British institutions now have a more flexible approach to entrance requirements and are willing to consider equivalent non-traditional and overseas qualifications from candidates applying for various bachelors degree programmes. However, candidates must satisfy General Requirements and Course Requirements before their acceptance and the final decision rests with the individual institution. General requirements are five subject passes which include two GCE (General Certificate of Education) A levels and three GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education/GCEO levels or four subject passes which include three GCE A levels and one GCSE/GCEO level.

quivalent UK qualifications such as BTEC or SCOTVEC diplomas or overseas qualifications are also acceptable. Details on specific course requirements should be obtained from institutions, current prospectuses or direct from the institutions. British institutions are familiar with many Indian qualifications. They can advice you on the likely standing of your Indian qualification for entry to a bachelor's degree course in the UK. Holders of the Higher Secondary School Certificate Standard XII awarded by the CBSE or ICSE equivalent with exceptionally good grades are also considered for direct entry to a first degree course.

If your Indian School-Leaving Certificate is not accepted for direct entry to a bachelors degree course, you may consider taking an Access/ Bridging/Foundation course. These courses are designed to bridge the gap between overseas qualifications and normal entrance requirements in the UK. Many institutions in the UK offer these courses. A list of institutions offering such courses is available at all British Council Division (BCD) and British  Libraries. Alternatively you can take GCE 0 and A level examinations in India which are conducted twice a year by the four offices of the BCD.

In addition to normal entrance requirements mentioned above, most institutions require overseas applicants whose first language is not English, to take the IEL TS (International English Language Testing System) test. The test is managed jointly by the British Council, the International Development Programme of Australian Universities and Colleges (IDP) and the University of Cambridge Local Examination Syndicate are conducted by the BCD offices. You may contact your nearest BCD or British Library for further details.