Which test is required for study abroad?

DEVIL

Planning to study abroad? The tests you need depend on your target country, course, and level of study (undergraduate, postgraduate, etc.). Here’s a complete breakdown

1. English Language Proficiency Tests

Most universities in English-speaking countries require one of the following:

Test	Purpose	Accepted In
IELTS	English proficiency	UK , Australia, Canada, Europe, NZ, USA
TOEFL	English proficiency	USA , Canada, some UK/European universities
PTE Academic	English proficiency	Australia, NZ, some UK/US/Canada universities
Duolingo English Test	English proficiency (alternative)	Increasingly accepted worldwide

2. Standardized Academic Tests

For Undergraduate Courses

Test	Description	Mainly for
SAT	Tests math, reading, writing	USA, some Canada/Europe
ACT	Similar to SAT	USA, some Canada

For Postgraduate Courses

Test	Description	Mainly for
GRE	For MS/MA/PhD in sciences & humanities	USA, some Europe & Canada
GMAT	For MBA & business-related programs	USA, Europe, Canada, Singapore
LSAT	For law school	USA, Canada, Australia
MCAT	For medical school	USA, Canada, Australia

3. Country-Specific Tests

Country	Test(s)
Germany	TestAS (for UG), sometimes GRE
France	TEF/TCF (for French-taught programs)
Japan	EJU (for UG admissions)

Summary at a Glance

Country	Common Required Tests
USA	TOEFL/IELTS, SAT/GRE/GMAT
Canada	IELTS/TOEFL, SAT/GRE/GMAT
UK	IELTS/PTE, UCAT (for medicine), GMAT
Australia	IELTS/PTE, GMAT
Germany	IELTS, TestAS, sometimes GRE
France	IELTS, TEF/TCF
New Zealand	IELTS, PTE

Course Level & Preferred Tests

Level	Preferred Tests
Undergraduate	SAT, ACT, IELTS, TOEFL
Postgraduate	GRE (MS/MA), GMAT (MBA), IELTS, TOEFL
MBA	GMAT (preferred), GRE (also accepted), IELTS, TOEFL
PhD / Research	GRE (and subject tests), IELTS, TOEFL
Medicine (MBBS/MD)	MCAT (USA/Canada), UCAT/BMAT (UK), NEET (India)
Law (LLB/LLM)	LSAT (USA/Canada), LNAT (UK), IELTS, TOEFL

Let’s Discuss!

Want personalized advice based on your country of interest and course? Drop your details below, and I’ll help you out with a tailored suggestion!

Ravindra

Is it possible to study abroad without clearing IELTS/TOEFL?

AnkitTiwari

Ravindra Yes, it is possible 👍- you can study abroad without clearing IELTS/TOEFL, but it depends on the country, and many public universities allow admission if you studied in English previously or can provide a Medium of Instruction (MOI) certificate.

kajal_123

How long are TOEFL/IELTS/GRE scores valid? Do I need to retake them if admission is delayed?

Tarun

kajal_123 Here’s the breakdown for score validity:
(i) TOEFL → Valid for 2 years from the test date.
(ii) IELTS (Academic/General) → Valid for 2 years from the test date.
(iii) GRE (General/Subject Tests) → Valid for 5 years from the test date.

What this means for you:
(i) If your admission is delayed but still within the validity period, you don’t need to retake the test.
(ii) If the university requires scores valid at the time of admission (not just application) and your score expires before enrollment, you may need to retake it.
(iii) Some universities are strict (score must be valid on the date of admission), while others accept scores valid at the time of application.

NehaM

Give detail about GMAT.

harshs

NehaM GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) ek international-level entrance exam hai jo MBA aur management programs ke liye diya jaata hai. Iska uddeshya students ki analytical, verbal, quantitative aur writing skills ko evaluate karna hota hai. Is exam ko GMAC (Graduate Management Admission Council) conduct karta hai aur yeh computer-based hota hai jisme 4 sections hote hain: Analytical Writing, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning aur Verbal Reasoning. GMAT ka score 200 se 800 ke beech hota hai aur yeh score 5 saal tak valid rehta hai. Yeh exam kaafi competitive hota hai aur top B-schools jaise Harvard, Wharton, INSEAD, aur kuch IIMs bhi ise accept karte hain. GMAT ki fees lagbhag ₹22,000 hoti hai aur iske liye online registration hoti hai. Achha score paane ke liye focused preparation aur time management zaroori hai.