UK Admissions

Tongue-Twisters: An Essai Guide to the TOEFL & IELTS Exams

brace-yourself-ielts-5c14f7.jpg

If you are planning to study abroad in an English-speaking country for your Bachelor’s Degree or Master’s Degree, you will most likely have to submit either an IELTS or TOEFL score. The TOEFL and IELTS are two of the most widely-accepted tests to certify your English proficiency, which determine your English level by assessing your reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. 

So, what exactly is the IELTS?

IELTS is an abbreviation for International English Language Testing System. The test is available in two formats: ‘IELTS Academic’, for those planning to study at a higher education level abroad; and ‘IELTS General Training’, which focuses on social skills and workplace contexts. In this piece, we will focus on IELTS Academic.

The IELTS test uses British English and consists of four parts: reading, listening, writing and speaking. It takes two hours and 45 minutes to complete, including transfer time from one section to the next. In India, the IELTS exam is offered by two institutions: the British Council and an Australian organization known as the IDP. At essai, we prefer to use the services of IDP, as they offer both a paper-based IELTS exam in addition to the computer-based IELTS exam. Additionally, the design of the IDP tests allows you to send all of your scores through an online portal. In contrast, if you take the exam administered by the British Council, you have to physically send your documents and a demand draft signed by your bank to the British Council office in Gurgaon in order to send your scores.

And what about the TOEFL?

TOEFL is an acronym for Test of English as a Foreign Language. It is an English proficiency test, developed by an American company, ETS, to measure an individual’s reading, speaking, writing, and listening proficiency in American English. There are two methods of taking this test; it can be taken as a Paper-Based Test (TOEFL PBT) or an Internet-Based Test (TOEFL IBT); TOEFL IBT, however, is more popular. The test takes four hours to complete. 

Comparing IELTS and TOEFL

For the UK, you can submit a TOEFL score for your application; however, only the IELTS UKVI, is accepted to support the UK Visa and Immigration application. But for Canada and the US, both the TOEFL or IELTS will work across all universities. For admissions purposes, both have equal weightage — however, if you are determined to attend a UK university, you’re better off with IELTS.

But do you really need to take these exams?

Kind of. Most colleges require you to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores if you do not hold a degree from a U.S. institution or from one of the English speaking countries (India doesn’t count). This might seem odd to you, as English has probably been the primary medium of instruction at school throughout our academic journey. Along with this, you’ve probably also taken the ACT or SAT examinations (which already test your skills in English). It is important to note therefore, that while the system is flawed, there are some ways in which you can get around these requirements.   

It is possible for you to request a waiver for these English language proficiency exams — but first, you are expected to satisfy different conditions by different universities. Sometimes you can be automatically exempted, based on ACT/SAT score; sometimes, you have to send in an English Proficiency Certificate; sometimes, you have to write and request a waiver; and sometimes, you simply have to take the TOEFL/IELTS.

Depending on the the university requirements, you may be required to specify the particulars if not already covered as an automatic exemption. In such cases, the admissions committees will most likely evaluate the validity of the waiver request on a case by case basis. Here’s a list that covers the TOEFL/IELTS waiver policy of different universities:

College Name Score Exemption Policy Form / Admissions Email
Babson SAT Evidence Based Reading and Writing: 650 or higher
ACT English: 27 or higher
ugradadmission@babson.edu
Bentley Earned a score of 650 or higher on the SAT Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing section. Earned an ACT reading and English score of 29 or higher. ugadmission@bentley.edu
Boston College You score 650 or above on the SAT EBRW or 29 or better on the ACT English section. bclawadm@bc.edu.
Boston Uni Waiver requests must be received by the application deadline and must accompany a complete application (no specific exemption policy) admissions@bu.edu
Brown Brown does not require a test of English proficiency, but our most competitive applicants whose main language of instruction throughout high school is not English will submit the IELTS/TOEFL. admission@brown.edu
Boston Uni Waiver requests must be received by the application deadline and must accompany a complete application (no specific exemption policy) admissions@bu.edu
Chapman 600 on the SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. 24 on both the ACT English and Reading sections (studying in English schools makes them automatically review you for a waiver) admit@chapman.edu
Claremont Mckenna A waiver can be granted for students whose primary language of instruction throughout high school was English. admission@claremontmckenna.edu
CMU No Waiver admission@andrew.cmu.edu
Cornell A score of at least 35 on the SAT Reading Test OR a score of 30 or higher on both the ACT Reading and English Sections. admissions@cornell.edu
Dartmouth If you currently attend a secondary or post-secondary academic program conducted in English, then this testing requirement is waived. admissions.reply@dartmouth.edu
Emory SAT Evidence Based Reading and Writing: 700+
ACT English: 30+
4 years in English school
admission@emory.edu
GWU SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing or Critical Reasoning: 650+
ACT English: 29+
gwadm@gwu.edu
University of Indiana SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing - 560
ACT English section - 21
Northwestern English-medium school will qualify kids for waiver admission@northwestern.edu
Notre Dame SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 650+
ACT English or Reading: 26+
admissions@nd.edu
NYU Your education has been completed entirely in schools/colleges/universities where the language of instruction is English. admissions.ops@nyu.edu
Santa Clara ACT Reading: 27 and ACT English: 27
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 630
admission@scu.edu
UMass Amherst Entire secondary education (four years) is at a school where English is the primary language of instruction and the British or American curriculum is followed mail@admissions.umass.edu
UNC-Chapel Hill Waiver granted on case-by-case basis unchelp@admissions.unc.edu
UPenn No Waiver info@admissions.upenn.edu
USC 650 on the SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing exam (redesigned SAT) OR 27 on the ACT English exam admissions@usc.edu
admitusc@usc.edu

No GMAT? No Problem!

With a large number of management degrees in the UK, it can get overwhelming to select the best one for you. Add to that the stress of giving the GRE or GMAT? Forget about it.

Here’s essai’s list of the top 5 GMAT-optional business degrees in the UK to make selecting your Master’s degree radically easier than before.

Quad25Nov08_05_EDITED.jpg

MSc in Management – University College London
UCL’s one-year Master’s degree is highly competitive. Depending on whether you’ve studied business before, you can choose to pursue one of two pathways -- Finance and Corporate. Through a series of taught modules and a substantive research project, you can expect to develop a robust understanding of managerial issues from practical perspectives grounded in contemporary theoretical debates in the sectors.

t_374-1.jpg

MSc in Management – CASS Business School, City, University of London
This scholastically rigorous academic programme will equip you with the skill set you need for rapid personal and professional development. Through some exciting electives, you will gain practical experience beyond the walls of the classroom. For 12 months, you will have the opportunity to enhance technical skills in analysing problems, thinking critically, and strategizing businesses alongside soft skills in working effectively with teams, and leading and managing people. Essentially, this programme is designed to help you emerge as a global business leader.

ImperialBiz_350x350.jpg

MSc in Management – Imperial College Business School
This year-long degree in Management will prepare you for a wide array of careers in fields ranging from management consulting to professional services. Imperial’s management programme is consistently ranked amongst the best in the world, and this phenomenal reputation (combined with strong relationships with employers from leading international organisations) will further grant you access to prestigious professional experiences. With a very impressive placement rate, Imperial is committed to delivering skilled managers for greater social good.

57b32e6b4.jpg

MSc in International Management – King’s College London
Perfect for graduates with less than two years of work experience, King’s College London’s MSc in International Management is open for students from a wide range of academic backgrounds, with a preference for candidates with prior leadership experience in high school and university. A highly demanding (and consequently rewarding) programme which culminates in a dissertation, this MSc will help you acquire a deep understanding of the complex socio-political, economic, and cultural environments within which modern businesses function.

ImperialBiz_350x350.jpg

MSc in Business Analytics – Imperial College Business School
Imperial’s MSc in Business Analytics leverages contemporary industry’s heavy reliance on big data to arrive at evidence-based decisions. Needless to say, the programme content is grounded in intensive quantitative and technical training; however, you will also have the chance to apply these skills in sector-focused electives and projects. With core modules in econometrics, database technologies, and artificial intelligence, this course represents the perfect convergence of technology and business for effective decision-making.