Entrance Exams for Indian Students to Study Abroad  – The idea of studying abroad brings so much excitement. The process is long and involves several things to be done, like finding the right course, choosing the right college, filling out the application forms, taking up necessary entrance tests, preparing necessary documents, and so much more.

Why take entrance exams for Indian Students to Study Abroad?

Grading systems are different in different countries across the world. These entrance exams have a common assessment ground while admitting students from different educational backgrounds and grading systems. 

The tests that you will have to take in order to be eligible to study abroad are specified by the host country and the educational institution based on the course that you are opting for. 

These tests can be broadly classified into English tests, general graduate eligibility tests, and specified field tests.

• English Tests assess your proficiency in the English language. Most native English-speaking countries require their international students from non-native English-speaking countries to take this test because you’ll need to know the language day in and day out to survive in that country.
• General Graduate Eligibility tests assess your overall aptitude and reasoning ability. They are generally set as requirements for graduate or undergraduate programs to ensure you have the acumen to pursue the degree program.
• Specified field tests: You can take these tests to prove your acumen for a particular field like medicine, Law, etc. 

Here are eight exams for Indian students to study abroad:

PTE

Pearson Test of English is an English assessment test accepted by over 3000 colleges and universities across the globe. 

This is a computer-based test with a duration of two hours. It assesses your English speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills. 

The test is accepted as a qualifying test for admission to many courses across domains. Various English-speaking countries, like Australia, the UK, New Zealand, etc, accept this test for granting visas to non-native English-speaking immigrants.

PTE tests are conducted Several times a year. You can take this test from one of the 35 test centres in India by booking the test schedule at least a month before the test date.

SAT

The Scholastic Assessment Test is a multiple-choice question test administered by the college board. High school students who wish to pursue their undergraduate degree in colleges/universities in the USA and Canada take this test to prove their skills through standardised tests.

The test is conducted in more than 30 cities in India seven times a year. It assesses your English language and mathematics acumen through two sections- mathematics and reading & writing. The test is scored on a maximum of 1600 points.

The digital version of the test is 2 hours and 14 minutes long, while the pen-and-paper version is 3 hours long. 

TOEFL

TOEFL is another English language test. It stands for Test Of English as a Foreign Language. This test is accepted by more than 12,000 institutions across 160 countries. You can take it online, from a test centre, or from the comfort of your home. It is one of the most popular exams for Indian students who want to study abroad.

There are two types of TOEFL tests – 

The TOEFL iBT test: A test for academic English

TOEFL Essentials: An engaging format to test general English

The iBT test is 2 hours long, while the Essentials test is 1.5 hours long. However, the TOEFL iBT test is widely accepted by institutions.

The academic test assesses your English proficiency in four sections: speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

GMAT

The graduate admission test is the most widely accepted assessment test for graduate degrees in Business. 

This exam can be taken online from test centres or at home on your computer( if it adheres to all the requirements). Though a few centres provide pen-and-paper tests, online tests are prevalent. These are relevant exams for Indian students who are planning to study abroad for an MBA or any master’s degree.

The test is accepted in the USA, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, and France.

The online GMAT is a computer-adaptive test, which means the questions are not predetermined. Suppose the first question is of average difficulty, and you answer it correctly. In that case, the next question will be of higher difficulty, and so on, the difficulty level of the questions will be adjusted accordingly. 

The total test duration is 3 hours 7 minutes, excluding two optional 8-minute breaks. You will be assessed in 4 sections – integrated reasoning, verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing. 

GRE

The Graduate Record Exam assesses your ability to pursue a graduate degree program. GRE is a general test that is mandatory for a few courses, while other courses do not require GRE.

The GRE has two categories- the general test and the subject test. 

However, the most commonly taken test is the general test, which consists of three sections that test your ability to verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing.

You can take the subject test to prove your knowledge of individual subjects of mathematics, physics, and psychology. 

The total duration of the GRE general test is 1 hour and 58 minutes, excluding the breaks. The mathematics test is 2 hours and 50 minutes long, while the physics and psychology tests are 2 hours each. 

More than 90 colleges and universities worldwide accept GRE scores for various graduate programs like business, engineering, law, etc.,

IELTS

The International Language English Language Testing System is yet another popular English language test conducted by the British Council, IDP and the University of Cambridge. Also, one of the popular exams for Indian students to study abroad.

You can choose between computer-based testing and paper-based testing. Both tests are 2 hours and 45 minutes long.

Based on your level of education, you can choose between the IELTS academic and IELTS general training tests.

Suppose you are trying to pursue your higher education or a course at a university. In that case, the IELTS academic test is advisable, and if you are pursuing any course below graduation level in a college or school, you can opt for the IELTS general training test.  

The IELTS test assesses your reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. IELTS score is accepted in over 140 countries like Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, the US etc. What if you don’t have an IELTS exam qualification, then you can still Study in UK without IELTS.

LSAT

The Law School Admission Council conducts the Law School Admission Test as a standardised test for students who want to pursue law. Great exams for Indian students to study abroad who want to pursue a career in law.

This test is accepted by many countries, especially the US, the UK and Australia. The top universities worldwide require you to take the LSAT to qualify for admission.

This test assesses the core qualities required for law school success: persuasive writing, analytical and logical reasoning, and reading comprehension.

The test has two sections, one of which is a multiple-choice questions section comprised of reading comprehension and analytical and logical reasoning.

The other section is LSAT writing, where a decision-making problem is presented, and you must choose between the courses of action. You must defend your choice (know that a copy of your answer will be sent to the law schools you apply to). The Multiple-choice questions take 2 hours and 30 minutes. At the same time, the remote online proctored LSAT written test takes 35 minutes.

ACT

The American College Testing assessment is taken by students planning to pursue their undergraduate studies. Undergraduate schools in the US and Canada mostly accept this test to intake students. 

This is similar to the SAT, but the ACT also assesses your science, English, and Mathematics knowledge, while the SAT only assesses English and Mathematics.

This online assessment test is 2 hours and 55 minutes long and is conducted a few times yearly between September and July.

Many famous colleges and universities are removing mandatory entrance exams for student intake. Yet, there is a significant rise in the number of students taking these exams because they are a means to prove their skills and gain an added advantage over those who haven’t. 

Play it wise. Research the application requirements for each college/university you are applying to, know the test they are accepting, and know the intake percentage of students who have taken any particular test before deciding which test to take or if you want to take a test at all!

Want to Study Abroad?

Studying abroad is the dream of many students in India, and they prefer to go to the USA, the UK, and Dubai for higher education. However, higher studies abroad are quite expensive, and to ease the cost of tuition, SecuremyScholarship is here to help you. We focus on making education accessible and affordable to every student worldwide. That’s why we can give you exclusive and guaranteed scholarships for your degree. Also, we have great offers. We can provide additional discounts if you have a qualified IELTS exam.

Get in touch with our admission counsellors; they can guide you through the entire application form process to VISA. Fill out the form today!