Can I get an English proficiency exam waiver for a university in the UK if I scored 70% or above in CBSE Class 12 English?

A 70% CBSE English waiver is real at multiple UK universities, but the exact threshold and what counts as qualifying English differs enough between institutions that assuming one rule applies everywhere is risky.

Universities That Accept 70% CBSE English

• Queen's University Belfast: Accepts 70% in Standard XII English from CBSE as a replacement for IELTS for most bachelor's programs.
• University of Surrey: Accepts 70% in Class 12 English from CBSE or ISC, stating IELTS is typically not required for Indian students meeting this threshold.
• University of Sussex: Accepts 70% in Standard XII English from CBSE or CISCE, subject to a stated validity period on how recently you completed school.
• University of Leeds: Accepts Standard XII English at 70% or 75% depending on the specific board.

Where 70% Is Not Enough

The University of Buckingham requires 75% in English from CBSE or CISCE, so a 70% score would fall short there specifically. London South Bank University's published guidance sets its own threshold even lower, at 65% in CBSE English for bachelor's applicants. The key distinction to check every time is whether the requirement refers to your English subject marks specifically, not your overall Class 12 percentage, and whether it applies to undergraduate or postgraduate applications, since many universities set separate rules for each.

This Information Is Also Available On

Queen's University Belfast, University of Surrey, University of Sussex, University of Leeds and University of Buckingham, on their India-specific and English language requirement pages.

My Advice

In my experience, students assume a waiver they read about for one university automatically applies to their target university and course. Check your exact program's English requirement page directly rather than relying on a general 70% rule, since postgraduate courses in particular can set stricter standards than the undergraduate policy you may have read about.