University of Birmingham for international applicants: undergraduate entry in 2027

International applicants apply to the University of Birmingham for September 2027 entry through UCAS, and the course pages give 13 January 2027 as the deadline for Computer Science and Economics and 15 October 2026 for Medicine and Surgery, which has already passed. English proof depends on the course group, from IELTS 6.0 overall for Computer Science to 7.0 for Medicine.

The University of Birmingham is a large research university in England's second city, and its undergraduate degrees are built on predicted grades, subject requirements and a clear English-language rule. The university's own course pages say that for all undergraduate courses at Birmingham, you apply online through UCAS. The route is the same for a student in Rome, Warsaw or Jakarta as for a student in Leeds.

Two dates matter for September 2027 entry. The Computer Science BSc page and the Economics BSc page both state 13 January 2027 as the application deadline for September 2027 entry and say applications close at 18:00 GMT; see the Computer Science course page and the Economics course page. The Medicine and Surgery MBChB page states 15 October 2026 for the same entry year, so that deadline is past and a Medicine application for 2027 can no longer be started.

Aston Webb building from the clock tower, University of Birmingham

Entry grades are published per course, and the university adds a country-by-country conversion for school-leaving certificates. These are the headline requirements the course pages print:

• Computer Science BSc: A*AA to include A-level Mathematics grade A, or the IB equivalent IB 7,6,6 at Higher Level with Mathematics.
• Economics BSc: AAA including Mathematics, or IB 6,6,6 including Mathematics.
• Medicine and Surgery MBChB: AAA with predicted AAB including Chemistry plus a second science, and the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT).

The fee side needs care. The undergraduate fee shown on the three course pages is the home fee, £10,050 per year for domestic (UK) students for 2027/28, and it is not the international fee. For an international applicant the university's fees page says that the yearly tuition fee will be quoted on your offer letter, and the fees chapter explains how the home or international fee status is decided.

The chapters below follow the order of an application: how offers are made, what the three programmes ask for, how the certificates from Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Spain and the Netherlands are converted, and how English is proved. Every rule carries a link to the page it comes from, and the stamp on the page is the date the pages were last checked.

How to use this page

Start with the course, because the course decides three things at once: the grade you need, the subject you must hold and the English group you fall into. Then open the chapter for your own certificate, because Birmingham converts foreign grades to its A-level scale and the conversion is where most readers lose time. Finish with the English chapters, since a missing English score is the most common reason for an offer to stay conditional.

• Pick the course and read its A-level or IB offer on the course page.
• Find your certificate in the country chapters and read the matching row.
• Check the English group of your course and choose a test that fits the date of your application.
• Confirm the deadline on the course page and apply through UCAS.
• Ask the admissions team for anything the pages leave open, above all the international fee.

Nothing here replaces the offer letter. The university states that the country information is for guidance only, and the letter you receive carries the conditions that bind.

Birmingham takes undergraduate applications through UCAS and makes offers on predicted grades, other qualifications, reference and personal circumstances. The university has general entry requirements that you need to meet, as well as the specific entry requirements for the course.

The How we make offers page sets out the logic of the process. An application is read as a whole: the subjects you study, your predicted grades, any other qualifications, the reference and personal circumstances all enter the decision. The university then attaches the course-specific requirement to the general rules, so a certificate that meets the general rule can still fall short of a course that asks for a particular subject, such as Mathematics for Computer Science or Chemistry for Medicine.

Where the university lowers an offer, it does so by schemes that apply to specific achievements. The page says that only one reduction is applied to an offer (not stackable, except for EDCAP). This matters because several schemes exist side by side, and a student cannot add them together to reach a much lower grade.

The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)

The one scheme that reaches students taking the English-curriculum A-levels is the EPQ. The page states that applicants with the EPQ get the typical offer plus an alternative one grade lower plus a grade B in the EPQ, if Birmingham is the firm choice. The same page adds that the EPQ alternative offer excludes Medicine (A100) and Dentistry (A200). Read the word firm literally: the alternative offer applies only if Birmingham is your firm choice on UCAS.

Several other schemes on that page are UK-specific, such as contextual offers for free school meals or time in local authority care, and the Pathways to Birmingham programmes. They are written for applicants who studied in the UK school system, so a reader applying from abroad should not assume they apply. If you think a scheme could apply to you, ask the admissions team before you count on it.

The practical order for an international applicant is short. Choose the course, read the course page for the A-level or IB offer and for any subject requirement, convert your own certificate using the country page or the course-page country selector (chapter 5), check the English group (the English chapters), and apply through UCAS before the deadline printed on the course page. The general application overview is on the undergraduate apply page.

Dates to put in the calendar

• Medicine and Surgery: 15 October 2026 was the deadline for September 2027 entry, so it has passed.
• Computer Science and Economics: 13 January 2027, with applications closing at the time the course page prints.
• English tests: tests normally need to have been taken within two years of the start date of the programme, so book the test with the start date in mind.
• Medicine only: the UCAT has to be taken in year of application.

A January deadline leaves time to take an English test in the autumn, but the two-year window runs from the start date of the programme and not from the date of application. A test taken too early can expire before the course begins, and the university uses only your most recent score.

The Computer Science BSc asks for A*AA to include A-level Mathematics grade A and the Economics BSc for AAA including Mathematics, and neither course page names an admission test.

The programme chapters follow three programmes from the bands a student from abroad most often asks about: computer science, economics (business) and medicine. Computer Science and Economics are covered here, and Medicine has its own chapter. All three entries come from the course pages, which is where the university says grade requirements live.

Computer Science BSc

The Computer Science BSc page lists the A-level offer as A*AA to include A-level Mathematics grade A and the IB offer as IB 7,6,6 at Higher Level to include 6 in Mathematics, with a minimum of 32 points overall, and 5 in Standard Level English. The page also states that the number of A-levels required is 3, to include A-level Mathematics grade A, and General Studies or Critical Thinking are not accepted. On experience, it says that experience of writing computer programs is desirable, but not essential.

A Mathematics requirement at both levels is the point to take from this: Mathematics at grade A in the A-level route and a grade 6 in Mathematics at Higher Level in the IB route. A student whose national certificate has no clear Higher Level Mathematics should read the country conversion in the country chapters and then write to the admissions team.

Economics BSc

The Economics BSc page lists AAA including Mathematics at A-level and IB 6,6,6 including Mathematics in the IB. It also says that General Studies, Critical Thinking and Use of Maths are excluded for entry, so a Mathematics grade has to come from a full A-level subject. Economics sits in the Business School English group, which has its own writing and speaking thresholds (the English proofs chapter).

Entrance tests for these two courses

The two course pages describe grades, subjects and the English proof, and they name no entrance examination or interview for Computer Science or Economics. The only admission test the three course pages mention is the UCAT for Medicine, covered in the tests chapter. A strong Mathematics grade is therefore the main gate for both courses.

Treat a published offer as a gate, not as the profile of admitted students: the course page tells you what grade the university will make an offer on, and the grades of students who actually enrol can be higher. The course pages do not state an acceptance rate.

The comparison shows that Mathematics is the common thread and that Computer Science sets the higher grade, while Economics sets the higher English bar through the Business School rule. A student strong in Mathematics and weaker in English should read both columns before choosing, because an IELTS shortfall can be repaired with a Presessional English course whereas a Mathematics shortfall cannot.

Both course pages end their English section with the same offer of a path: the Presessional English course, offered all year round as an alternative route. It is described in the English chapters.

Medicine and Surgery asks for AAA with predicted AAB including Chemistry and a second science, a sitting of the UCAT in the year of application, and an applicant who is aged 18 on 1 October of the year of entry.

Medicine is the most conditional route among the three. The Medicine and Surgery MBChB page states an application deadline of 15 October 2026 for September 2027 entry. That date is already past, so the next realistic chance for most readers is a later entry year and an earlier start on the UCAT.

On grades, the A-level offer is AAA with predicted AAB including Chemistry, and a second science from Biology/Human Biology, Physics or Maths. The IB offer is IB 6,6,6 at Higher Level including Chemistry and a second science from Biology/Physics/Maths, with a minimum of 32 points. The page also sets GCSE subjects: English Language, Mathematics, and Biology and Chemistry (or dual award science) at grade 6/B or higher. These GCSE subjects are an English-system condition, so a reader with a different school system should confirm with the admissions team how the university reads their equivalent.

The course page also states a minimum age: applicants must have reached the age of 18 years on 1 October of the year of entry, because the programme has a mandatory clinical placement. For international readers this means that a school-leaver who turns eighteen later than that date cannot enter in that year.

The country conversion tables in the country chapters do not cover Medicine. Each country page says that for Medicine, country specific requirements are on the Applying to Medicine website, so a Medicine applicant needs that separate site as well as this page. The admission test and interview for Medicine are in the tests chapter, and the English requirement (Group D) is in the two English score chapters.

Medicine checklist

• Grades: AAA with predicted AAB including Chemistry at A-level, or IB 6,6,6 at Higher Level.
• School subjects: English Language, Mathematics, and Biology and Chemistry (or dual award science) at grade 6/B or higher.
• Age: 18 years on 1 October of the year of entry.
• Test and interview: the UCAT, then attend interview if invited.
• English: Group D, which is IELTS 7.0 overall with no less than 7.0 in any band.

Because Medicine carries the highest English group and the earliest deadline, it is the course where an international applicant has the least slack. The sensible order is to settle the English score first, book the UCAT second and write the UCAS form last.

If Medicine is out of reach

A reader whose deadline, age or English score rules out Medicine for 2027 can compare the science and economics routes above, which have a later deadline and lower English groups. The foundation routes on the international entry requirements page are listed per target degree, so read the Medicine line there before assuming a foundation year is open.

Birmingham says it welcomes applications from all candidates offering A level or equivalent overseas qualifications (including the International Baccalaureate or a recognised Foundation Programme), and publishes a grade conversion page for each country it recruits from.

The international entry requirements page sets the principle: all candidates must achieve appropriate grades in their examinations. The A-level and IB offers on the course pages are the reference point, and a certificate from another country is read by converting its grades to that scale.

The conversion has two places. The page tells you to select your country from the drop-down list on the relevant course page, or see your individual country page. The country pages for Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Spain and the Netherlands are summarised in the country chapters. The university adds a caution to each one: the information is for guidance only and is used together with the general entrance requirements and any specific degree programme requirements.

IB and A-level

The IB and A-level offers are on the course pages, and the university also lists them in its English rules as proofs of English (the English proofs chapter). If you take the IB, the Computer Science page asks for 6 in Mathematics at Higher Level and the Economics page for IB 6,6,6 including Mathematics.

AP and SAT

For exams from another national system, the Netherlands page gives the general rule: exams from another country's national education system (e.g. SAT and AP exams from the USA): consult the country specific section for that country for qualification equivalence. In practice an AP or SAT applicant reads the United States page on the country pages index. The page as of October 2026 lists that rule under the Dutch page, SAT and AP exams from the USA.

The country pages for Romania, Indonesia, Brazil, Greece, Algeria, Japan, Egypt, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia and Turkey exist on the same index, and each follows the same structure of an undergraduate conversion table. Open the page for your country and compare it with the pattern in the next chapters.

The table puts the top row of each country side by side to show how different the scales are: a hundred-point scale for Italy, a twenty-point scale for France, a decimal grade that falls as it improves for Germany, percentages for Poland, and ten-point scales for Spain and the Netherlands. Never compare the raw numbers across countries; read each against the country's own table.

For the Italian Diploma di Esame di Stato, the Italy country page converts offers on a hundred-point scale: A*AA - 95, AAA - 92, AAB - 90, ABB - 88, BBB - 85.

Italian applicants use the diploma grade out of a hundred. The country page lists the equivalents of the five most common A-level offers and a second table for individual subjects. The page is guidance for undergraduate entry and sits beside the course requirement, so find your course first and then read the matching row.

For subjects that the course names, the page gives a separate scale: A* - 15/15 OR 10/10, A - 14/15 OR 9/10, B - 13/15 OR 8/10. So a Computer Science applicant who needs an A in Mathematics reads the A row, and a student aiming at A* reads the top row.

Read the table as a conversion and not as a statement of how many applicants are admitted. The engine-level reading is: the page as of October 2026 says A*AA - 95 at the top and BBB - 85 at the bottom, and for a single subject A* - 15/15 OR 10/10.

Medicine follows a different path, as chapter 4 explains. The Italy page lists no English exemption, so the English group of the course applies (the English chapters). The same country page also holds postgraduate entries, which is outside this page.

A worked example

An Italian applicant to Economics, which asks for AAA, reads the AAA row: 92. An applicant to Computer Science, which asks for A*AA, reads 95. For the Mathematics requirement, the subject scale gives an A as 14/15 OR 9/10. These are the minimum conversions the page prints, and they are guidance, not a promise of an offer.

The France country page converts the French Baccalauréat to the A-level offer: A*AA: 15/20, AAA-AAB: 14/20, ABB - BBB: 13/20.

French applicants hold one of three families of certificate on the page: the general or technological Baccalauréat, the Baccalauréat Français International (BFI) and, for students of European schools, the European Baccalaureate. Each has its own table, and the BFI scale sits one point below the ordinary Baccalauréat scale.

For the subjects a course names, the page gives A* = 15/20, A = 14/20, B = 12/20. A Computer Science applicant who needs an A in Mathematics would therefore read the 14/20 line, and the page as of October 2026 prints the top row of the offer table as A*AA: 15/20 and the lowest as ABB - BBB: 13/20. The BFI top row reads A*AA: 14/20.

European Baccalaureate

The same page also covers the European Baccalaureate (EB), which is the certificate of the European Schools. It says: European Baccalaureate: A*AA 88, AAA 85, AAB 80, ABB 77, BBB 75, with the subject scale A* - 9; A - 8; B - 7. The engine-level rows are A*AA - 88 at the top and BBB - 75 at the bottom.

Medicine is outside these tables (chapter 4). The English requirement is set by the course group, and the page lists no exemption for French or European school-leaving certificates, so plan for an IELTS, TOEFL or equivalent unless your certificate matches one of the English proofs in the English proofs chapter.

A worked example

A student with the general Baccalauréat who applies to Economics (AAA) reads the AAA-AAB row, 14/20. For Computer Science (A*AA) the row is 15/20. A student with the BFI reads one point lower in each row, for example 13/20 for the AAA-AAB row.

The Germany country page maps the Abitur to the A-level offer, from A*AA: 1.4 overall in the Abitur to BBB: 1.8 overall in the Abitur.

In the German system a lower number is a better grade, and the table runs in that direction. The page lists the Abitur (the Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife), the Zeugnis der Fachgebundenen Hochschulreife and the Zeugnis der Fachhochschulreife as the certificates it will consider, then converts the overall grade.

For individual subjects the page uses the fifteen-point scale: A* = 14/15, A = 13/15, B = 11/15. A Mathematics requirement of an A in Computer Science is then met by A* = 14/15 or the next line down.

The Fachhochschulreife

The page makes one point that matters for students from a Fachoberschule: the Fachhochschulreife would not normally be accepted for entry to undergraduate programmes. If your qualification is a Fachhochschulreife, ask the admissions team before you apply, because the page treats it as an exception rather than a standard route.

The European Baccalaureate table printed on the Germany page is the same as the one in the France chapter. English is set by the course group (the English chapters), and Medicine follows its own rules (chapter 4).

A worked example

For Economics (AAA) an Abitur applicant reads AAA: 1.5 overall in the Abitur, and for Computer Science (A*AA) A*AA: 1.4 overall in the Abitur. Because lower is better in the German system, an overall grade better than the A*AA row clears both lines and a grade in the next band falls into the AAB row, AAB: 1.6 overall in the Abitur.

The Poland country page converts the Matura with extended-level subject percentages: A*AA - 90%, 85%, 85% (extended level subjects) plus 75% overall at the top.

For the Polish Matura (Swiadectwo Dojrzalosci) the page asks for percentages in the extended-level subjects plus an overall percentage. Each A-level offer is therefore converted to three subject percentages and one overall figure.

For one named subject the page gives A* - 90%; A - 85%; B - 80% at extended level. A Polish applicant to Computer Science who needs an A in Mathematics therefore needs A* - 90% for an A* line or the 85% line for an A.

The page as of October 2026 prints the bottom row as BBB - 80%, 80%, 80% (extended level subjects) plus 70% overall. Because the table depends on extended-level exams, a student who took Mathematics at the basic level only should ask the admissions team whether a basic-level result can count. English is set by the course group (the English chapters); a Matura English result is not listed among the English proofs.

A worked example

For Economics (AAA) the page asks AAA 85%, 85%, 85% (extended level subjects) plus 75% overall. For Computer Science (A*AA) it asks A*AA 90%, 85%, 85% in the three extended subjects, plus the same overall figure. Mathematics at extended level is the subject a Computer Science or Economics applicant cannot leave out.

The Spain country page converts the Título de Bachillerato on a ten-point average: A*AA - 9.0, AAA - 8.5, AAB - 8.2, ABB - 8.0, BBB - 7.7.

The Spanish page is one of the shortest. It states one table for the overall Bachillerato grade and one scale for required subjects. The table starts at the top offer and ends at the lowest.

The subject scale carries a condition that is easy to miss: required subjects must be studied in Year 2 of the Bachillerato, and the equivalents are A* - 10, A - 9, B - 8. A Spanish applicant to Computer Science therefore needs Mathematics in the second year of the Bachillerato at the grade that matches the A the course asks for, which is A* - 10 for the A* line and nine for an A.

The page as of October 2026 gives A*AA - 9.0 and BBB - 7.7 as the ends of the scale. English is set by the course group (the English chapters), and no exemption for a Spanish certificate appears on the page.

A worked example

For Economics (AAA) the page gives AAA 8.5, and for Computer Science (A*AA) A*AA 9.0. A Spanish applicant with a Bachillerato average between those two figures is therefore in the Economics range but short of the Computer Science line.

The Netherlands country page converts the VWO diploma: A*AA 8.0, AAA 7.7, AAB 7.5, ABB 7.2, BBB 7.0, and accepts a VWO English grade as proof of English in some cases.

Dutch applicants with the Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs (VWO) diploma, in the Gymnasium or Atheneum stream, are the clearest case among the six countries of a certificate that both converts to an offer and shortcuts the English test.

The subject scale reads A* - 8.5; A - 8; B - 7.5; grades 9-10 rarely awarded. The engine-level rows on the page as of October 2026 are A*AA - 8.0 and BBB - 7.0, with A* - 8.5 for a single subject.

English from the VWO diploma

The page adds an English shortcut: the university may accept the English grade from the VWO diploma if you achieved 8 (good) in English, valid for 2 academic years after qualification. The word may is the university's own, so a Dutch applicant should treat it as a possibility to confirm, not a guarantee. The page as of October 2026 records it as 8 (good) in English.

The Netherlands page is also where the university sends holders of foreign exams: its note on SAT and AP exams (chapter 5) is printed here. Medicine again follows its own rules (chapter 4).

A worked example

For Economics (AAA) the VWO row is AAA 7.7, and for Computer Science (A*AA) it is A*AA 8.0. The page adds that grades of nine and ten are rarely awarded in the Dutch system; the top row of the table is 8.0.

Birmingham keeps a country page for each major recruiting country, and the country index also lists Romania, Indonesia, Brazil, Greece, Algeria, Japan, Egypt, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

The six countries in the country chapters share one pattern: a table that converts the national certificate to A-level grades, a subject scale, and a sentence that these figures are guidance for undergraduate entry. The index at birmingham.ac.uk/study/international/country lists many more countries, and each page follows the same layout with an Entry Requirements section.

If your certificate is from one of these countries, open the page and look for four things. First, which certificates are named. Second, whether the table uses percentages, a ten-point scale or a letter grade. Third, whether a subject scale is given. Fourth, whether the page mentions a specific English exemption, as the Netherlands page does for the VWO. The university says the pages are for guidance only, so keep the course page open as well.

Where a country has no page, the general rule from chapter 5 applies: select your country from the drop-down list on the relevant course page. The course page then shows what grade your own qualification needs for that course, which is the most specific answer the university gives. The index also has a page for the United States.

Reading a country page you have not seen

The pages for Brazil, Egypt, Japan, Turkey and the other countries on the index use the same headings as Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Spain and the Netherlands: an undergraduate section with the national certificate, a table of grade equivalents and a note on Medicine. The most useful habit is to read the table against the course offer first, then check whether the page names a subject scale and whether it lists any English exemption. The university's own caution applies to every page: the information is for guidance only.

Birmingham accepts a long list of tests, headed on the international entry requirements page by TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic (incl. Online, UKVI), PTE, Cambridge English, and requires that tests normally need to have been taken within two years of the start date of the programme.

The English rule is the same for every undergraduate applicant who needs it, and what changes by course is the score. The page sets the general conditions first: you need to show that you have appropriate grades in your main exams and a suitable level of English. The list of accepted tests carries a heading about the year 2026, so it is the list that applies to the current intake and the university reissues it each year.

The accepted tests

The first group on the page is for those joining in 2026: TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic (incl. Online, UKVI), PTE, Cambridge English. The second group adds Language Cert ESOL SELT (UKVI), Trinity ISE II, Trinity ISE III, Language Cert Academic, Oxford International ELLT. The university also accepts the retake format: IELTS One Skill Retakes are accepted.

• IELTS tests must be the Academic version; the General test is not accepted.
• Tests normally need to have been taken within two years of the start date of the programme.
• Only the most recent English language proficiency test score is accepted, so a student cannot combine the best parts of two sittings.

Presessional English

A student whose score falls short has a path inside the university: Presessional English courses are offered all year round as an alternative route. The course pages put it in the same terms, as an alternative to retaking IELTS or a similar qualification when the offer includes an English condition.

Two further points sit in the page notes. The accepted list is headed for those joining in 2026, and the university has not printed a separate list for 2027 entry on that page; the score tables in the English groups chapter are the ones on the page as of October 2026. The page also reports the engine-level rule for the General test: we cannot accept the General test, and for recency within two years of the start date of your programme.

Choosing a test

The accepted list is long, but three tests carry most applicants: IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT and PTE Academic. IELTS is the test the course pages quote. TOEFL changed its scoring scale in January 2026, so the page prints two sets of numbers, and the score you hold decides which set applies.

Whichever test you choose, the conditions in this chapter apply: only the most recent English language proficiency test score is accepted, and the test has to fall inside the two-year window. If you sit a test twice, the second result replaces the first even when the first was better.

Mistakes that cost an English condition

• Booking the General version of IELTS: the General test is not accepted.
• Relying on an old score: tests normally need to have been taken within two years of the start date of the programme.
• Mixing two sittings: only the most recent English language proficiency test score is accepted.
• Assuming one score fits every course: the score depends on the course group, and Economics adds Business School thresholds for Writing and Speaking.

Each of these comes from the page itself, and each is avoidable once the group of the course is known. The tests chapter and the fees chapter below cover the other conditions that sit beside English.

Birmingham sorts undergraduate courses into four English groups: Computer Science is Group A, Business including Economics is Group B and Medicine is Group D.

The English requirement depends on the course you apply to, not on the nationality of the applicant. The international entry requirements page lists every undergraduate course against a group, from A to D, and then gives the minimum for each test.

The page prints the group lines as 6.0 overall with no less than 5.5 in any band for Group A, 6.5 overall with no less than 6.0 in any band for Group B, 7.0 overall with no less than 6.5 in any band for Group C and 7.0 overall with no less than 7.0 in any band for Group D.

TOEFL iBT: a scale change in January 2026

The TOEFL rows are split by the date of the test. For Group A the page says: Tests taken before January 2026: 80 overall with no less than 19 in Reading, 19 in Listening, 21 in Speaking and 19 in Writing. Tests taken from January 2026: 4.5 Overall with no less than 4 in each skill. For Group B the figure is 88 overall with no less than 21 in Reading, 20 in Listening, 22 in Speaking and 21 in Writing, or from January 2026 4.5 overall with no less than 4.5 in two skills and 4 in two skills.

Group C asks 95 overall with no less than 22 in any band for tests before January 2026, and 5 overall with no less than 4.5 in each skill from January 2026, and Group D asks 95 overall with no less than 23 in any band before January 2026, and 5 overall with no less than 5 in each skill from January 2026. The after-January figures are on the new TOEFL band scale, so they are not directly comparable to the older total.

PTE Academic

PTE minimums are printed for three groups: Group A: PTE 64 with no less than 59 in all four skills, Group B: PTE 67 with no less than 64 in all four skills and Group D: PTE 76 in all four skills. The engine-level lines read PTE 64 with no less than 59 in all four skills and PTE 67 with no less than 64 in all four skills, and for the new TOEFL scale in Group A 4.5 Overall with no less than 4 in each skill and in Group B 4.5 Overall with no less than 4.5 in two skills and 4 in two skills.

The groups are fixed per course: the page puts Computer Science in Group A, Business including Economics in Group B and Medicine in Group D. A student who applies to two courses in different groups needs the higher score if one test is to serve both applications.

A worked example for TOEFL

A Computer Science applicant in Group A who sat TOEFL before January 2026 needed 80 overall with no less than 19 in Reading, 19 in Listening, 21 in Speaking and 19 in Writing. An applicant who sits the test from January 2026 reads the new scale instead, 4.5 Overall with no less than 4 in each skill. An Economics applicant in Group B reads the Business School figure, TOEFL 88 overall with 22 in Writing and Speaking.

The course pages repeat the group score: IELTS 6.0 overall with no less than 5.5 in any band for Computer Science, IELTS 6.5 overall with minimum of 6.5 in Writing and Speaking, and 6.0 in Listening and Reading for Economics and IELTS 7.0 overall with no less than 7.0 in any band for Medicine.

Each course page has an international English section, which is the place to confirm the number before booking a test. The three course pages give the following IELTS lines, and they agree with the group tables in the English groups chapter except where the Business School adds a stricter rule.

• Computer Science BSc: 6.0 overall with no less than 5.5 in any band.
• Economics BSc: 6.5 overall with minimum of 6.5 in Writing and Speaking, and 6.0 in Listening and Reading.
• Medicine and Surgery MBChB: 7.0 overall with no less than 7.0 in any band.

The Business School rule

Economics sits in the Business School, and the international entry requirements page adds a footnote for those programmes: Business School programmes require one of the following scores: a TOEFL score of 88 overall with a minimum of 22 in Writing and Speaking, an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with minimum of 6.5 in Writing and Speaking, and equivalent scores on other tests. The footnote on the page appears twice with slightly different wording, and the Economics course page gives a fuller IELTS line that also names Listening and Reading. When the wordings differ, use the course page and confirm with the admissions team. The engine-level line is IELTS score of 6.5 overall with minimum of 6.5 in Writing and Speaking.

Qualifications that count as English

A table on the page lists qualifications that the university accepts as evidence of English, in place of a test. International Baccalaureate English, Standard or Higher Level, First or Second Language: 5 or above is one. GCE A Level (or International A Level) English: Grade C or above is another, and GCSE English (or Edexcel IGCSE English): Grade C/4 or above is a third. The page as of October 2026 records them as 5 or above for the IB and Grade C or above for the A-level.

The Computer Science page asks for the IB English at the same level through its own condition, 5 in Standard Level English. For readers from the Netherlands, the VWO English grade is a further shortcut (the Netherlands chapter). The university also notes the grades on this page are the minimum and that some programmes set higher requirements, so the offer letter has the final conditions.

A student who holds one of these qualifications can often skip a separate test, but the offer letter states the English condition that applies to the course, and the course page remains the reference.

A worked example for the IB

An IB student applying to Computer Science meets two English-related lines at once. The course page asks for 5 in Standard Level English as part of the IB offer, and the English proof table accepts International Baccalaureate English, Standard or Higher Level, First or Second Language: 5 or above. The same grade can therefore serve the grade condition and the language condition, which is worth confirming with the admissions team when the offer is drafted.

The wording in this chapter comes from the international entry requirements page and from the English sections of the Computer Science, Economics and Medicine and Surgery course pages.

Of the three programmes covered here only Medicine uses a test and an interview: all applicants must apply through UCAS, offer acceptable academic qualifications and sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) in the year of application, and attend interview if invited.

The Medicine and Surgery MBChB page sets out three steps for every applicant: apply through UCAS, hold acceptable academic qualifications, and sit the UCAT in the year of application. The fourth step is conditional on selection: attend interview if invited. The page refers to a separate Applying to Medicine website for the scoring and interview process.

The UCAT is booked with the test provider, not with the university, and it has to be taken in the application year, so a Medicine applicant plans the test months before the UCAS deadline. The engine-level rows on the page as of October 2026 are University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) and Attend interview if invited.

For Computer Science and Economics the course pages name no admission test and no interview. The offer rests on predicted grades, the subject requirement (Mathematics) and the English proof. Other programmes at Birmingham, for example Law or Dentistry, may use tests of their own; the course finder lists them per course.

For readers weighing a test-free route against a test route, the practical difference is timing. A test-free course is decided on grades and a UCAS form by the January deadline, while a test route puts a fixed assessment in the autumn before the deadline.

Test route or grades route

For Computer Science and Economics the decision rests on predicted grades, subjects and English, which a student controls through ordinary school work and one language test. For Medicine the UCAT adds a fixed assessment that sits outside school work, and the interview adds a second stage. A student deciding between a Medicine application and a science or economics application should weigh that extra step against the grade gap, since the Medicine A-level offer (AAA with predicted AAB including Chemistry) differs from the Computer Science offer (A*AA to include A-level Mathematics grade A) mainly in the subjects it names.

The UCAT sits outside the university: the page tells applicants to sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) in year of application, which means the sitting happens before the UCAS form is judged. A student who misses that sitting cannot catch up later in the same cycle, so Medicine applicants should check the test provider's own calendar early and keep the interview in mind: attend interview if invited.

The course pages show £10,050 per year for domestic (UK) students for 2027/28, and for an international applicant the fees page says that the yearly tuition fee will be quoted on your offer letter.

The fee question has two parts: which fee status you receive, and what the fee is. The international fees page says that the decision whether you receive home fee status is made by the University Admissions department, and you need to meet all the requirements to be given home fee status. A student who is not resident in the UK and has no UK settled status should expect international status, but the decision belongs to the university.

The fee figure for home students is the one printed on the course pages: £10,050 per year for domestic (UK) students for 2027/28. The applicants page repeats it with a caution: if your offer is for 2027 year of entry, the first-year tuition fee is expected to be £10,050 (see the information for applicants page). That is a home-student fee and does not apply to an international applicant.

For an international applicant, the fees pages print no fee in pounds. The fees page says only that the cost depends on the programme and level, and the yearly tuition fee will be quoted on your offer letter. Budget from the offer letter, and ask the admissions team for the figure of your course before you apply if you need it earlier.

Scholarships

On funding, the fees page says that more than £7.5 million in scholarships is available for international students. The scholarships have their own application rules, which the fees page links; read them before you assume a discount in the budget.

Two further cost items sit outside tuition: living costs, which the fees page links to a living-costs page, and visa fees for students from outside the UK, which belong to the immigration route and not to the university. Neither is priced on the pages cited here.

Questions to settle with the admissions team

• Which fee status applies to you, because the decision belongs to the University Admissions department.
• What the international tuition fee of your course is, since the yearly tuition fee will be quoted on your offer letter.
• Which international scholarships you can apply for, given more than £7.5 million in scholarships on offer.

Ask these before the UCAS deadline if the answer changes whether you apply, because the offer letter, which carries the fee, arrives after the application is made.

Official pages of University of Birmingham, UCAS, gov.uk and the ranking publishers. Applicant reports, where shown, are self-reported and labelled.

Computer Science BSc - University of Birmingham · Medicine and Surgery MBChB - University of Birmingham · Economics BSc - University of Birmingham · International fees - University of Birmingham · Italy · Your Birmingham offer - University of Birmingham · International entry requirements - University of Birmingham · Netherlands · Welcoming French students to Birmingham - University of Birmingham · Welcoming German students to Birmingham - University of Birmingham · Poland · Welcoming Spanish students to Birmingham - University of Birmingham · Information for applicants - University of Birmingham

Photos: Aston Webb buildings, University of Birmingham: photo Simonham, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons · Aston Webb building from the clock tower, University of Birmingham: photo Sid davo, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons