sample of all international students. The survey sample included a high proportion of respondents who had taken the Duolingo English Test, so findings relating to online testing, test availability, speed of results and particular test formats should be interpreted in that context.
Report funding
UKCISA gratefully acknowledges the financial contribution from Duolingo English Test. The research was led by UKCISA, with UKCISA retaining editorial independence over the scope, analysis, findings and recommendations.
