English language requirements

Avans has set minimum English language requirements for foreign students. These requirements will vary depending on whether you plan to join us as an exchange student or a degree-seeking student.

Requirements for foreign degree-seeking students

To maintain high standards of English language competences in our international classrooms and in compliance with Dutch national guidelines, Avans has set minimum language requirements for foreign degree-seeking students. It is your responsibility to ensure that you meet these requirements.

As a degree-seeking student for an English-taught degree programme you must provide evidence of your language competence in the form of an official certificate: IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC or Cambridge ESOL. The minimum prerequisite for IELTS is an overall band score of at least 6.0. For TOEIC, you must have successfully passed the 'speaking and writing' and 'listening and reading' components. Please check the table below for details.

Minimum IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC and Cambridge ESOL scores
 

IELTS TOEFL
Paper
TOEFL
Internet
TOE
IC2
  Cambridge English
grades and scale
CEFR 
      Listening and
Reading
Speaking and
Writing
   
7.5 625 113 790 400 CAE-Grade B scale 194-199
CAE-Grade C scale 191-193
 
7.0 600 100 780 350 FCE-Grade A scale 185 and above
CAE-Grade C scale 185 and above
 
6.5 575 90 720 310 CAE-Grade C scale 180-184
FCE-Grade A scale 180-184
FCE-Grade B scale 176-179
 
6.0 550 80 670 290 FCE-Grade B scale 173-175
FCE-Grade C scale 169-172
B2
5.5 525 70 620 260 FCE-Grade C scale 162-168  
5.0 500 60 600 240 FCE-Grade C scale 160-161
B1 level certificate scale 154-159
 

CAE= advanced
FCE= First 

TOEFL iBT Home Edition Test 
We recognize students who submit the TOEFL iBT Home Edition certificate as proof of their English language proficiency. Please note that this only applies to students that are based in a country or region where official test centers are closed or inaccessible due to external factors, i.e. war, natural disasters or else. The required test score for admission can be found in the table below (the score in bold). More information about this test can be found here.

IELTS TOEFL iBT Home Edition Test
7.5 113
7.0 100
6.5 90
6.0 80
5.5 70
5.0 60

Exemptions
You are exempt from the English language proficiency test or statement if you have obtained a diploma of secondary education in a country listed in the diploma list as published on the website of the Dutch Code of Conduct International Student. Or if you have completed a degree that was taught entirely in English. Avans may verify this at Nuffic.