Applying Abroad: What Exams to Give & When?

When you’re in your senior year of high school, there’s always a lingering feeling of anxiety and confusion about what your next step is, and whether you’re doing enough. Those feelings are only amplified when it comes to university applications and the different requirements each university has. Some universities require certain grades of specific tests, while others don’t. There’s also the question of what exams need to be given, and when.

Your first priority should be your school grades. If you’re planning on giving AL or IB or any such board exams then make sure you achieve the best you can in these exams.

There’s two types of exams you may be required to take: Standardised Tests (such as the SAT, ACT, etc.) and Language Tests (such as IELTS or TOEFL).

Some universities require you to sit for the SAT. There’s no certain time that you should give the SAT, it depends on how long it would take for you to prepare for the exam and to get ready. Ideally, you want to give the exam in the summer before you start applying for universities, however if you’ve passed out on this opportunity, give the exam 2-4 months before you finalize your application. If you give the SAT earlier, and aren’t pleased with your grades you can always give it again, if you have sufficient time, and try to improve your grades.

Most universities require international students to give a test to prove their proficiency in English, and the most common test for that is the IELTS. Students who wish to appear for the IELTS test should look for a date 3-4 months before their application deadline, to give themselves enough time for a retake if necessary, and to prevent any last-minute errors.

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is accpeted globally and tests the skills of students, across reading, speaking, listening and writing modules.

Both the SAT and IELTS scores are valid for a term of 2 years.

If you need extra guidance and more counselling on what you need to do before applying for university, or with your applications to university, you can always contact us at Acumen to have a session with our skilled staff who will ensure to extensively address all confusions and issues you may have!