Tests Required to Apply to USA

Understand Tests Required to Apply to USA for programs such as MBA, Masters, Bachelors.

MBA in USA:

You need to appear for two tests – either GMAT or GRE (which is also being accepted now in lieu of GMAT) and TOEFL or IELTS

Masters in USA:

You need to appear for two tests - GRE and TOEFL or IELTS

Bachelors in USA:

You need to appear for two tests - SAT or ACT and IELTS or TOEFL. Your English language test ie. TOEFL or IELTS can be waived by many US Universities if you are an IBDP student

Certificate Programs in USA:

You need to appear for only your English language test ie. either TOEFL or IELTS. No GMAT or GRE is required

TOEFL:

TOEFL is recognized by 9000+ colleges. It’s a test of how well you can understand and use English language. The 4 components of the TOEFL test are Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. There are more than 50 test dates available annually. ETS (the body that organized the TOEFL) offers some free and paid material for you to prepare. We recommend – watching movies from Hollywood, striking up conversations with strangers while on public transport and learning how to use that new word you learned in a sentence correctly. To learn more about TOEFL, click here

IELTS Academic:

British Council (UK), IDP (Australia) and Cambridge English Language Assessment came together to create this test of English. IELTS has the same 4 components as TOEFL – Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking but, the 1st three will be conducted on the same day and the speaking test can be 7 days before or after this. The tests dates are up to 3 times a month.

GRE ($195 and additional score reports $27):

It’s a computer delivered test conducted by ETS, the same body that conducts the TOEFL. It tests your verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing. Irrespective of your educational background, the GRE acts as a common measure of comparison for universities. A score of 320+ means you’re looking at the top schools. ETS provides free and paid preparation material through their website. You will have to take this for almost all post graduate courses in the USA unless you’re looking at a management degree, in which case the GMAT is the preference. Most universities do accept both. To learn more about GRE, click here.

GMAT ($250) –

Quite simply, this exam will showcase your skill set. Most universities rely on your GMAT score to predict how well you will do in class. It’s a 3 hour 30 minutes exam that tests your analytical writing, integrated reasoning, quantitative skills and verbal skills. The GMAT website offers a variety of preparation material. If you get a score of 650+, you will get into the top universities. Keep in mind that this is a test requires practice, the more mock tests you give, the better you will become. To learn more about GMAT, click here.

SAT –

This is a test of your readiness for college, testing your critical reading, writing and math. Most students take this in Std. 11, so they have time to take it again in Std. 12 if required. If you get a score of 2100+ on 2400, you’re looking at the best universities. We recommend that you book your tests 2 months before the date you need to give it. To know all about SAT test, click here.

MCAT –

The medical college admission test is a computer based test to be taken by prospective med students who want to study in the USA, Canada and Australia. It tests problem solving, critical thinking, written analysis and your knowledge of scientific concepts. This is a test you will have to give whether you want to study MBBS in USA or even if you already hold the degree.

LSAT –

Standardized law school admission test for countries like USA and Canada. It assesses reading and verbal reasoning skills.