Saudi Scholarship English Requirements in Australia: IELTS, PTE, TOEFL

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The English requirement for a Saudi scholarship to Australia is set by three parties, not one: the university (most ask for IELTS 6.5 with no band below 6.0, as at UNSW), the Department of Home Affairs (a minimum of IELTS 6.0 for the student visa per), and the Saudi Ministry of Education, which sets no general score but requires a final unconditional offer, meaning you have already met the university’s requirement. This guide brings together the scores, the tests, their validity, and what to do if you fall short.

What English score does the Saudi scholarship require? The Ministry or the university?

This is the most common question, and the short answer is: the scholarship does not ask you for a language certificate, but it asks for an offer you cannot get without one.

What the Ministry of Education requires

The tracks of the King Salman Scholarship Program (برنامج خادم الحرمين الشريفين للابتعاث) require the offer to be "final and unconditional", issued by the admissions office, and allow an offer conditional on language study only in non-English-speaking countries, according to the Arruaad track conditions. The program FAQ states plainly that the scholarship does not include an English-language year for countries that teach in English. Australia is one of them, so any language year is at your own expense, and the required score is that of the university you apply to.

A few exceptions name specific scores: the program’s general conditions require IELTS of at least 5.5 for the preparatory-year program, and Waaid track programs set scores such as IELTS 6.0 for some programs and 6.5 for master’s, with alternative tests named by each partner. The Ministry of Culture’s Cultural Scholarship Program refers the English requirement to each program; check the current score on its platform.

To understand the tracks before setting your language target, read our guide to Saudi scholarship programs and the Arruaad track conditions, which opened for applications in September 2026.

What IELTS, PTE and TOEFL scores do Australian universities require?

The common threshold at major universities is IELTS 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0 (as at UNSW), rising for particular fields. The following table is drawn from official university pages as at September 2026:

University	IELTS (general minimum)	TOEFL iBT	PTE Academic	Note
UNSW Sydney	6.5, no band below 6.0	90 (writing 23, other bands 22)	64 (no band below 54)	Business 7.0 / TOEFL 94 / PTE 65; Education 7.5
University of Sydney	6.5, no band below 6.0	TOEFL Australia version only	Accepted	Home-edition tests not accepted
University of Queensland	6.5, no band below 6.0	Accepted	Accepted	Some programs require higher
UTS	6.5 – 8.0 by course	79 – 110	58 – 79	IELTS writing 6.0 – 8.0

Why does the score differ between programs?

Fields that rely on writing and professional communication (education, law, nursing, health, journalism) usually require 7.0 or 7.5 (business 7.0 and education 7.5 at UNSW, for example) because the professional bodies that accredit the program demand it. Read your program’s own requirement on its page, not the university-wide minimum.

How does a PTE score map to IELTS?

Pearson publishes a concordance table of the minimum PTE score for each IELTS band: 47 for 6.0, 55 for 6.5, 63 for 7.0, 71 for 7.5 and 79 for 8.0. Universities may ask for more than the concordance (UNSW asks for 64 against 6.5, for example), so the university’s own table governs.

Which English tests does Home Affairs accept for the student visa?

University admission is one thing; the student visa (subclass 500) is another. For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025 at a secure test centre, the Department of Home Affairs accepts Cambridge C1 Advanced, CELPIP General, IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training (including One Skill Retake), LANGUAGECERT Academic, the Michigan English Test, OET, PTE Academic, and TOEFL iBT provided you select "Taking TOEFL for Australia" when registering.

The visa minimum

Since 23 March 2024 the student visa minimum has risen from IELTS 5.5 to 6.0 or equivalent, the minimum for a packaged ELICOS course before the main course has risen from 4.5 to 5.0, and 5.5 applies to foundation and pathway programs, according to citing Home Affairs. Saudi nationals are not among the passport holders exempt from providing English evidence for the visa.

What Home Affairs does not accept

At-home online versions are not accepted for visa purposes according to Home Affairs: IELTS Online, TOEFL iBT Home Edition, OET@Home, at-home MET Digital, LANGUAGECERT Academic Online and CELPIP Online. The Duolingo English Test is not on the list of approved visa tests, even though some universities accept it for admission; check your university’s page and do not rely on it alone.

What is the difference between IELTS, PTE, TOEFL and Duolingo?

Test	Scale	Results	Validity	Accepted for the visa?
IELTS Academic	Bands up to 9	Computer 1–5 days, paper up to 13 days per IELTS	Two years recommended by the IELTS partners	Yes (test-centre version)
PTE Academic	10 – 90 per Pearson	Usually within two business days, up to five per Pearson	Two years from the test date per Pearson	Yes, and results can be sent automatically to Home Affairs
TOEFL iBT	0 – 120 until 20 January 2026, then a new 1 – 6 scale shown alongside the old equivalent for two years per ETS	3 days after the test per ETS	Two years per ETS	Yes, if registered as "TOEFL for Australia"
Duolingo English Test	Taken at home	—	—	No; not on the Home Affairs list

Which should you choose?

• If you write better than you speak, IELTS on paper or computer may suit you, with the option of a One Skill Retake (OSR) if one band falls short; OSR is accepted for the visa according to Home Affairs.
• If you want a fast result and many test centres, PTE Academic usually reports within two business days.
• If you choose TOEFL, register through "Taking TOEFL for Australia" or your result may not be accepted for the visa, and note the scale change since January 2026 per ETS.

How long is an English test result valid?

The university rule is two years: the University of Sydney requires the test to be no more than two years old at course start, as do UNSW, the University of Queensland and UTS. For the visa, Home Affairs notes a result may be accepted for up to 3 years depending on the visa subclass.

Smart timing

We suggest sitting the test no more than 18 months before your course start date so the result stays valid for admission and then for the visa, with room to retake if needed. For scholarship students, the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission in Australia reimburses English test fees taken during the scholarship period for academic admission purposes, up to three tests, and one preparation course per language phase.

What if you do not meet the score?

You have four routes, each with its own cost and duration:

1) An English course in Australia (ELICOS)

English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) include, according to Study Australia, General English, English for Academic Purposes (EAP), English for Specific Purposes and exam preparation. The course must be government-accredited (CRICOS) for study on a student visa, and short study tours under three months may be taken on a visitor visa. Study Australia notes that students in independent ELICOS courses stay on the previous visa charge plus CPI, not the new AUD 2,500 charge in force since 1 July 2026.

2) The university’s English centre, then direct entry

Most universities run an English centre that grants direct entry without a new test: UNSW accepts completion of its UEEC program with a C+ overall and C in writing; the University of Sydney has its Centre for English Teaching (CET); the University of Queensland offers Bridging English of 10 to 30 weeks within a conditional package; and UTS accepts a pass in UTS College Academic English Level 5 (AE5).

3) A foundation program or pathway diploma

If the gap is in both English and GPA, foundation programs and pathway diplomas at colleges such as Navitas and Study Group combine English with academic subjects and move you into first or second year. Remember that Home Affairs accepts IELTS 5.5 for foundation and pathway programs according to.

4) Retake wisely

If only one band fell short, an IELTS One Skill Retake is accepted for admission at many universities and for the visa. If two or more bands are short, a short preparation course followed by one test beats repeated retakes.

A note for scholarship students: because the scholarship does not cover a language year in Australia, the least costly route is usually to reach the score from Saudi Arabia, or to take a short self-funded English course, then secure a final offer and apply for the scholarship.

How to meet the English requirement step by step

1. Choose the program and university, and record the exact English requirement from the program page (overall and each band).
2. Pick a test both the university and Home Affairs accept (IELTS Academic, PTE Academic or TOEFL iBT via the Australia pathway), taken at a test centre, not at home.
3. Sit a practice test to measure the gap, and book the real test so that it is still within the two-year validity at course start and at visa lodgement, with room to retake.
4. If you miss the score, choose between the university’s English centre, a foundation program or a One Skill Retake, depending on the size of the gap.
5. Obtain the final unconditional offer, then apply for the scholarship track, then for the visa with the same certificate.

How KD International helps

KD International is a Saudi-Australian education consultancy and university admissions company operating since 2015, with offices in Riyadh and Sydney. We offer language programs and visa guidance, hold partnerships with LSI (with a discount for KD students) and ILSC, and have worked with Navitas on academic pathway programs and with Study Group. In a post in April 2024 we shared how to become fluent in English during your scholarship journey, and since October 2020 we have invited students who want to meet the language condition for scholarship programs to contact us.

We help you choose the test and institute that fit your gap, link an English program to a university offer, and prepare your visa documents, without promising a score or an admission we do not control. Next step: register your details on the application form with your current score and target field, or review our process steps to see what follows the test.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• English language – meeting our requirements — Department of Home Affairs
• English language requirements — UNSW Sydney
• English language requirements — The University of Sydney
• English language requirements — The University of Queensland
• English language requirements — University of Technology Sydney
• PTE Academic scoring — Pearson
• PTE Academic results — Pearson
• Verifying IELTS results — IELTS
• Getting your TOEFL iBT scores — ETS
• الأسئلة الأكثر شيوعاً — برنامج خادم الحرمين الشريفين للابتعاث – وزارة التعليم
• الأسئلة المتكررة – الشؤون المالية — الملحقية الثقافية السعودية في أستراليا – وزارة التعليم

Last updated: 14 September 2026. Fees and requirements change; always confirm with the official source before deciding.