Do I Need IELTS or GRE to Apply for a Scholarship?
IELTS and GRE get discussed as if there is one answer for everyone. There is not. The requirement is published per scholarship, and sometimes per university within it.
The useful question is not “do I need IELTS?” It is “does this specific award ask for one, and by when?”
Quick answer
Do I need IELTS or GRE to apply for a scholarship?
Only if that scholarship asks for it. Test requirements are published by each scholarship body, and universities inside a scholarship may set their own English requirements as well. Some institutions accept alternatives to a test score, such as prior English-medium education, but this varies by institution and by visa rules. Check the official call page and the university's admissions page rather than relying on general advice.
Key takeaways
- Test requirements are published per award, not per country or per student.
- Universities inside a scholarship may set their own English requirements on top of the award's.
- Some institutions accept alternatives such as prior English-medium study, but this varies.
- A test score needed for a student visa is a separate question from one needed for a scholarship.
- Book tests only after you know which score, which version and which deadline apply.
Where the requirement is actually written
- The scholarship's official call page: eligibility and required documents
- The university's admissions page for English language requirements
- The official immigration page, if a score is needed for a student visa rather than for funding
Those three can disagree with each other, and it is not unusual for them to. Treat them as separate requirements and satisfy each one on its own terms.
When an alternative may be accepted
Some universities accept alternatives to a test score, such as a degree taught in English or an internal assessment. This varies by institution and by visa rules, so the only safe assumption is: if the official page does not name the alternative, ask before you rely on it.
We do not publish the test requirements of any named scholarship, because they change and we cannot keep them current. Each body publishes its own terms, and those pages [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] are the only place to check for the cycle you are applying to.
Book the test in the right order
Test results take time to be issued and reported, and test centres have their own schedules. Booking a test before you know which score is required is the most common avoidable mistake.
- Find your shortlist and read each eligibility section
- Note every deadline that could depend on a result being available
- Check how the score must be submitted: directly, or as a PDF upload
- Book only once you know the required test, version and deadline
- Keep the result confirmation, since some calls ask for it later
Always check the official page
Requirements change between cycles. Record the cycle and the date you checked each one.
Sources
- Fulbright Foreign Student ProgramOFFICIAL — Fulbright Program and its national commissions, foundations and embassieshttps://www.fulbrightprogram.org/Link checked 2026-10-14
- Chevening Scholarships: eligibilityOFFICIAL — Chevening, UK Government scholarship schemehttps://www.chevening.org/
- DAAD scholarship programmes in GermanyOFFICIAL — DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service)https://www.daad.de/en/studying-in-germany/scholarships/Link checked 2026-10-14
- Erasmus Mundus joint master's programmesOFFICIAL — Erasmus+ programme, European Commissionhttps://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/
- MEXT scholarship programmeOFFICIAL — Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japanhttps://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/Link checked 2026-10-14