Only students who meet English proficiency standards will be allowed to register for Seminary or Graduate School courses. An acceptable score on a standard test of English proficiency sent directly from an official testing center. English test results are valid for 2 years. 

TOEFL iBT

A minimum score of 68 for professional degrees, and a minimum score of 79 for doctoral and academic degrees. 

English Language Testing System (IELTS) Test

Band score average of at least 6.0 for professional degrees, and a band of 6.5 for all doctoral and MA academic degrees.

For prospective students affected by testing center closures due to the coronavirus, AIIAS has temporarily approved the use of the Duolingo English Test available online, in addition to TOEFL and IELTS proficiency exams, for the 2020-2021 school year. 

For a complete list of English language proficiency tests accepted by AIIAS and minimum scores needed to study in a degree program, please check our English Proficiency Requirements. 

Duolingo Exam

The Duolingo exam can be taken from any computer that has a camera, audio, and reliable internet. You will need either a passport, driver license, or national or state ID to show the camera. The exam costs $49 (USD) and contains a series of speaking, reading, writing, and listening exercises. Following the exam, there will be an interview portion that will ask you to respond to various prompts in 30 to 90 seconds. The score results are generally received within a few days of exam completion.

Level 1

A student who receives a score of 53 or below on the English Proficiency Exam will work full time on English and register for Beginner English (Level 1). If at the end of the term, a student has fulfilled the course requirements by demonstrating in coursework the ability to communicate in basic English in everyday experiences, the student may register for Elementary English (Level 2). Note: Students who enter Level 1 with a score of less than 30, will find it difficult to satisfactorily complete Level 1 within one term, and are likely to need to repeat the class.

Level 2

The student who receives a score of 54-61 on the English Proficiency Exam will work full time on English and register for Elementary English (Level 2). If at the end of the term a student has fulfilled the course requirements by demonstrating in coursework the ability to communicate in English at an intermediate level, the student will proceed to Level 3.

Level 3

The student who receives a score of 62-69 on the English Proficiency Exam will study English full time and register for Intermediate English (Level 3). If at the end of the term the student has fulfilled the course requirements by demonstrating in coursework an advanced ability to communicate in everyday experiences and to communicate successfully in basic academic contexts, the student will proceed to Level 4.

Level 4

The student who receives a score of 70-76 will study English full time and register for Advanced English (Level 4). If at the end of the term the English course has been satisfactorily completed with a B grade or above, the student may proceed to take the end-of-term English Proficiency Examination (EPE). A score of 550 on the TOEFL ITP and a 6.5 on the internal speaking and writing test is necessary to enter graduate class work for doctoral and academic master’s programs (520 TOEFL ITP and 6.0 respectively for professional master’s programs).

Transition

Students who are very close to reaching the English proficiency score required for entering a graduate program at AIIAS will be allowed to take a graduate class, plus 8 hours in the English Center, which will be prescribed based on the student’s test scores and abilities. Transition students, at the end of Term, may have alternative assessments evaluated by a team consisting of: (1) the teacher of the current course, (2) the department head, (3) the dean, and (4) the English Center director/teacher. Academic advising for students in the transition period should favor prerequisite courses or practical courses that do not require extensive writing or theoretical conceptualization. Students going into doctoral or academic master’s programs, who receive a minimum English Placement Test score of 80 (78 for professional master’s programs) will have passed the English proficiency requirement for AIIAS.

New students

Complete the Admission for Application process.

Returning students

Send an email to ecdirector@aiias.edu.

English Center Calendar for Academic Year 2023-2024

First Semester

TERM A – January to March

• English Placement Test – August 2, 2023
• English Center Registration – August 3, 2023
• Classes Begin – January 7, 2023
• Classes End – October 4, 2023

TERM B – October to December

• English Placement Test – October 9, 2023
• English Center Registration – October 10, 2023
• Classes Begin – October 11, 2023
• Classes End – December 12, 2023

Second Semester

TERM A – January to March

• English Placement Test – January 3, 2024
• English Center Registration – January 4, 2024
• Classes Begin – January 8, 2024
• Classes End – March 4, 2024

TERM B – March to May

• English Placement Test – March 11, 2024
• English Center Registration – March 12, 2024
• Classes Begin – March 13, 2024
• Classes End – May 14, 2024

Intersemester

• English Placement Test – May 22, 2024

• English Center Registration – May 23, 2024

• Classes Begin – May 27, 2024

• Classes End – July 24, 2024

English requirements for Cohort and Distance Learning Center students can be considered under three categories:

1. No English proficiency examination is required of students who have graduated from colleges/universities using English as the principal medium of instruction.
2. Language Assisted. In a Cohort or DLC where English is a foreign language and students only have a conversational level of English, instruction may take place in English without a translator but with language assistance under certain conditions. A conversational level of English proficiency (Duolingo score of 85 or other standardized test equivalent to IELTS 5.5) is required for admission to the particular Cohort or DLC program. The requirements for such a language-assisted program are that it include a language study course taught by a qualified TESOL teacher and that written assignments be either submitted in the students’ proficient language or that students receive editorial assistance for those submitted in English.
3. Fully Translated. In a Cohort or DLC where lectures are to be translated, all students do not need to meet the English proficiency. No English proficiency examination is required for admission to that particular Cohort or DLC program. However, the requirements for such a translated Cohort or DLC are that all students speak the same language, adequate learning resources are available in a language understood by all students, a qualified translator with a graduate degree in the field of study is available during and after the course, and there is an additional 50% hours of instruction if not using simultaneous translation.

Every Cohort or DLC student needing to take a course in a different cohort or modality will be required to demonstrate the relevant level of English proficiency if he/she is not under category 1.

An alternative assessment of English proficiency may be permitted through the Graduate
School and Seminary as part of a comprehensive evaluation of the applicant and in compliance
with the policies of their respective school. The final decision of a program’s recommended
waiver would rest with ASAC.