IELTS for study abroad
Which test
The universities in the table below that name a version of the test ask for IELTS Academic; Politecnico di Milano also accepts General Training. IELTS Academic is taken on computer, in Zagreb and Split, and costs €289. If you plan to study in the United Kingdom, also read the section on UK universities further down this page.
Which score
A few examples from universities’ official pages. Four of the ten universities in the table set a minimum score for each part of the test as well as an overall band score.
| Who asks | For what | Test | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of AmsterdamNetherlands | BSc Business Administration | IELTS Academic | overall 6.5at least 6.0 in each part |
| TU DelftNetherlands | English-taught BSc programmes | IELTS Academic | overall 6.5IELTS Online is not accepted; not required with a European secondary school diploma that includes a pass in English as a final examination subject |
| Maastricht UniversityNetherlands | bachelor’s programme European Law School | IELTS (the page names no version) | overall 6.0not required if you finished secondary education in an EU/EEA country |
| Aarhus UniversityDenmark | English-taught bachelor’s programmes (English B) | IELTS Academic | overall 6.5at least 6.0 in each section |
| Università BocconiItaly | English-taught bachelor’s programmes | IELTS Academic | overall 6.5at least 6.0 in every section |
| Politecnico di MilanoItaly | master’s programmes (Laurea Magistrale) | Academic or General Training | overall 6.0Academic or General Training |
| Universität WienAustria | proof of English at level B2 | IELTS Academic | overall 6.5 |
| University of TorontoCanada | undergraduate programmes | IELTS Academic | overall 6.5no band below 6.0 |
| Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Stomatološki fakultetCroatia | Dental Medicine in English | IELTS (the page names no version) | overall 6.5if previous education was not in English |
| Univerza v Ljubljani, Ekonomska fakultetaSlovenia | master’s programmes | IELTS (the page names no version) | overall 6.0 |
Examples from the institutions’ own pages, read on 13 October 2026. Requirements change: the institution’s page, linked from its name, is the one that counts.
Is your university not on the list? You will find its requirement on its admissions page for international students or in the official search tool for organisations that accept IELTS.
Application deadlines and when to take the test
These are the application deadlines for entry in autumn 2027, each with its official source. The British Council states that results of the test on computer arrive in one to five days, so beside each deadline we give our last test date that leaves at least a week before it.
18:00 UK time
UCAS · United Kingdom
Oxford, Cambridge, and most courses in medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine
18:00 UK time
UCAS · United Kingdom
most undergraduate courses in the United Kingdom
Our last date at least a week before the deadline: 19 December 2026 (Zagreb)
23:59 · the same date every year
Studielink · Netherlands
Dutch programmes with a limited number of places (numerus fixus)
Our last date at least a week before the deadline: 19 December 2026 (Zagreb)
15:00 Italian time
Università Bocconi · Italy
bachelor’s programmes, Winter Session (opens 25 November 2026)
Our last date at least a week before the deadline: 16 January 2027 (Zagreb)
17:00 · the same date every year
CAO · Ireland
undergraduate courses in Ireland, normal closing date
Our last date at least a week before the deadline: 16 January 2027 (Zagreb)
12:00 CET · the same date every year
optagelse.dk · Denmark
Danish programmes: quota 2 and applicants with a non-Danish qualification
Our last date at least a week before the deadline: 6 March 2027 (Zagreb)
23:59 · the same date every year
Studielink · Netherlands
Dutch programmes without a numerus fixus
Our last date at least a week before the deadline: 20 March 2027 (Zagreb)
Whether the result has to arrive by the application deadline or may be sent later varies from university to university. The University of Amsterdam, for example, requires the test to have been taken before the application deadline for its Business Administration programme. Leave yourself time, too, for the possibility of retaking one part. We have gathered all the deadlines and advice in the guide University application deadlines 2027.
UK universities
Croatian and Slovenian citizens need a Student visa to study in the United Kingdom for longer than six months, unless they already have status there under the EU Settlement Scheme. For study at degree level or above, the university may assess your English itself, so it also decides which test it accepts. The University of Oxford, for example, recommends IELTS Academic and also accepts IELTS for UKVI Academic. Before you book a test, ask the university which version it requires. More: IELTS for UKVI.
Exchanges and Erasmus+
For an exchange, some universities accept a statement instead of a test. The University of Amsterdam, for example, accepts from European students on bachelor’s programmes a statement of level B2 issued by the language centre of their home university or by a national agency; for master’s programmes it requires an official test. Ask the international office at your faculty what the host university requires.
Studying in English in Croatia and Slovenia
Some faculties in the region list IELTS too. The School of Dental Medicine of the University of Zagreb requires at least 6.5 for its Dental Medicine programme in English from applicants whose previous education was not in English, and the School of Economics and Business of the University of Ljubljana lists IELTS 6 for its master’s programmes. Links to their pages are in the table above.
IELTS Online and One Skill Retake
Not all universities accept them. TU Delft, for example, states that it does not accept IELTS Online. Before you book IELTS Online or One Skill Retake, check your university’s requirements.
Preparation
If you don’t know how far you are from the score you need, start with the free level check. The ways to prepare are described on the Preparation page.
Questions from future students
When is the best time to take IELTS for 2027 entry?
Early enough for the result to arrive before the application deadline and to leave you time to retake one part if you need to. The deadlines, and our test dates beside them, are on this page, in the section on deadlines.
Can the result be more than two years old?
That is for the university to decide. The IELTS partners recommend that organisations accept a result more than two years old only with evidence that the candidate has maintained their English, and some universities give an exact date: for entry to its Business Administration programme in September 2027, the University of Amsterdam does not accept tests taken before September 2025.
Am I too young for IELTS?
The British Council does not recommend IELTS for anyone under 16. For candidates under 18 it requires the written consent of a parent or guardian.