Medium of Instruction Letters: How ASEAN Students Can Waive IELTS or TOEFL Requirements
By Muntasir • Published Jan 25, 2026 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • Admissions & Applications, Study in Southeast Asia
A medium of instruction (MOI) letter is a signed statement from your school confirming your classes were taught in English. Some destination universities accept it in place of IELTS or TOEFL, but your student visa may still ask for a test separately.
🎓 Your school registrar or principal issues the letter, not a testing body.
It must state your study dates, subjects, and that English was the teaching language.
Singapore students qualify most reliably across ASEAN.
Malaysia depends on your school type, national curriculum schools rarely qualify.
📩 UK and Canadian universities accept MOI letters most often, US and Australian universities less often.
Medicine, nursing, law and other regulated-profession degrees almost always still need the test.
What a medium of instruction letter is
A medium of instruction letter is a short official document your school writes to confirm that your lessons, textbooks, and exams were in English. Universities use it as evidence of your English ability instead of an IELTS or TOEFL score. It works because the university treats years of English-medium schooling as proof you can study in English, without a separate test.
This differs from a language certificate. IELTS and TOEFL measure your current English level on a test day. An MOI letter only confirms where and how you were taught. A university that accepts one is making a judgment call that your school history is strong enough evidence on its own.
What the letter must include
Admissions offices reject vague letters. A usable MOI letter needs:
School letterhead, with a signature and stamp from the registrar, principal, or head of academic affairs.
Your full name and the exact dates you studied at that school.
A direct statement that English was the medium of instruction for your subjects, not just that English was one subject among many.
The qualification you completed there (SPM, O-Levels, A-Levels, IB Diploma, a bachelor's degree, and so on).
Ask your school's registrar's office for this specific document by name. Many schools already have a template because past students have requested the same letter.
Which ASEAN students typically qualify
Singapore
Singapore's Ministry of Education runs its entire curriculum in English from primary school onward, with Mother Tongue Language taught as a separate subject. This makes Singapore-educated students the strongest case in the region. Most universities in the UK, Canada, and Australia accept a Singapore-Cambridge GCE O-Level or A-Level certificate as English proof on its own, without a separate MOI letter.
Philippines
The Philippines runs a bilingual system. English is the medium of instruction for most subjects from the upper elementary grades through senior high school, while Filipino is used for a smaller set of subjects. At university level, most degree programs in science, business, and engineering are taught in English. A Philippine MOI letter works best when it lists which subjects were taught in English rather than making a blanket claim about the whole curriculum, since some destination universities check subject by subject.
Malaysia
Malaysia is the most mixed case. National schools (Sekolah Kebangsaan and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan) teach most subjects in Bahasa Melayu, with English as a compulsory subject rather than the medium of instruction. Students who finish SPM through the national system usually cannot get a waiver on an MOI letter alone. Students from international schools or private schools running Cambridge IGCSE, O-Levels, A-Levels, or an English-medium foundation or matriculation program have a stronger case, since those qualifications are already taught fully in English.
Other ASEAN countries
Students from Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Brunei who attended national curriculum schools in the local language generally need IELTS or TOEFL, since their coursework was not in English. Students from international or bilingual schools within these countries can request an MOI letter the same way Malaysian international-school students do, listing the specific years and subjects taught in English.
Where the waiver works, and where it does not
| Destination | University admission | Student visa |
|---|---|---|
| UK | Many universities accept MOI letters for admission | You still need a UKVI-approved Secure English Language Test (SELT) or the university's own English-taught-degree confirmation, unless you hold a passport from a majority English-speaking country on the Home Office list. Philippines, Singapore, and Malaysia are not on that list. |
| Canada | Many universities accept MOI letters, policy varies by school | Visa officers do not set a separate English test rule, but weak documentation can slow your study permit review |
| Australia | Fewer universities accept MOI letters, check each course page | Visa officers assess English ability as part of the Genuine Student requirement, and may ask for test evidence even if the university does not |
| United States | Some universities waive TOEFL for English-medium applicants, case by case | The F-1 visa itself has no separate English test requirement |
Check the immigration authority's own guidance before assuming a university waiver covers your visa too: UK Immigration Rules Appendix English Language and UKCISA's student route guidance both set out who is exempt.
How to request one
Email your school's registrar or exams office and name the document as a medium of instruction letter, not a transcript.
Give them the exact wording your target university asks for, copied from the university's own English requirements page.
Ask for the letter on official letterhead with a signature and stamp, and request a scanned copy plus the original by mail if the university needs a hard copy.
Submit it alongside your application, and keep a spare copy in case the visa stage asks for it too.
When you need to book the test anyway
Regulated programs such as medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and law almost always require a specific test score, because a professional council, not the university, sets the entry rule. If your target program leads to a licensed profession, check the licensing body's own English requirement before you skip IELTS or TOEFL. If a university has not published a clear MOI policy on its admissions page, email the admissions office directly and get the answer in writing before you decide not to register for a test.