English language requirements for applicants

An applicant who applies for a study program with the English language of instruction must submit to the Admissions Committee the proof of English language proficiency to start his or her studies at the Academy.

The Academy recognizes the following English language proficiency tests and scores:

You can take an online test exam during COVID-19 to receive the official proof of your English language proficiency at the B2 level:

IELTS Indicator - an online test that can be taken from the comfort and safety of your home. The test includes four skills – Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking, and you will receive an indicative score for each. IELTS examiners will mark your performance and you will receive your result within seven days.

The minimum required score is the same as for the IELTS Academic test - 5.5 or Level B2 and every part should be at least 5.5.

Online application and additional information about IELTS Indicator are available by link.

TOEFL iBT - test measures all four academic English skills — reading, listening, speaking, and writing — the way they are used in a classroom. The computer-delivered TOEFL iBT can be taken weekly at authorized test centers near you.

The minimum required score for TOEFL iBT is 75 and every part of the test should be at least 18 points for your application.

You can find out more about the test and make your online registration by link.

Applicants who have no above-mentioned international English proficiency certificates at the required level, but have completed basic/secondary/vocational/higher education in English or have studied in English as a full-time student for at least a year do not need to certify English language proficiency. In this case, the chair of the Admissions Committee re-assesses and replaces the result of the English language grade of the previous higher education level of studies. The grade of the previous higher education level of studies must be at least “good”.

The requirements of English language proficiency for the ERASMUS+ program are available at the link: https://bsa.edu.lv/index.php/en/international/erasmus.html.

The requirements of English language proficiency for exchange or visiting students are the same as the language proficiency requirements for full-time applicants who apply for studies.

All international applicants who have no International English proficiency certificates have an opportunity to take the Internal Entrance English proficiency test carried out by the Academy. The Internal Entrance English proficiency test is developed based on English language proficiency testing methodology for foreign entrants approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia.

An international applicant who would like to apply for studies based on the Internal English proficiency test results must transfer the registration fee for Internal Entrance English Proficiency test and processing admission documents to the official Academy’s account:

Recipient: Baltic International Academy
Legal address: 4, Lomonosova str., Riga, Latvia, LV-1003
Registration No.: 40003101808
Bank: JSC “Swedbank”
SWIFT/BIC: HABALV22
Account No. (IBAN): LV68HABA0551003662871
Purpose of payment: Registration fee for name, surname, ID, or Personal code

Please note that the registration fee includes both the Internal Entrance English Proficiency test and the processing of admission documents, so you can use it twice. Do not throw this payment confirmation and save its copy.

An international applicant must submit a copy of the registration fee payment and a copy of a passport or a personal identity document (identity card) to our Admissions Committee by email: uk@bsa.edu.lv. The applicant receives access to the Academy’s Moodle system and the link for the confirmation of the registration in the Moodle system from the Admissions Committee based on the full set of the provided documents.

The dates of the Internal Entrance English Proficiency test will be available in the schedule of the test after your registration in the Moodle system.

On the day of the test, the international applicant must enter the Moodle system, and connect to the Big Blue Button (please, check your Internet connection, prepare your ID documents, switch on the camera, and share a screen).

The examiner will open access to the test and to the test tasks. Each next test task will be available after the completion of the previous one. Each part of the test has a certain time for the task’s completion.

The Speaking Part of the test is conducted after the completion of the previous parts of the test.

The applicant can take the next test only if he/she succeeds in the previous one.

The Academy informs the applicant about test results within a week from the date of the test.

We accept international applicants who receive at least 51% of the 100% possible for every part of the test separately.

If you are such an applicant - please contact our Admissions Committee by email: uk@bsa.edu.lv for further guidance on registration.

You can find more information about the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, and Assessment (CEFR) via the link or make a self-assessment of English language proficiency using the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.