International students who want to study in Swansea will now be able to sit a crucial English language test online ensuring their University applications can continue as normal.

Non-native English-speaking students have to meet a criteria of language skills before they can study at Swansea University and in normal circumstances this would see them sitting the Swansea English Language Test (SWELT) in person here or at an overseas test centre.

However as social distancing and coronavirus regulations have made this impossible, staff from Swansea’s English Language Training Service, with invaluable help from Pete Langley of the University’s Information Services and Systems, have taken action to adapt the test so it can be taken online instead.

Now thanks to innovative work by the ELTS team, and in particular ELTS’ Assessment Coordinator Lucy Davies, a secure online version of the SWELT is available free of charge which will allow overseas students to continue to apply to Swansea.

So far more than 1,000 prospective international students have been contacted and 600 tests are already available in the next few weeks with more set to be added soon.

Head of the University’s International Development Office Sian Impey said:

“It’s fantastic news that thanks to the hard work of ELTS, we are now able to offer our own online English language test to Swansea applicants from all over the world who have been affected by the closure of test centres in their home countries.

“This will come as a great relief to many and will hopefully allow us to continue to welcome students from across the globe to our Swansea University community.”