Entrance Exams

The entrance exams, catering to different academic courses, are elementary to get admission in a foreign university. Each exam demands for different preparation strategy and has diverse test pattern and scoring pattern. Also, the amount of scholarship you get is counted on your performance in the entrance exams.

GRE - Graduate Record Examination
To clear the standardised GRE test is mandatory if taking admission in a graduate school of an English speaking country. Colleges and universities across US trust upon the Graduate Record Examination to measure verbal, mathematical and writing abilities of the students. The GRE test is administered by "Educational Testing Service" (ETS) under the direction of the Graduate Record Examination Board, a non-profit organization of graduate business schools recognised worldwide. The test has multiple choice questions (MCQs) forms at.

The GRE scores are not only meant to measure the scholastic abilities of a candidate at the undergraduate level but are one of several important components that is considered crucial in the admission process, and that influence decisions on scholarships, assistantship, etc. to the students.

The Graduate Record Examination test is open to all candidates, irrespective of their educational background and age barrier. The advantage this test offers is that you can choose the date and time for taking the test as per your convenience, unlike other exams. The exam consists of four sections, Verbal section, Quantitative section, Analytical writing section and experimental section. The time required to perform entire test is nearly 4 hours.

GMAT - Graduate Management Admission Test
GMAT is a computer adaptive standardised test that analyzes mathematical skill and knowledge in English language of an examinee. This test is conducted to measure the aptitude to succeed academically in graduate business studies. Therefore, it is used as common selection criteria for admissions by the Business Schools situated in United States as well as other English speaking countries.

The purpose of the test is to evaluate verbal, mathematical and analytical writing skills learned, developed and adapted by the examinees over the time spent in their education and work. The test is categorised into three sections. The first section to be answered is Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) section. Then comes the Quantitative section. The, Verbal Ability section follows respectively. In general, the time required by an examinee to complete the test is 4 hours.

The scores of GMAT test are valid for five years and accepted at most of the institutions from the date the test taker sits for the exam until the date of matriculation. The maximum score that can be earned in the exam is 800.

TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language
The colleges and universities of English speaking countries ask for TOEFL as an admission requirement to be fulfilled by non-English speaking natives. TOEFL is the registered trademark of Educational Testing Service (ETS) and is administered all across the world. The test evaluates the ability of an aspirant to use and understand English in an academic environment.

In addition to these, other bodies such as licensing bodies, government agencies and scholarship programs, may require this test. The score of TOEFL is considered valid up to two years. The colleges and universities situated abroad usually favor recent TOEFL scores.

The TOEFL program is governed by the policies formulated after the common conclusion of 16 board members. These members of board are affiliated with undergraduate and graduate schools, 2-year institutions and public or private agencies with an interest in international education. Other members specialize in the field of English as a foreign or second language.

The TOEFL has now turned entirely into an Internet based test (iBT) and has progressively replaced computer based test and paper based test. Unlike previous years when candidates had to wait for months to be appeared in the exam, today taking the test within one to four weeks in most countries has become easy. The test is categorized into four sections, reading, listening, speaking and writing.

IELTS - International English Language Testing System
IELTS is an international standardised test to evaluate the proficiency of English language. Introduced in 1989, this is managed under joint program by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, the British Council and IDP Education Pty Ltd.

The IELTS test is conducted into two versions:

Academic Version - Intended for professionals like medical doctors and nurses who want to pursue their study or practice in an English-speaking country, those who want to enroll in institutions for higher education.

General Training Version –Intended for those who are planning to seek non-academic training, whose purpose is to gain work experience or people planning for immigration.

It is commonly believed that the reading and writing tests under Academic Version are more difficult to clear than to clear test for General Training Version. The reason for the difference lies in them is the level of intellectual and academic asperity between the two.

Almost 2000 academic institutions and professional organisations in USA and nearly every institutions in countries such as Australia, UK, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa accept IELTS scores. To clear IELTS is required for immigration to Australia as well as Canada. The IELTS score is valid for two years.