Pre-Sessional English courses at UCA

No, the UCA PSE is not an IELTS preparation course. It is intended to develop your academic English skills for UCA courses, and uses project-based learning in the context of art, design, and the creative industries.

It has been designed to not only improve your English, but also prepare you more fully for your chosen programme of study and university life.

The PSE syllabus is based around a clearly structured set of Learning Objectives. These are goals that tell you what skills or knowledge you will develop during the course. Think of them as a roadmap showing what you are working towards:

• LO 1 - Speaking Skills (Assessed through Project Steps, Reflective Interview and Presentation)
  Objective: To develop confidence and proficiency when speaking in academic contexts.
• LO 2 - Presentation Skills (Assessed through Poster Presentation)
  Objective: To deliver effective presentations related to Art & Design or Business in academic settings.
• LO 3 - Listening & Notetaking Skills (Assessed through Listening & Note-taking Assessment)
  Objective: To enhance listening comprehension and note-taking abilities.
• LO 4 - Academic Reading Skills (Assessed through Reading & Writing section 1 and 2)
  Objective: To understand, analyse, and extract key information from academic texts.
• LO 5 - Academic Writing Skills (Assessed through Reading & Writing section 2)
  Objective: To improve academic writing proficiency.
• LO 6 - Academic Integrity (Assessed through Reading & Writing section 2, Poster)
  Objective: To understand and practise principles of academic integrity.
• LO 7 - Reflective Practice (Assessed through Reflective Interview and Written Reflection)
  Objective: To reflect on academic experiences and learning.
• LO 8 - Study Skills (Assessed holistically through all other objectives)
  Objective: To develop a range of skills essential for autonomous academic study.

The course is project-based and delivered in modules:

1. Identity module (15-week course only) – In this module, you will explore personal, artistic, and brand identity.
2. Sustainability module (15 and 10-week courses) – This module gives you the opportunity to examine environmental and social responsibility in the creative arts and creative industries.
3. Activism module* (all courses) – Investigating the role of creativity in social change.

Each module develops essential academic skills, including critical reading, research skills, essay writing, discussion techniques and more.

* Your scores from assessments in this module will provide your final scores for the course and appear on your PSE certificate.

The UCA Pre-sessional English (PSE) course is an interactive and project-based programme designed to develop the academic English and study skills you need for UCA degree programmes. You will be taught by experienced tutors who specialise in English for Art, Design, and Business, helping you build confidence in speaking, listening, reading, and writing in an academic setting. Lessons focus on real-world communication, ensuring that you can apply what you learn to your degree studies.

Teaching is highly interactive, with a strong emphasis on engagement and participation. You will take part in structured lessons, research tasks, and project work, developing key skills such as critical thinking, note-taking, referencing, and academic writing. Alongside group learning, you will also receive individual support through one-to-one tutorials, where tutors provide personalised feedback on your progress. The course blends live teaching, independent study, and tutor-led guidance, meaning you are fully prepared for the demands of university-level study.

It depends on your needs and preferences. Both the online and face-to-face PSE courses offer the same high-quality teaching, course content, and assessments, so your choice will depend on factors such as location, flexibility, and learning style.

The face-to-face course allows you to immerse yourself in an English-speaking environment, interact with classmates and tutors in person, and access UCA’s facilities, libraries, and creative spaces. It also includes extra-curricular activities, helping you adapt to life in the UK before starting your degree.

The online course offers the flexibility of studying from home without the need for a visa or travel expenses. You will still have live classes, interactive tasks, and full tutor support, but you must ensure you have a strong internet connection, a quiet study space, and the self-discipline to manage your learning effectively.

Both options will prepare you for university, so consider your personal circumstances and which environment suits your learning style best.

No, the PSE course requires students to attend live classes and actively participate in real-time learning. Lessons are not pre-recorded, so you must be present for scheduled sessions with your camera on at all times. However, you will have access to course materials, including pre-class videos (PCAs), resources, and assignments, which you can review in your own time.

In addition to live classes, you are expected to complete at least three hours of independent study per day. This includes research, coursework, and guided self-study tasks, ensuring that you reinforce what you’ve learned in lessons. If you need extra support, you will also have a weekly one-to-one tutorial with your tutor to discuss your progress and receive feedback.

Studying online:

You will need a fast, reliable broadband connection, a good quality laptop with a webcam, and a quiet study space that you do not share with anybody else. These are essential for the PSE course and you will not be able to study without them.

It is also recommended that you have access to a printer, though this is not a requirement of the course.

On campus:

Although you will be studying in a face-to-face environment, you will still need a good quality laptop to access materials, complete some assessments, do online research etc. You will not be able to successfully complete the course if you do not have one, and a mobile phone is not a suitable substitute. Please note that UCA is not able to provide computers for the use of on campus PSE students.

Both formats use:

• Microsoft Teams
• Padlet
• MyUCA

All of these are free for PSE students and you will be given a guide to how you will use them in your first week. Your tutor will also introduce you to other applications during the course.

Whether you are studying online or face-to-face, you will need something to make notes with. You can use traditional pen and paper or a tablet for this – either is fine.

Although timings of the online and campus courses vary slightly, the study day is broadly the same for both. All times given are UK BST:

Morning sessions (Monday to Thursday):

Live, interactive lessons with your class tutor consisting of 2 x 1.5 hour sessions with a 30 minute break between them.

Afternoons:

Guided self-study or independent study, tutorials, extra skills classes, and project work.

For campus students, the study day starts at 9:30 UK in the morning and finishes no later than 16:30 UK.

For online students, the study day starts at 8:00 UK in the morning and finishes no later than 15:00 UK.

Fridays:

Lectures, project briefings, workshops, additional support sessions, independent study, project work, assessments and extracurricular activities (trips, project work, and additional support sessions).

Regardless of studying face-to-face in the UK or online, all students are expected to complete a minimum of 3 hours independent study every day, including at the weekends.

No, the PSE course is full-time and intensive, meaning you will need to dedicate significant time to studying. You will have live classes, independent study, coursework, and assessments, requiring a commitment of at least 30 hours per week.

Balancing a job alongside the course would be very difficult, and we strongly advise against working while studying, even a part-time job. Your focus should be on improving your academic English and preparing for your degree. If you are studying on campus with a student visa, you must also check UK visa regulations regarding work restrictions.

The UCA PSE course is a full-time, intensive course of study and it is strongly recommended that students make their best effort to attend 100% of their classes.

If you are more than 15 minutes late for a scheduled session, you will be marked absent for that lesson. If your attendance drops below 90%, you will be called for a meeting with your tutor, and if it falls below 70%, you may be withdrawn from the course.

We understand that sometimes unexpected issues may cause you to be late or require you to miss a class. If you need to miss a class or have already been absent, you must complete the Pre-sessional Absence Form on the same day. Some absences, such as illness (with evidence), serious personal issues, or official visa appointments, may be authorised. However, work commitments, social events, or minor transport delays will not be accepted as valid reasons for missing class. 

You will be assessed through a combination of project-based work, timed assessments, and pre-class activities (PCAs) to ensure you develop the academic skills needed for university study.

Project-Based Assessments include a Reflective Interview, a Poster Presentation, and a Timed Written Reflection, where you will demonstrate research, critical thinking, and communication skills.

Timed Assessments consist of a Listening & Note-taking Assessment, where you take structured notes and answer comprehension questions, and a Reading & Writing Assessment, which includes a comprehension task and a 350-word academic essay response task.

You will also complete Pre-Class Activities (PCAs), which introduce key academic skills through short videos and quizzes that contribute to your final score. PCAs are completed before the class dealing with that particular academic skill. In this way, they help you to better prepare for what you are going to study in class and allow for more time in class for dynamic, communicative activities.

Scores for each part of the assessment are converted to a 0–9 scale (similar to IELTS).

Yes, all students take a set of final assessments that determine the scores they will receive on their certificate.

No. If you successfully complete the PSE course with the required target scores, you will meet the English language entry condition for your main course. No further English test (e.g., IELTS) is required.

All students, both online and on campus, follow exactly the same assessment materials and structure. However, online assessments require a greater use of technology. Timed assessments (Written Reflection, Listening & Note Taking, Reading & Writing) are dual-proctored, requiring students to join Teams meetings on both a laptop and a phone or tablet.

You will be introduced to all parts of the assessment at the start of the course, and look at them in more detail as you progress through the course. You will be given the opportunity to practise parts of the assessment in class and during your independent study time, and your tutor will guide you in developing the skills you need to successfully complete the course.

One of the benefits of our PSE assessment structure is that it consists of project work as well as exams. This way, you get time to develop your submissions as you go through the modules and through the course.

If you do not achieve the required score in part of your final summative assessment, you may be eligible to take additional support classes before retaking that section.

Please note that all retake classes and assessments are taken online via Microsoft Teams and may be delivered by a different tutor from the class tutor you studied with.
Retake classes and assessments are offered at no extra cost.

All UCA Pre-sessional certificates are valid for 1 academic year.

No. At the present time, UCA PSE certificates are only valid for entry to UCA programmes of study.

Deadlines for applications will vary depending on which course you are intending to take:

Please note:

1. Due to visa requirements, application deadlines for on campus courses are significantly earlier than those for online courses. If you are planning to come to the UK to study face-to-face, please bear this in mind when preparing your application.
2. We have a limit to the number of students that we can take onto our PSE courses, and when they are full, we will not be able to accept any more applications. We advise early application to avoid disappointment.

There are a number of tests that are accepted for entry onto our Pre-sessional English courses.

If you are planning to study in the UK, you may need to take a Secure English Language Test (SELT) that has been approved by the UK Government:

• IELTS for UKVI
• PTE Academic
• LangCert International ESOL B2
• LangCert Academic
• PSI Services (UK) Skills for English UKVI
• Trinity ISI for UKVI

For entry onto online PSE courses, we accept any of the SELT tests listed above, and also those below:

• Duolingo (DET)
• Oxford ELLT Digital
• Password Skills Plus
• IELTS Online
• LangCert Academic Online
• LangCert International ESOL B2 Communicator Online
• TOEFL iBT (test centre only)

A SELT is not required if the following is true:

• You have applied for Degree level study.
• You will meet the requirements for a combined CAS.
• Your lowest component score on your accepted English test is B2 level.

As you may not know what component scores you will achieve before taking an English test, taking a SELT is recommended so you can still receive a single CAS for the PSE course, in the event you are unable to meet the conditions for a joint CAS.

Yes, an enrolment task will be sent to you by International Admissions shortly before your course starts and you must complete it immediately. You will only receive this task once you have accepted the offer of a place and paid the relevant fees and deposit.

You will not be able to start the PSE course until you have completed enrolment, so it is essential that you do this as soon as possible.

We do not ask students to complete any Pre-sessional course work before the course starts. However, when you receive your offer, you will also be sent a copy of the Student Handbook, which contains a lot of  detailed information about the course. We strongly recommend that all students read this thoroughly before the course starts.

Yes, that is correct. On successful completion of the PSE course, we will make your main course offer unconditional and issue a new CAS. You will be able to apply for a new student visa while in the UK using the new CAS.

If you have any questions about this, please contact internationaladmission@uca.ac.uk.

You do not need to apply as you will receive a combined CAS automatically providing the following is true:

• The only condition outstanding on your main course is the English language condition.
• You have accepted the PSE offer.
• You have accepted the main course offer.
• You have paid the PSE course fee.
• You have paid the main course deposit.

If you have any questions about this, please contact internationaladmission@uca.ac.uk.

Yes. You will have 3 weeks between the end of the PSE and the start of your main course, which is usually plenty of time to get the documents that you need. If it takes a bit longer, there is no need to worry, as you have an additional 4 weeks after the start date of your course to complete physical enrolment in the UK.

Your PSE scores and certificate are shared with International Admissions on the last day of your course and processed early the following week.

If you have any questions about this, please contact internationaladmission@uca.ac.uk.