Admission tests: which one you need

The GRE General Test is run by ETS (Educational Testing Service). Many universities ask for it when you apply for a Master’s or PhD programme, especially in the USA, and many business schools also accept it in place of the GMAT. Whether you need it depends on the university and the course, so always check the requirements of each programme on your list.

The test measures the skills you will need in graduate study rather than knowledge of a particular subject. Since September 2023 it has been a shorter test of about 1 hour 58 minutes, in three parts:

• Analytical Writing: one “Analyze an Issue” essay (30 minutes).
• Verbal Reasoning: two sections on reading, understanding and evaluating written material.
• Quantitative Reasoning: two sections on arithmetic, algebra, geometry and data analysis.

Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning are each scored from 130 to 170, and Analytical Writing from 0 to 6. The GRE is taken on a computer, at a test centre or from home.

How Golden Globe helps. We guide you through the test; we don’t run coaching classes. We check whether the universities on your shortlist require or recommend the GRE and what scores they look for, help you plan your test date so that your scores are ready before your application deadlines, guide you through booking the test and sending your scores to universities, and point you to the free official preparation material from ETS.

Checked against the official test website (ets.org/gre) in October 2026.

The TOEFL iBT is an English-language test run by ETS (Educational Testing Service). If English is not your first language, universities want proof that you can follow lectures, read academic texts and write assignments in English, and the TOEFL is one of the most widely accepted ways to show this. It is accepted by universities in the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and many other countries, although each university sets its own requirements.

The test measures how well you use English in an academic setting, across four skills: Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing.

The TOEFL iBT was updated for tests taken from 21 January 2026:

• Shorter test: allow about two hours to complete it.
• Adaptive Reading and Listening: how you do in the first part of each section decides whether the next part is easier or harder, so the exact number of questions can vary.
• New score scale: each of the four sections, and your overall score, is now reported on a scale of 1 to 6 in half-point steps, linked to the CEFR levels used across Europe. For a transition period of about two years, score reports also show a comparable score on the old 0 to 120 scale, so check which scale your universities quote in their requirements.

The TOEFL iBT is taken on a computer, at a test centre or from home.

How Golden Globe helps. We guide you through the test; we don’t run coaching classes. We help you decide whether the TOEFL or another English test (such as IELTS or PTE Academic) suits your chosen universities and visa, tell you the scores your shortlisted courses ask for, help you plan and book your test date around your application deadlines, guide you on sending your scores to universities, and point you to the free official preparation material from ETS.

Checked against the official test website (ets.org/toefl) in October 2026.

IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP and Cambridge University Press & Assessment. It is one of the most widely accepted English-language tests in the world, used by universities in the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, the USA and many other countries, and it is also accepted for many visa applications.

There are two main versions. IELTS Academic is the one you take for university admission; IELTS General Training is used mainly for work and migration. There is also IELTS for UKVI, for some UK visa applications. All of them test four skills:

• Listening: understanding conversations, talks and lectures.
• Reading: understanding a range of texts.
• Writing: describing information and writing an essay.
• Speaking: a face-to-face conversation with an examiner.

Each skill gets a band score on a scale of 0 to 9, and you also get an overall band.

IELTS is moving to computer-delivered testing at test centres: the IELTS partners have announced that the paper-based test is being phased out from mid-2026, with timings that vary by country (in some places you may still be able to handwrite the Writing section). Check the current options at your nearest test centre when you book.

If you take IELTS on computer and miss your target in one skill, IELTS One Skill Retake lets you retake just that skill (Listening, Reading, Writing or Speaking) instead of the whole test. It must be taken within 60 days of your original test, and not every university or visa authority accepts it, so check first.

How Golden Globe helps. We guide you through the test; we don’t run coaching classes. We tell you which version and which band scores your chosen universities and visa require, help you plan and book your test date so your results arrive in time for your applications, advise you on whether a One Skill Retake is accepted where you are applying, and point you to the free official preparation material on the IELTS website.

Checked against the official test website (ielts.org) in October 2026.

The SAT is run by the College Board. Many colleges and universities in the USA use it for admission to Bachelor’s (undergraduate) programmes, and some also use SAT scores when awarding merit scholarships. Policies vary: some universities require the SAT, some make it optional and some do not consider it, so check each university on your list. If you are in Class 11 or 12 and planning to study in the USA after school, this is the test to think about early.

The SAT measures the reading, writing and maths skills you have built up at school. It takes 2 hours 14 minutes, plus a 10-minute break, and has two sections:

• Reading and Writing: understanding passages, using evidence, and grammar and expression.
• Math: algebra, problem-solving and data analysis, advanced maths, and geometry and trigonometry.

Each section is split into two parts, and how you do in the first part decides whether the second is easier or harder. Scores range from 400 to 1600.

The SAT is now a digital test, taken in the College Board’s Bluebook app on a laptop or tablet at a test centre.

How Golden Globe helps. We guide you through the test; we don’t run coaching classes. We check whether the universities on your shortlist require or recommend the SAT, help you plan and book your test date alongside your Class 12 studies and application deadlines, guide you on sending your scores and on how they fit into your application and scholarship chances, and point you to the free official practice material from the College Board.

Checked against the official test website (satsuite.collegeboard.org) in October 2026.

The GMAT is run by GMAC (the Graduate Management Admission Council). Business schools around the world use it for admission to MBA programmes and to Master’s programmes in areas such as management, finance and business analytics. Many schools also accept the GRE, and requirements differ from school to school, so check each programme on your list.

The test measures the reasoning and problem-solving skills that matter in business studies. The current GMAT (introduced as the GMAT Focus Edition, which replaced the older version of the exam) takes 2 hours 15 minutes and has three sections of 45 minutes each:

• Quantitative Reasoning: solving problems with arithmetic and algebra.
• Verbal Reasoning: reading critically and evaluating arguments.
• Data Insights: analysing and interpreting data from tables, graphs and other sources.

Total scores range from 205 to 805. The GMAT is taken on a computer, at a test centre or online from home.

How Golden Globe helps. We guide you through the test; we don’t run coaching classes. We help you decide between the GMAT and the GRE for your chosen business schools, tell you the scores they look for, help you plan and book your test date so your scores are ready for application rounds, guide you on sending your scores, and point you to the free official preparation material from GMAC.

Checked against the official test website (mba.com) in October 2026.

PTE Academic is an English-language test run by Pearson. Like IELTS and TOEFL, it shows universities that your English is good enough for academic study. It is accepted by universities in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada, Ireland, the USA and other countries, and for many visa applications, although each university and visa sets its own requirements.

The test takes about two hours and is taken on a computer at an authorised PTE test centre (it cannot be taken at home). It tests four skills in three parts:

• Speaking and Writing: including reading aloud, describing images, summarising and writing an essay. Since August 2025 this part also includes two newer speaking tasks, “Respond to a Situation” and “Summarize a Group Discussion”.
• Reading: understanding academic texts.
• Listening: understanding lectures and spoken English.

Many tasks combine skills, for example listening to a lecture and then writing a summary. Scores are on a scale of 10 to 90. Scoring combines AI with human experts, and results usually arrive within about two business days.

How Golden Globe helps. We guide you through the test; we don’t run coaching classes. We help you decide whether PTE Academic, IELTS or TOEFL suits your chosen universities and visa, tell you the scores your shortlisted courses ask for, help you plan and book your test date around your application deadlines, guide you on sending your scores, and point you to the free official preparation material from Pearson.

Checked against the official test website (pearsonpte.com) in October 2026.