Test preparation
Sit the right test, once
The most expensive mistake in test preparation is not a low score — it is preparing for months for a test your university or your visa route does not accept. Start by choosing correctly.
English language
Proving your English
Four tests, accepted differently by different institutions and different immigration authorities. Confirm both before you book.
IELTS
EnglishInternational English Language Testing System
The most widely accepted English test across all six of our destinations, and the only one accepted for every visa route we work with.
Scored Band 1 to Band 9, in half-band increments
About IELTSPTE Academic
EnglishPearson Test of English Academic
A fully computer-based English test with fast results and automated scoring — popular with students who prefer no face-to-face speaking interview.
Scored 10 to 90 on the Global Scale of English
About PTE AcademicDuolingo English Test
EnglishDuolingo English Test (DET)
Taken online from home, usually the cheapest and fastest option — but acceptance varies more than any other test, and that is the thing to check first.
Scored 10 to 160, in 5-point increments
About Duolingo English TestTOEFL
EnglishTest of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT)
Long the standard for US admissions, and still the test many American universities know best.
Scored 0 to 120 total, with each of the four sections scored 0 to 30
About TOEFLAdmission tests
Tests for competitive admission
Required or recommended for undergraduate and graduate entry, mostly in the United States — and frequently what decides funding.
SAT
AdmissionScholastic Assessment Test (Digital SAT)
Used for undergraduate admission in the USA — now fully digital, adaptive and shorter than the test your seniors sat.
Scored 400 to 1600 total, combining two sections scored 200 to 800 each
About SATGRE
AdmissionGraduate Record Examinations General Test
Used for graduate admission, particularly in the USA — and often the difference between an offer and a funded offer.
Scored Verbal 130–170 and Quantitative 130–170 in one-point increments, plus Analytical Writing 0–6 in half-point increments
About GREGMAT
AdmissionGraduate Management Admission Test (GMAT Focus Edition)
The business school admission test — now the shorter, restructured Focus Edition, with data insights replacing the old essay.
Scored 205 to 805 total, in 10-point increments
About GMATChoosing between them
The questions worth answering before you pay for anything.
Check acceptance before you prepare
Acceptance for admission and acceptance for a student visa are two separate questions, and a yes to one is not a yes to the other. This catches out Duolingo candidates most often, and UK applicants below degree level who book a standard IELTS instead of an approved SELT.
IELTS Academic, not General Training
General Training is for migration and work. It will not satisfy a university admission requirement, and it is one of the most common and most expensive booking errors students make.
Take a diagnostic before choosing
Students often perform noticeably better in one test format than another — typically because of how speaking is assessed. A diagnostic in two formats costs one session and can save months.
Check both the overall and the section minimums
Many universities set an overall requirement and a minimum in each band or section. A strong overall score with one weak component can still fall short of the requirement.
Not sure which test to sit?
Tell us where you are applying and we will tell you which tests are accepted for both admission and the visa — then help you pick the format that suits how you actually perform.