If a student is planning to study in the UK, (s)he should be familiar with the UK entrance-exam requirements.
The UK exams required for admission are broadly divided into two categories – 1. Language Proficiency Test and 2. Academic Tests. The former tests the English proficiency and the latter evaluates knowledge in the subjects the students are willing to study.
English Language Proficiency test
English is an international language of communication and when it comes to a country where it is the first language, for example the UK, language proficiency test is mandatory to demonstrate ones’ language skills.
IELTS: International English Language Testing System is the pioneer of any language proficiency test and is widely accepted for assessing English language proficiency. Not only in the UK, IELTS test score is also recognized in countries like Canada, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, and some of the top study-abroad destinations.
The test is divided into four parts: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking for both the IELTS Academic Test takers and the General Training Test takers (General Training Test is for PR). The score is evaluated on a band score of 0-9, 9 band being the highest.
A band score of 6 in any particular module and overall, 6.5 is the minimum requirement in the universities of the UK. However, a band score of 6.5 to 7.5 is usually acceptable in each section.
The test duration is 2 hours and 30 minutes for LRW (Listening, Reading, and Writing) without any break in between and the Speaking test lasts for 11-14 minutes. Both the computer delivered and paper-based test are available. The application fee for IELTS is approximately INR 16,250-16,500.
PTE: The Pearson Test of English (PTE) is another English language proficiency test which is also accepted depending on the university one is applying to.
The PTE is an online exam to assess listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills.
It is divided into three parts: 1. Speaking and Writing, 2. Reading, and 3. Listening. An overall score of 60-70 out of 90 is required to secure admission with at least 60 in each section.
The test fee is approximately INR 15,900.
TOEFL: Test of English as Foreign Language is another widely recognised language proficiency test for the students to be eligible for admission in the universities of the UK. The total score is calculated on a range from 0 to 120, with 0 to 30 for each section i.e. listening, reading, writing, and speaking.
While Top-tier universities require a score of 110 or higher, Tier-1 and Tier-2 universities accept a score ranging from 82-90 or higher.
Approximately INR 16,000 need to be paid as application fee.
The TOEFL exam is available on two formats:
● TOEFL iBT test (online) – It is a computer-based test which can be taken from home or a designated center. The test duration is less than 2 and a half hours.
● Paper-based test (offline) – The paper-based test has three sections: listening, reading, and writing, which are taken in a designated test center, and the speaking test is taken online from home.
