Diploma equivalents | GCSE & GCE A2-Levels | BSc University of Twente (2024)

Admission Requirements

With the General Certificate of Education, you will probably be admissible to a bachelor's programme at the University of Twente. This depends on the subjects and levels you have achieved. Successfully completed GCE A2-Levels are required before the start of the academic year. For possible admission, we require at least:

• 3 (I)GCSE / GCE O-Level with an A, B or C grade or 4 – 9 score, and
• 3 full GCE A2-Level with an A, B or C grade.
• Students need to have six different subjects in (I)GCSE / GCE O-Level and A2-Level.

• Only one language subject is allowed as one of the three required GCE A2-Levels.
• The subject(s) and examination board should be recognized in the Ofqual register. When this is not the case, it will not be accepted. Where the International GCE A-Levels from Pearson, Cambridge, and OxfordAQA are the only examination boards that are exempted.
• If a bachelor's programme has for example two subjects required, the other A2-Level is a compulsory elective (but should be on the list of accepted GCE A-Level subjects by the University of Twente).
• The University of Twente accepts certain academic GCE A2- Level subjects.

If you have obtained/will obtain the GCE A2-level certificates in combination with a diploma other than the GCSE certificates, the University of Twente advises you to apply as those applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis (there is no guaranteed admission). The same applies for students who have a different combination of 6 (I)GCSEs/GCE A2-Levels (e.g. 2 (I)GCSEs and 4 GCE A2-levels). Pleasegive further information based on your personal situation by a written document within your application.

Students with the ‘BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma’ cannot be admitted directly because the level is not equivalent toDutch pre-university education (called ‘VWO’ in Dutch).Please see further information about the Dutch educational system and routes if you are not directly admissible.

Note: the admission office reserves the right to make the final decision regarding the admissibility of your application. The admission requirements mentioned are for your information only.

Accepted GCE A2-Level subjects

The University of Twente accepts the following academic GCE A2- Level subjects.

Documents required for application

Already graduated?
Please upload copies of your official final (I)GCSE and GCE (O-, AS-, A2-Level) certificates. Provisional results will not be accepted for the application, as they are not official final certificate(s). The official certificates come out in November (after the JUNE exam session). This means you can apply after you got the final certificate(s) in November.

Not graduated yet?
Please upload copies of your official final (I)GCSE certificates. Provisional results will not be accepted for the application, as they are not official certificate(s). Furthermore, please upload your GCE A2-Level predicted grades using the form below. Make sure the form is filled-in by your school, afterwards you can upload the document within your application.

English Language requirement

If you have English as a subject obtained at (I)GCSE or GCE (O-, AS-, A2-Level) with an A, B or C score you are exempted from the English language test. If you cannot meet this requirement, you have to make an additional test as mentioned on theEnglish language requirementwebsite.

Not the required grade, subject or level?

If you do not have the required grade, subject, or subject level, you might be eligible to do an additional test(s) if your overall level is equivalent to the Dutch VWO-Level. The University of Twente only accepts certificates from CCVX, James Boswell-Bèta (both online and physical tests from James Boswell-Bèta are accepted, contact them about the online possibilities),Korteweg-de Vries, or the Dutch so-called 'Staatsexamen'. The OMPT test is not accepted by the University of Twente.

The test must be passed with a positive result and should be taken before the deadline. Please submit your application to the University of Twente before you make a reservation for one of the tests (to prevent possibly unnecessary costs). The University of Twente assesses on individual bases whether you are eligible for such a test and inform you via email after a submitted application. You can continue your application the first time by answering with ‘No, I still have to complete a *subject* test’ if you are unsure if you meet the additional admission requirements. You will get additional questions about uploading a reservation, which you can skip as they are not mandatory. After submitting your application, you will be informed via email.

The Netherlands has different Mathematics subjects. For the social sciences bachelor's programmes, VWO Mathematics A is required. For the technical bachelor's programmes, VWO Mathematics B is required. For the subjects Physics, Chemistry and/or Biology you have to take the VWO Level, there are no sublevels like Mathematics.

An additional test (such as CCVX, James Boswell-Bèta, IELTS, TOEFL, etc.) does not substitute a GCE A-Level. You need at least three GCE A-Levels; the additional exam is only if you have at least 3 GCE A-Levels and not the required subjects. For example, you have GCE A-Level Biology, GCE A-Level Physics, and GCE A-Level Chemistry with the required scores. You meet the admission requirements to have 3 GCE A-Levels with the correct scores. However, there is no GCE A-Level Mathematics, therefore might be eligible to do an additional test.

Admission requirements per bachelor's programme