MOI certificate for Nepali students: skip IELTS the right way

One free letter from your college can replace a NPR 33,000 IELTS exam at universities that accept it. Here is the exact wording that gets accepted, a copy-paste template, and the mistakes that get letters rejected.

What is an MOI certificate, exactly?

An MOI certificate is an official letter from your university stating that your degree programme was delivered and examined in English. It is not a language test result. It is your university telling a foreign admissions office: this student's entire degree was in English, so you do not need a separate English exam.

For Nepali students, this matters because almost every bachelor's programme at Tribhuvan University and its affiliated colleges is taught and examined in English already. The document you need may already be true of your degree — you just need it stated in the right words, by the right office.

Which universities actually accept it?

MOI acceptance is always programme-specific and intake-specific. Two official policies we verified on 29 September 2026:

• Politecnico di Milano (Italy). Their official admissions requirements state: "If your bachelor degree was taught in English, you may upload a document certified by your university attesting the teaching language instead of the language certificate." Check your programme's page before applying: PoliMi official requirements.
• University of Saskatchewan (Canada). Their graduate studies policy accepts "a minimum of three consecutive years of full-time study ... where the exclusive language of instruction and examination of the program and/or institution is English" as proof of English proficiency. If your university is listed in the WHED database with English as its only language of instruction, no extra document is needed; otherwise you need an official letter from the Dean's or Registrar's office. Note the fine print: the academic unit can still demand a test, so email the department first. USask official policy.

Two more worth knowing from our earlier research (checked 27 September 2026): the University of Milan invites applicants without an English certificate to a free remote English entry test instead of demanding a paid test — the 2027/28 call is expected in spring 2027 (apply.unimi.it), and Memorial University's Master of Employment Relations accepts an MOI letter from a recognised English-medium institution. Always re-confirm for your intake year.

See also our Chevening 2027 guide if you are weighing a UK route instead.

What exact wording must the letter have?

The single most rejected version of this letter says: "The medium of instruction was English." That is not enough. Admissions offices look for four things, and the first one is the phrase that does the heavy lifting.

Why does the wording matter so much?

Because foreign admissions offices reject vague letters daily. The four requirements, each one load-bearing:

1. "Taught AND examined, exclusively in English." "Medium of instruction was English" is the #1 reason MOI letters get rejected — it says nothing about examinations, and universities like USask explicitly require both.
2. Study dates and the exact degree title. The office needs to match the letter to your transcript. "Bachelor of Business Administration, 2021–2025" works; "completed his studies" does not.
3. The right signature and the seal. The Registrar's or Controller of Examinations' signature with the university seal. A letter signed only by your department head is routinely treated as insufficient.
4. A verifiable contact. The official email and phone of the issuing office. Admissions offices do verify these letters; a letter they cannot verify is a letter they ignore.

How do I get one from my college in Nepal?

1. Go to the right office. For TU students, that is the Controller of Examinations' office (for affiliated colleges, start with your college administration, which forwards it). Ask specifically for a "Medium of Instruction certificate stating the programme was taught and examined exclusively in English."
2. Bring your documents. Citizenship copy, bachelor's transcript or provisional certificate, and your registration number. Some offices want a written application; write one sentence stating the purpose ("for master's application abroad").
3. Check the draft before they seal it. Read the letter before the seal goes on. Make sure the phrase "taught and examined exclusively in English" is in there, the dates and degree title are exact, and the contact details are correct. Asking for a reprint after sealing wastes weeks.
4. Start early. Give the office at least two to three weeks. This is a document you want in hand before application portals open, not something you chase during a deadline week.

What are the 3 mistakes that get MOI letters rejected?

1. The one-line letter. "This is to certify that the medium of instruction was English." No dates, no degree title, no examination mention. Rejected.
2. The wrong signatory. Signed by a lecturer or department head with no seal. Admissions offices want the Registrar or Controller — the office that owns your academic records.
3. The unverifiable letter. No office email, no phone, no seal. If they cannot check it, they will not trust it.

Tags: MOI certificate, medium of instruction, no IELTS, study abroad Nepal, Politecnico di Milano, University of Saskatchewan