10-week course
Our 10-week summer pre-sessional course focuses on developing the English language and core study skills you need to study effectively on an academic course in the UK.
Your pre-sessional result will only be valid for entry to academic courses in the 2025/26 academic year.
You will study the first few weeks of the course online from your home country before travelling to complete the course on campus in Cardiff.
The 10-week programme is a full-time, intensive course of approximately 30 hours per week, including class time, tutorials, self-study, homework and assessment.
Course dates and times
The 10-week combined course will run from 30 June to 05 September 2025. The first 3 weeks of the course will be delivered fully online – this means that you will study from your home country. There will then be a long weekend for you to travel to Cardiff for the final 7 weeks of the course which will be taught on campus in Cardiff.
The online section of the course (3 weeks, 30 June to 17 July) will include live online classes and class tasks, plus seminars and tutorials between 09:00 and 14:30 UK time (British Summertime) with additional hours of guided practice and self-study.
The designated travel window (18 July to 20 July) will allow you to travel to Cardiff at a convenient time. It will also give you the opportunity to settle into your accommodation in Cardiff, to find your way around campus and to start to feel at home.
The on-campus section of the course (7 weeks, 21 July to 5 September) will include live on-campus classes and class tasks, plus seminars and assessment tutorials between 09:00 and 15:00 UK time (British Summertime) with additional hours of guided practice and self-study.
The deadline to apply for this course is 21 June 2025.
A CAS will be issued to eligible students for the on-campus section of the course. A CAS will not be issued for the online section of the course as it cannot be studied from the UK.
You must ensure that you arrive in Cardiff between 18 and 20 July or you will not be able to continue with the course.
Cost
The course fee for 2025 entry is £4,570.
Entry requirements
IELTS (Academic)
The 10-week course is for students with IELTS (Academic) 6.5 overall (with 6.0 in Writing and all other sub-scores at 5.5 or higher) and who have a course entry requirement of IELTS 7.0 overall.
| Section | IELTS (Academic) for UKVI | PTE Academic UKVI |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 6.5 | 69 |
| Listening | 5.5 | 59 |
| Reading | 5.5 | 59 |
| Writing | 6.0 | 62 |
| Speaking | 5.5 | 59 |
Applicants will need to ensure that they take the IELTS (Academic) for UKVI test or the Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic UKVI test.
Course outline
The course will:
- develop your language and skills to prepare you for your academic course at Cardiff University
- include a full teaching programme and course materials that will cover the skills of academic reading, writing, listening, and speaking
- feature 'guided practice' materials which provide extra opportunities to develop key areas of academic language and skills, supplemented by self-study materials that you may wish to practice in your own time to check your understanding of different aspects of the course
- offer every student a rich classroom experience: you will be placed in a group of students for your lessons with our experienced and qualified tutors, where we hope that you will enjoy working both individually and with the other students in your group as you develop your skills together
- provide tutorials with your teacher and individual feedback on your progress
- offer all students pastoral care from our approachable and caring team
- introduce you to academic life and provide professional guidance on academic issues and expectations
Improving your academic English
This course will focus on the ways we use the English language in an academic context. We will concentrate on the grammatical structures and vocabulary commonly used in presenting academic work, while improving confidence in communicating with, and responding to, the academic community.
Study skills
Academic study skills are invaluable and we believe that all university students would benefit from this course. In this part of the course, you will learn and practise the core skills needed to complete your chosen degree programme.
They include skills such as note-taking, summarising, text structure, referencing, critical thinking, understanding lectures, making presentations and participating in seminars and tutorials.
Academic orientation
All students will be familiarised with university resources provided to students enrolled on academic programmes of study and with the conventions and expectations for the presentation of academic work.
Secure your place on one of our 6, 10, 12, 16 or 20 week courses now.
