You may have already met the entrance requirements to Foundation Year
To be admitted to Foundation Year, you must have met the:
- English language requirements for admission
- Academic qualifications for admission
The table below shows the minimum qualifications you need to be eligible to apply for a place in the University of Otago Foundation Year.
Academic requirements for University of Otago Foundation Year
| Country | Qualification | Minimum Standard |
|---|---|---|
| International Qualifications | GCE O-Levels | 20 Points and below in 5 subjects |
| International Baccalaureate | 18 Points in 6 subjects (on a scale of 0-7) | |
| Australia | Year 12 Certificate (ACT ) | Grade C or scale 3 out of 5 or 50% |
| Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE) | Scale 3 out of 4 | |
| Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) | Scale 5 out of 7 | |
| Higher School Certificate (HSC) | 65% Average | |
| Northern Territory Certificate of Education (NTCE) | Grade C or scale 3 out of 5 or 11 out of 20 | |
| South Australia Certificate of Education (SACE) | Grade C or scale 5 out of 7 or 65% | |
| Victoria Certificate of Education (VCE) | Grade D | |
| Victoria Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) | Grade D | |
| Western Australia Certificate of Education (WACE) | Grade C or scale 3 out of 5 or 60% | |
| Year 11 or equivalent | Superior pass | |
| Brazil | Certificado de Conclusao de 2 Grau | Superior pass |
| Cambodia | Year 12 | 70% average |
| Chile | Licencia de Educacion Media | Good pass |
| China | Senior Year 3 | 70% Average |
| Senior Year 2 | 80% Average | |
| Fiji | School Leaving Certificate Examination | 65% Average over 4 subjects |
| Hong Kong | HKDSE | Pass 3 relevant subjects with Level 2 grades |
| Form 5 | Pass 4 relevant subjects with 50% minimum | |
| India | India Senior School Certificate (CBSE) | Grade C2 in 4 subjects |
| Indian School Certificate (ISC) | 2nd Division Pass or 45% average | |
| Higher Secondary School Examination | Good 2nd Division Pass or 55% average | |
| Indonesia | SMA 3 | 7.0 Average in 4 relevant subjects |
| SMA 2 | 7.5 Average in 4 relevant subjects | |
| Japan | Senior Year 3 | Grade 3 or 70% Average |
| Kiribati | National Certificate | 70% Average |
| Korea | Senior Year 3 | 70% Average |
| Senior Year 2 | 75% Average | |
| Kuwait | General Secondary School Certificate | 80% Average |
| Lao People’s Democratic Republic | Year 12 | 70% Average |
| Malaysia | SPM | Grade B average in 5 subjects |
| UEC | Grade B4 average in 5 subjects | |
| Nauru | Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate (PSSC) | 70% Average |
| New Zealand | NCEA Level 2 | Applications assessed on a case-by-case basis. |
| Oman | Secondary School Leaving Certificate | 70% Average |
| Papua New Guinea | Higher School Certificate | Grade B average in 5 subjects |
| Philippines | Secondary School Year 4 | Grade B average |
| Samoa | School Certificate or SPFSC | 70% Average |
| Saudi Arabia | General Secondary Education Certificate | 70% Average |
| Solomon Islands | Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate (PSSC) | 70% Average |
| Taiwan | Senior Year 3 | Grade B or 70% average |
| Senior Year 2 | Superior grades | |
| Thailand | Matayom 6 or Year 12 | Grade 2.5 |
| Matayom 5 or Year 11 | Grade 3.0 | |
| Tonga | Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate (PSSC) | 70% Average |
| Tuvalu | Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate (PSSC) | 70% Average |
| United Arab Emirates | Secondary School Certificate | 2 B's and 2 C's or 70% Average |
| Vietnam | Bang Tu Tai or Year 12 | 7.0 Average |
English Language requirements for University of Otago Foundation Year
| Test | Required result |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 5.5 (without any band below 5.0) |
| IELTS Indicator | 5.5 (without any band below 5.0)* |
| iBT TOEFL | 70 (with a writing score of 15) |
| TOEFL (Paper-Based) | 525 |
| TOEFL (Computer-Based) | 196 |
| Cambridge FCE | Grade B |
| Cambridge CAE | Grade C |
| Cambridge CPE | Grade C |
| Duolingo English Test | 90* |
| GCE O-Level English | C6 |
| GCE A-Level English | D7 |
| HK CEE (English Syllabus B) | 3 |
| HK ALE (Use of English) | D7 |
| LanguageCert | B2* |
| SPM Bahasa Inggeris | B+ |
| Pearson Test of English (Academic) | PTE (Academic) score of 42 with no band score lower than 36 |
| English New Zealand Accredited Pathway Assessment | Level 1 |
* These test results are temporarily accepted for those applicants in countries where test centres are closed.
General information
If you need additional English tuition before starting the Foundation Year, or wish to sit an IELTS, TOEFL iBT, TOEIC or Cambridge Mainsuite test in Dunedin, the University of Otago Language Centre is situated in the same building as the Foundation Year programme, and offers these courses and tests.
Further information about English language tuition at the University of Otago Language Centre is available elsewhere on this website.
Our Admissions team will assess your application based on several factors.
First of all, the application form must be completed correctly.
Depending on the stream you intend to study, we will check the academic transcripts you have sent us to determine if you have achieved the required level to participate in the programme.
For example, if you intend to study a science stream, your high school maths grades must be high enough to fit in with the programme.
If you are very close to making the grade, but not quite there, we will offer you a conditional offer which would require you to go through our Bridging Programme.
If your English isn’t quite good enough then you can join our General English programme and follow that pathway to Foundation Year.
We run International English examinations in our building too – you can take the IELTS test right here to meet the English entry requirement.
Along with your application we also suggest sending us a cover letter, written by yourself, outlining why you want to study with us and how you can apply yourself to the academic challenges ahead.
A letter of recommendation from a previous teacher or employer would improve your case too.
