The English for Otago (EFO) programme is a pathway option for students who meet the academic entry requirements but do not meet the English entry requirements for undergraduate or postgraduate study at the University of Otago. Specifically, this programme helps prospective students who are missing 0.5 IELTS (or equivalent) to meet Otago's English language requirements.
Admission to English for Otago
Students with a conditional offer of place from the University of Otago for an undergraduate or postgraduate programme are eligible to study EFO. Upon successful completion of EFO, students progress into their planned university programme without needing to re-sit IELTS*.
* EFO is equivalent to an overall academic band of 6.0 for undergraduate programmes and an overall academic band of 6.5 for postgraduate programmes.There are a few programmes that require a higher IELTS, for example Social Work and Teaching. Students who wish to apply for these programmes are not able to take EFO but can apply to the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programme and sit an IELTS.
Students who do not have an offer of place at the University of Otago may enrol in either of the following programmes:
English for Otago entry requirements
You are required to provide evidence that you meet the English proficiency level before the EFO programme starts. This can be done either with an accepted English proficiency test score listed in the table below, or by sitting the EFO entrance exam.
EFO Entrance Exam
If you do not have evidence of minimum English proficiency, you can sit the EFO entrance exam. The EFO entrance exam is free but is only open to students with an offer of place at Otago.
Required results from the EFO entrance exam are:
| EFO Undergraduate | Minimum 55/100 |
| EFO Postgraduate | Minimum 60/100 |
To apply for the EFO exam, please contact:
Email englishlanguage.groups@otago.ac.nz
Accepted English proficiency tests and scores for English for Otago
Undergraduate programme
| Test | Entrance requirement |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 5.5 (no band below 5.0) IELTS Online is also accepted. |
| TOEFL iBT | 70 (writing 15) TOEFL iBT Home Edition is currently accepted for applications for intakes commencing semester 2 2022 and 2023 intakes. |
| Paper-based TOEFL | 525 (TWE 4.0) |
| Computer-based TOEFL | 193 (essay rating 4.0) |
| GCE O-Level English | Grade C6 |
| HKDSE English | Level 2 |
| HK ALE Use of English | Grade D7 |
| LanguageCert | B2 |
| SPM Bahasa Inggris | Grade 4 |
| Pearson Test of English (Academic) | PTE (Academic) score of 42 with no band score lower than 36. Pearson Test of English Academic Online is currently accepted for applications for intakes commencing in semester 2 2022 and 2023 intakes. |
| English New Zealand Accredited Pathway Assessment | Level 1 |
| NZCEL | NZCEL 3 Academic endorsement |
Postgraduate programme
| Test | Entrance requirement |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 6.0 (no band below 5.5) IELTS Online is also accepted. |
| TOEFL iBT | 80 (writing 20) TOEFL iBT Home Edition is currently accepted for applications for intakes commencing semester 2 2022 and 2023 intakes. |
| Paper-based TOEFL | 550 (TWE 4.5) |
| Computer-based TOEFL | 213 (essay rating 4.5) |
| Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) | Grade B |
| Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) | Grade C |
| HKDSE | Level 4 |
| APIEL (Advanced Placement International English Language) Examination | Grade 3 |
| GCE A-Level General Paper (English) | Grade C or higher |
| International Baccalaureate | |
| LanguageCert | C1 |
| Pearson Test of English (Academic) | PTE (Academic) score of 50 with no band score lower than 42. Pearson Test of English Academic Online is currently accepted for applications for intakes commencing in semester 2 2022 and 2023 intakes. |
| English New Zealand Accredited Pathway Assessment | Level 2 |
| NZCEL | NZCEL 4 Academic endorsement |
Study load and assessment
EFO is a 12-week full-time course (23 hours per week). Assessment is continuous throughout the course.
English requirements for the University of Otago
Students who successfully complete the English for Otago programme with a minimum grade of 'C' meet the English language requirements for admission to most undergraduate or postgraduate programmes at the University of Otago.