Overview
Prepare to study at Anglia Ruskin University. Our Pre-Sessional English course lasts between 6-20 weeks, and will help you feel confident communicating in English. Study on campus or online.
Course content
Our Pre-Sessional Course is an intensive, full-time programme, with 15 hours of online tuition with our lecturers each week, and 15 hours of guided online self-study for you to complete each week.
The course includes:
- English grammar and vocabulary work
- fluency focus
- pronunciation focus
- speaking for presentations and seminars
- reading, summarising and referencing
- listening and note-taking
- extended writing project
- exam preparation
- life in the UK – cultural awareness training
- regular opportunities to work on your speaking and listening skills with your lecturer and classmates
Download the online Course Information Sheet and Sample Timetable
During summer you can also take our Pre-sessional English course face-to-face on our Cambridge campus. It is also available online throughout the year.
The course includes:
- English grammar and vocabulary work
- fluency focus
- pronunciation focus
- speaking for presentations and seminars
- reading, summarising and referencing
- listening and note-taking
- extended writing project
- exam preparation
- life in the UK – cultural awareness training
- orientation and introduction to campus learning resources
Download the face-to-face Course Information Sheet and Sample Timetable
Course dates and fees
The following pre-sessional English courses will either be face-to-face, taking place on our Cambridge campus, or online. Please email [email protected] for more information about whether a face-to-face course will run.
Pre-Sessional English courses for entry onto a degree programme at ARU starting in January 2027
In autumn 2026 all pre-sessional courses from 10 weeks and shorter will be offered as both online and face-to-face options.
Course length: 6 weeks
Start date: 9 November 2026
End date: 18 December 2026
Course fee: £2,340
Pre-Sessional English courses for entry onto a degree programme at ARU starting in May 2027
In winter/spring 2026/7 all pre-sessional courses will be online.
Course length: 20 weeks
Start date: 2 November 2026
End date: 16 April 2027
Course fee: £7,800
Course length: 18 weeks
Start date: 16 November 2026
End date: 16 April 2027
Course fee: £7,020
Course length: 15 weeks
Start date: 7 December 2026
End date: 16 April 2027
Course fee: £5,850
Course length: 12 weeks
Start date: 11 January 2027
End date: 16 April 2027
Course fee: £4,680
Course length: 10 weeks
Start date: 25 January 2027
End date: 16 April 2027
Course fee: £3,900
Course length: 6 weeks
Start date: 22 February 2027
End date: 16 April 2027
Course fee: £2,340
There will be no teaching between 21 December 2026 and 1 January 2027 inclusive, due to the Christmas and New Year vacation, and no teaching between 25 March – 31 March 2027 inclusive, due to the Easter vacation.
Pre-Sessional English courses for entry onto a degree programme at ARU starting in September 2027
In summer 2027 all pre-sessional courses from 12 weeks and shorter will be offered as both online and face-to-face options. Courses of 20, 18, 15 and 12 weeks in length will be online only. Face-to-face courses are subject to availability, but online courses are guaranteed to be run as an alternative if a face-to-face course cannot run.
Course length: 20 weeks
Start date: 12 April 2027
End date: 27 August 2027
Course fee: £7,800
Course length: 18 weeks
Start date: 26 April 2027
End date: 27 August 2027
Course fee: £7,020
Course length: 15 weeks
Start date: 17 May 2027
End date: 27 August 2027
Course fee: £5,850
Course length: 12 weeks
Start date: 7 June 2027
End date: 27 August 2027
Course fee: £4,680
Course length: 10 weeks
Start date: 21 June 2027
End date: 27 August 2027
Course fee: £3,900
Course length: 6 weeks
Start date: 19 July 2027
End date: 27 August 2027
Course fee: £2,340
There will be no teaching on 3 May or 27 May due to public holidays in the UK.
Assessment
Our Pre-Sessional English course will be assessed using several elements, rather than one final exam. The assessments are the same for online and face-to-face courses.
1a) Extended Academic Essay. This is based on your area of interest, to assess your academic writing skills (20% of your score).
1b) Annotated Bibliography*. This is to assess your academic research skills (10% of your score).
2) Spoken Interview. This is to assess your Speaking and listening skills (20% of your score).
3) Formal Presentation including questions. This is again based on your area of interest, to assess your speaking and listening skills. (20% of your score).
4) Timed Listening, Writing and Reading Tests. These are formal exams to assess your listening, writing and reading skills (30% of your score).
*For courses of ten weeks or longer. For shorter courses, the Essay and Presentation account for 25% each of your total score.
To give you confidence in our online Pre-Sessional English programme, we will give you additional weeks free of charge (up to the value of the online Pre-Sessional English course that you originally booked), in the unlikely event of you failing to reach the level required to proceed in your study. Please contact us for full terms and conditions.
Where you will study
Your department and faculty
Our Language Centre is here to support your academic success.
We offer a wide range of English courses, including academic and general English, as well as providing English language support for ARU students during their courses. We can also offer summer programmes, English language assessment and bespoke courses for groups.
You'll find a friendly, supportive teaching environment here with highly experienced and qualified teaching staff who are dedicated to helping you pursue your ambitions.
Where can I study?
Distance learning at ARU
Study at a time that suits you, using our online learning management system.
Cambridge
Our campus is close to the centre of Cambridge, often described as the perfect student city.
Before you apply for a pre-sessional course you must first have been made an offer for an academic course.
How to apply
For both online pre-sessional and face-to-face pre-sessional you will need to send us a copy of your English test.
For face-to-face pre-sessional courses, please note that any student requiring a SELT for pre-sessional or study below degree level must ensure that they take their IELTS at an approved test centre. If you're applying for the online pre-sessional course, or if you do not need a visa to study, we can accept other English tests.
We can normally only accept International students on our face-to-face pre-sessional courses who've applied for a student visa.
Please email [email protected] for more information.
Entry requirements
You should be aged 18 or over at the start of this course.
Required IELTS scores (or equivalent) for entry: please contact [email protected] for more details. If you provide us with a recent test score our academic team will recommend an appropriate course length.
Course length: 20 weeks
Minimum entry: 4.5-5.0
Course length: 18 weeks
Minimum entry: 4.5-5.0
Course length: 15 weeks
Minimum entry: 4.5-6.0
Course length: 12 weeks
Minimum entry: 5.0-6.0
Course length: 10 weeks
Minimum entry: 5.0-6.5
Course length: 6 weeks
Minimum entry: 5.5-6.5
Additional notes for online pre-sessional courses
Our published entry requirements are a guide only and based on a minimum entry. Your Pre-sessional offer will be based on the academic course you have applied for and individual scores of your English qualification.
- For international students taking our online Pre-Sessional course we now accept a variety of English language tests as well as the Secure English Language Test (SELT)s that would be needed for visa purposes.
- We now recognise Duolingo, LanguageCert International ESOL, LanguageCert Academic, Oxford ELLT Digital, Oxford ELLT Global, TOEFL iBT Home Edition Trinity College: Integrated Skills in English (ISE), IELTS Online and others.
- If you are based in the UK we highly recommend taking our own English Language Proficiency Test. We can also sometimes offer this overseas. Please contact [email protected] for more information. If you need any further advice or information on which pre-sessional course to apply for or which English test we can accept please email [email protected].
Additional notes for face-to-face pre-sessional courses
Our published entry requirements are a guide only and based on a minimum entry. Your Pre-sessional offer will be based on the academic course you have applied for and individual scores of your English qualification.
- For international students we usually only accept a Secure English Language Test (SELT). Currently this includes an IELTS which must be taken at an approved IELTS test centre for entry onto a pre-sessional course.
- In certain circumstances (for example if you are a home student with English as an additional language, or already on another visa type) other English tests may be accepted. Please contact our team for more information.
If you need any further advice or information on which pre-sessional course to apply for or which English test we can accept please email [email protected]
For more information about immigration and for visa support please visit our immigration webpages.