Language Requirements

Applicants for English-taught programmes at the Royal Danish Academy must have proficiency in English equal to the Danish secondary school level English B with a minimum grade point average of 3.0.

The Academy accepts the following proofs of English proficiency and make no exceptions to these requirements or to the submission deadline 1 March:

• Language test. See list of accepted tests and required scores below
• High school degrees from Nordic countries, IB and EB. See list of required levels below
• Bachelor degrees or high school degrees from English-speaking countries. See list of countries below

The Academy does not accept

• English tests that is not on our list of approved tests
• A high school degree from other countries than listed below
• A Bachelor degree or similar with English as language of instruction from a non English-speaking country

It is not possible to apply for a dispensation for this requirement, and the Academy can not offer individual assessments of English qualifications.

Approved language tests and test scores

• TOEFL iBT, Home and Paper Edition:
  A minimum Overall Score of 4,5 with a minimum score 4 in each subcategory. If you have taken your test before 21 January 2026 the score requirement is 83 with a minimum score of 20 in each subcategory.
  
  The TOEFL test is only valid for 2 years and must be valid at the time of applying. Please upload a scanned copy of the official test result in your application allowing us to validate the result in the test providers database. We do not accept "TOEFL My Best Scores" 
   
• IELTS Academic and IELTS Online:
  A minimum Overall Band Score of 6.5 with a minimum score 6,0 in each subcategory.
  
  The IELTS test is only valid for 2 years and must be valid at the time of applying. Please upload a scanned copy of the official test result in your application allowing us to validate the result in the test providers database.
  The Academy accepts IELTS One Skill Retake. We do not accept "My Best Scores"
   
• Cambridge Advanced English (CAE) / C1 Advanced: 180
• Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) / C2 Proficiency: 180
  
  Cambridge English C1 and C2 do not expire. Please upload a scanned copy of the official test result in your application allowing us to validate the result in the test providers database. Make sure to share your results with the Royal Danish Academy. 

A bachelor degree or a high school degree from an English-speaking country
A bachelor degree or a high-school degree with English at the highest level from one of the following English-speaking countries will waive a language test: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, UK, USA. 

High school degrees from Nordic countries and IB
Applicants with a high school degree from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland or an International Baccalaureate who have passed the equivalent of English at B-level in Denmark. You must submit the official copy of your high school transcript with date of issue and signature in your application. We do not accept prints from self service portals.  

Applicants, who do not have the required level, must take a language test.

The following levels of English are considered the equivalent of English at B-level in Denmark:

• Finland
  Ylioppilastutkintotodistus/Studentexamensbetyg
  minimum 8 courses in A or B English
• Iceland
  Studentsprof with 15 einigar in English
• IB
  English B (SL)
• Norway
  Vitnemål
  VG2 (SPR3008+3009) Internasjonal engelsk
  VG (SPR3029+SPR3030) Engelsk 1 
• Sweden
  Slutbetyg
  English steg 7 (after 2014) or English kurs C (before 2014) 

Danish taught programmes at the Academy
Admission to a Danish taught programme requires Danish language proficiency at an academic level. Applicants must document Danish language qualifications corresponding to Danish at A-level, either from a Danish upper secondary school exam (high school), or by successfully completing the Danish proficiency test 'Studieprøven i dansk' with a minimum grade of 2 in each discipline