I have applied for UCD and it has asked me to take English proficiency again. IS it advisable to take TOEFL or IELTS?

The university does not have a specific requirement of IELTS scores. The requirement can vary for different courses. It generally ranges between 7.0-8.0 for most courses. Some courses may also ask for 8.5. Students are advised to check the course page for the course they wish to pursue.

For Graduate courses, a score of 8.0 is usually required. Students with a IELTS score less than that, a TOEFL Speaking score less than 27, or DET score less than 125, have to take a language test at Princeton University USA.

Indian students who want to study at Heriot-Watt University Dubai are required to submit an IELTS score. Other equivalent test scores like TOEFL / PTE scores can also be submitted too. The minimum scores required in these tests at different study levels are given below: 

Many students find PTE easier because it is marked by a computer and uses templates. You can get a high score quickly if you practice the test pattern well. However the computer is very strict about your pronunciation during the speaking part.

The minimum IELTS scores depend on the level an international student is applying for at the University of Queensland. However, to become eligible for most of the UQ courses, the students would generally need an overall IELTS score of 6.5  and a  6.0 in all the other strands which are Reading, Listening, Reading and Writing. 

Other than IELTS, international students can also opt to go for exams given below, they would require minimum scores in these as well -

• PTE: 64 - 72
• TOEFL: 87 - 100

As per the latest research published by Pearson PTE in July 2025, the IELTS and PTE concordance were updated for this year. Hence, the PTE scores corresponding to an IELTS band score 7.0 lie in the range of 63-70.