Know exactly which test your shortlisted universities accept, what score you need, and how long to give yourself — before you book anything.
Most students book IELTS because everyone around them did. But acceptance differs by country, university and sometimes by individual department — and the test that suits your strengths may not be the one your friend took.
We start from your actual shortlist. Which tests do those universities accept? What scores do they publish? Does the visa route for that country impose its own English requirement, separate from the university's? Only then does it make sense to choose a test and a date.
Booking the wrong test, or sitting it too late, is one of the most common and most avoidable reasons students miss an intake.
Which English or entrance test your shortlisted universities and visa route actually accept.
The score each of your programmes publishes, including any per-section minimums.
When to sit the test so results arrive before your application and visa deadlines.
How to structure your study time around your current commitments.
What to do if your score falls short of a programme's requirement.
How to send official results to universities and where they are needed in your application.
We check which tests your target universities and destination accept.
Including per-section minimums, which catch out more students than the overall score.
Matched to your strengths, timeline, budget and test-centre availability.
Working backwards from your application and visa deadlines.
Structured preparation, then the test itself.
Send official results to each university that needs them.
Fill your details and our experts will contact you within 24 hours.
Tell us where you are applying and we will tell you which test to take, what score to target and when to sit it.
The right answer depends on your destination, your universities and your own strengths — not on which test is best known.
IELTS, TOEFL, PTE and the Duolingo English Test
All four assess reading, writing, listening and speaking, but they differ in format, scoring, how quickly results arrive and — crucially — which institutions and visa routes accept them.
Some visa routes require a test from an approved list that is narrower than what the university accepts. Always check both.
GRE and GMAT
Required by some postgraduate and business programmes, optional at others, and waived entirely by a growing number. Sitting one you don't need costs time and money; skipping one you do need costs you the application.
SAT and ACT
Mainly relevant for undergraduate applications to the USA and a handful of other destinations. Many universities have moved to test-optional policies, so check each one rather than assuming.
The requirement students most often miss
A university may ask for an overall band of 6.5 but also a minimum of 6.0 in each section. Students who clear the overall score but drop below in one section are frequently rejected — and only discover the rule afterwards.
We check per-section minimums for every programme on your shortlist before you book.
A general orientation only. Formats, fees and acceptance change — confirm current details with the test provider and each university.
| Test | Typical Use | What to Check |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | Widely accepted across the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Europe | Whether the university needs Academic or the visa route needs a specific IELTS version |
| TOEFL iBT | Common for the USA and widely accepted elsewhere | Whether your destination's visa route accepts it |
| PTE Academic | Accepted by many universities and several visa routes | Acceptance at your specific universities |
| Duolingo English Test | Accepted by a growing number of universities | Acceptance varies a lot — verify per university, and for the visa separately |
Test acceptance is decided by each university and immigration authority, and changes between intakes.
You cannot know which test to take until you know where you are applying.
Clearing the overall band but dropping below in one section still means rejection at many universities.
Results take time to arrive and to reach universities. Work backwards from your deadlines.
Some visa routes have their own approved list, narrower than the university's.
Understand which section pulled the score down before booking again.