Exams & fee waivers, without the guesswork

The Duolingo English Test is usually the cheapest option, around US$65, and it's taken entirely from home on your own computer with no test-centre travel. IELTS and TOEFL typically run US$200-310 depending on the country, since they include a supervised test-centre session (or a proctored at-home option for TOEFL). The catch with Duolingo is acceptance, it's recognized by thousands of universities and scholarship programs now, but not universally, so check your specific target institutions' admissions page before booking anything. If a program explicitly lists IELTS or TOEFL and doesn't mention Duolingo, email their admissions office and ask directly rather than assuming.

Often yes, through one of two common routes. First, a Medium of Instruction (MOI) letter: if your previous degree was taught entirely in English, your university's registrar can issue an official letter confirming that, and many scholarship and university programs accept this in place of a test score. Second, some programs accept the lower-cost Duolingo English Test instead of IELTS/TOEFL. A smaller number of programs waive the English requirement entirely for applicants from certain countries or educational backgrounds. None of this is automatic, you have to check the specific program's language-requirements page (usually under "Admission Requirements" or "English Proficiency") and request the waiver explicitly, it's rarely offered without being asked.

Not always, and the trend has been moving away from requiring them. Many Master's and PhD programs, especially since 2020, are test-optional (you can submit a score if you have one, but it's not required) or waive the requirement entirely for applicants with several years of relevant work experience, a strong existing academic record, or a professional certification in the field. Business schools in particular increasingly accept alternatives like the Executive Assessment for experienced applicants. The only way to know for certain is the specific program's admissions requirements page, since policy varies enormously between institutions and even between departments at the same university.

No, and they shouldn't be treated as exact. The fees shown on this page are typical ranges because pricing varies by country (a test administered in the US often costs more than the same test in South Asia or Sub-Saharan Africa, for instance), and providers do raise prices over time. Test availability, registration deadlines, and score-reporting timelines also shift and can vary by test centre. Always confirm the current date, exact local price, and registration deadline directly on the official provider's website (linked next to each test above) before you commit to a test date, especially if you're timing it against a scholarship application deadline.

For someone already reasonably fluent in English, 4-8 weeks of focused preparation is typical, covering practice tests, timing drills for each section, and targeted work on your weakest skill (writing and speaking are the two most people underprepare for, since reading and listening are easier to self-study). If English is a genuinely new or weak skill for you, realistic preparation can take several months of sustained study rather than weeks. The test format matters too, both exams are heavily practiced-based (knowing the exact question types and timing cold matters as much as raw English ability), so working through official past papers is usually more valuable than general English study alone.

It depends entirely on the specific program, there's no universal passing score. As rough benchmarks: undergraduate programs commonly ask for IELTS 6.0-6.5 or TOEFL 70-90, while graduate and PhD programs often require IELTS 6.5-7.5 or TOEFL 90-105, and highly competitive scholarships or programs in fields like law or journalism can ask for IELTS 7.5+ . Always check the exact minimum on the specific program's own admissions page, since the same university can set different thresholds for different departments or degree levels, and a score that clears one program's bar can fall short of another's.

Yes, all of these tests allow retakes, though rules on timing differ. IELTS and the Duolingo English Test can generally be retaken as soon as you want (subject to seat availability and, for IELTS, sometimes a short mandatory gap set by the test centre). TOEFL requires a minimum gap between attempts. GRE and GMAT allow retakes but cap how many times you can sit the test within a rolling 12-month period and over your lifetime, so check the current limit before planning multiple attempts. Most universities and scholarship programs accept your highest score, but a few average multiple attempts or ask you to report all of them, so check that program's policy before retaking purely to chase a higher number.

IELTS Academic is what university and scholarship applications require, it tests academic-style reading passages and asks you to describe a chart, graph, or diagram in the Writing section. IELTS General Training is designed for immigration, work, and secondary-education purposes, it uses everyday, workplace-style texts and asks you to write a letter rather than describe data. The Listening and Speaking sections are identical between both versions. If you're applying to a university or scholarship program, you need the Academic version specifically, General Training scores aren't accepted for that purpose even though it's technically the same overall exam brand.