IELTS Score Requirement to Study Abroad

IELTS score requirements to study abroad vary for different countries. When applying to study abroad many institutions require the prospective student to show proficiency in English. This is important because the medium of instruction in many countries is English and for a student to be successful in his or her education at the institute, he or she has to able to understand the language. IELTS or the International English Language Testing System is a method established in 1989 to test the English language proficiency of prospective students before they leave to study at a particular institution abroad. It is managed by the British Council, University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations and IDP Education Pty Ltd.  The IELTS score requirements to study abroad differs, depending on the country, course and institution.

The testing system and IELTS score requirements to study abroad

Let’s take a look at how this system works. There are two modules: Academic and General Training. The Academic module is what is required to apply for higher studies. The test consists of 04 areas, namely; Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. It tests the candidate’s level of   understanding many different accents of the language, the level of reading and understanding the vocabulary, the level of grammar and style of writing and the level of command of the language while speaking. This is very important from the academic point of view. There is no minimum mark, the candidate is given a score known as a band, ranging from 1 (minimum user) to 9 (expert user). The score is valid for 02 years, unless proven that the level has been maintained.

The requirement for countries of IELTS score requirements to study abroad

In general the requirement is higher to enter higher education institutions in English speaking countries.  The highest IELTS band score is required by the Graduate School of Journalism at the Columbia University, USA, which is 8.5. However the scores for most institutions in all countries range between 5.5 and 7.0, for example Australia and Canada. Some institutions ask for a less score of around 4.5 as well, but this is not common. The scores are generally higher when it is a Master’s program and lower for Bachelor’s program. The subjects that a prospective student is interested in studying may also have a special score requirement, like the course for journalism spoken about before for example. To see if the institution accepts IELTS and the requirement please visit the site www.ieltsessentials.com/results/who_accepts_ielts.aspx. Alternatively visiting the specific institutions website or contacting the institution directly will help in obtaining the IELTS requirement specific for the institution and course.

IELTS score requirements to study abroad is very important when deciding to study abroad. There are however prospective students who are exempt from showing English language proficiency. To get to know if you are exempt or not it is imperative that you start your research now. That is how we come to find out the IELTS score requirements to study abroad.