Providers and partners

English language entry requirements for international students

Updated 28 April 2023

The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) sets English language entry requirements for international students through the Programme Approval, Recognition, and Accreditation Rules 2022.

Providers are responsible for ensuring that international students have the required level of English language proficiency for the level at which they intend to study before enrolling them.

Providers must keep evidence of the student's English language proficiency as part of their enrolment records for at least two years from the date of enrolment.

When do the English language entry requirements apply?

Rule 22 of the Programme Approval, Recognition and Accreditation Rules 2022 sets the English language proficiency requirements for international students.

English language requirements apply to the enrolment of international students in programmes leading to qualifications listed at levels 3 to 10 on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF).

If the approved enrolment requirements for a specific programme exceed those listed in Rule 22, the student must meet the higher level required for the programme.

These requirements do not apply to English language programmes or programmes taught in a language other than English.

What is an English language programme?

For the purpose of Rule 22, an English language programme is one that delivers learning and teaching of English language skills to those who are learning English as an additional language. It would focus on delivery and assessment of all four skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

Programmes that include some English language components as well as other academic study are not English language programmes. Students enrolling in such a programme would need to provide evidence of English language proficiency.

What is acceptable evidence of English language proficiency?

There is a range of evidence that providers can use to verify an international student’s English language proficiency. This is listed in Rule 22 of the Programme Approval, Recognition and Accreditation Rules 2022. Providers must check the validity of evidence provided.

Providers may accept any of the following as evidence of English language proficiency

NCEA Level 3 with New Zealand university entrance
a Cambridge A-level or an International Baccalaureate Diploma or qualification for which the teaching and assessment was conducted in English
the Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA) or the Trinity College London Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CertTESOL)
a Bachelor’s degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Bachelor Honours Degree, Post-graduate Certificate, Post-graduate Diploma, Master's Degree or Doctoral Degree with English as the language of instruction from a tertiary education provider from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States
prior schooling in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States. The student must have completed either five years of secondary education or all primary education and at least three years of secondary education in one of those countries, with English as the language of instruction. If the student has been ganted a Manaaki Short Term Training Scholarship, prior schooling (being completion either of five years of secondary education or of all primary education and at least three years of secondary education) from any country, with English as the language of instruction, is acceptable.
evidence that the student has achieved, within the two years preceding the start date of the programme, the required outcome for one of the internationally recognised proficiency tests listed in the Table in the Appendix of the Programme Approval, Recognition and Accreditation Rules 2022.

English language proficiency outcomes for international students

The Appendix of the Programme Approval, Recognition and Accreditation Rules 2022 sets out the approved tests, and required outcomes that may be used as evidence of English language proficiency for international students.

Go to the Programme Approval, Recognition and Accreditation Rules 2022

The listed outcomes are the minimum scores or grades for each test or qualification that qualify a student for enrolment at each programme level.

Online tests

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic meant that many English language proficiency test centres were not operating in-person tests. NZQA therefore temporarily accepted online versions of those English language proficiency tests which had traditionally been carried out in the test centres. This temporary allowance expired on 31 December 2022 and was not continued.

We will continue to actively review our policy on online tests as more evidence becomes available about the reliability of online language testing.