There is no single IELTS or PTE score for every English-taught master's in Germany. Start with the named programme: its accepted test, skill minimums and evidence rules determine your next step. An English-medium bachelor's degree can satisfy some policies, but another programme may require a test.
Official sources checked: 20 September 2026. The three examples below illustrate different requirements; they are not a ranking or a complete list of German universities. Recheck the linked programme rules for your intake before booking. Meeting an English requirement does not guarantee admission.
Three programme examples · English-medium evidence · Try an application check · Build your shortlist · Start practice
Three German master's examples: IELTS, PTE and evidence
The DAAD requirements overview explains that universities set their required certificates and proficiency levels. English-taught programmes need English evidence; check the course's language requirements separately from any German-language study or modules you plan to take.
1. TUM — MSc Informatics
The Informatics programme requires English proficiency and links to TUM's certificate rules. Its department application page also requires English evidence.
- IELTS Academic: minimum overall 6.5.
- PTE Academic: minimum overall 65.
- Skill minimums: the linked central certificate entries do not state separate component thresholds. Check programme and offer conditions rather than inventing a per-skill number.
- Evidence source: TUM language certificates. Alternative proof is subject to the programme's academic regulations.
- Planning window: the programme publishes 1 February–31 May for winter applications and 1 October–30 November for summer. These are the displayed recurring windows, not independently confirmed dates for a particular future intake.
2. University of Hamburg — MSc Intelligent Adaptive Systems
- IELTS: overall 6.5, with at least 6.0 in each skill.
- PTE: not named in the programme's published list. The department says unlisted certificates require its assessment; obtain confirmation before relying on one.
- English-medium study: the language of instruction alone is insufficient. The policy describes limited circumstances involving study in an English-speaking country that the committee may consider individually.
- Evidence sources: IAS required documents and English-proficiency policy.
This is a programme-specific finding, not a claim that every Hamburg course rejects PTE. The January 2026 application document describes an English-taught programme and a 15 February–31 March application window. Confirm the next intake's instructions.
3. University of Hohenheim — MSc Economics with Data Science
- IELTS: the application page lists 6. It does not specify an IELTS variant or component minimums in that entry; ask admissions to confirm these before booking.
- PTE: not listed in the inspected English-proof options. Do not assume acceptance from a Germany-wide list.
- English-medium study: completion of an English-language bachelor's degree is a listed alternative.
- Evidence: the official programme application page. Ask which document proves your degree's teaching language and whether it meets the rule.
The German application page lists 15 May for first-semester winter admission, with no first-semester summer intake. Check the applicable year and portal status; a recurring deadline is not proof that applications are open today.
Can you study in Germany without IELTS using an MOI letter?
Sometimes, but an MOI letter is evidence for a policy, not a universal exemption. MOI means medium of instruction. TUM's central guidance allows evidence that at least 50% of a prior degree was taught in English, using a transcript, degree certificate or official university confirmation, subject to applicable programme rules. Hohenheim lists an English-language bachelor's alternative; Hamburg IAS explicitly rejects MOI alone.
Ask a precise question: “For this programme and intake, does my completed degree meet your English-proof rule, and which official document must I upload?” Describe what your documents actually establish. Do not assume that a letter stating “English medium” also proves every module was assessed in English, a required duration, or a specified proportion of credits.
Try it: check the evidence before choosing a test
Original fictional exercise: Mira shortlists TUM Informatics and Hamburg IAS. She has an English-medium degree and an IELTS report showing Listening 7.0, Reading 7.0, Writing 5.5 and Speaking 6.5, with overall 6.5. She assumes the overall score and her degree settle both applications. What is missing?
Reveal the answer and next practice task
Hamburg's stated Writing minimum is not met: 5.5 is below 6.0, despite the overall result. MOI alone does not resolve that programme's requirement. For TUM, the example meets the published central IELTS overall threshold, but she must still check programme conditions and submit valid evidence. These are English-proof checks, not admissions decisions.
Try a two-sentence writing task: explain one benefit and one limitation of using an English-medium degree as language evidence. Before reading the example, make each sentence state a claim and a reason.
One possible answer: An English-medium degree can document sustained academic use of English when the programme accepts that evidence. However, its teaching language alone may not demonstrate the four skill levels required by a programme that asks for a proficiency test.
This is a reasoning exercise with a worked answer, not an IELTS score or automated evaluation. For a fuller diagnostic, write an original response to a practice prompt and review its feedback.
A practical checklist for your own shortlist
- Record the exact programme, campus, study language and intake. Keep the official course link with your notes.
- Record the accepted test version, overall target and each skill minimum. Mark anything unstated as a question for admissions.
- Check result validity, certificate delivery and whether evidence is required at application or enrolment. Leave time for a retest.
- For alternative evidence, save the rule and the institution's written confirmation for your circumstances.
- Check academic eligibility, application documents, fees and deadlines separately. A qualifying language score settles only one part of an application.
Compare the intersection of accepted tests across your shortlist before paying. If one course lists PTE Academic and another has not confirmed it, the first course's acceptance does not settle the second. Do not replace PTE Academic with PTE Core, or IELTS Academic with General Training, without explicit acceptance of that version.
Keep immigration checks separate too. Use the relevant German mission's current instructions for your application circumstances; this programme comparison does not establish visa eligibility or a universal visa English score.
Still comparing Germany with other destinations? Use our country-by-country English requirements checklist to compare course evidence, test versions and visa checks across your shortlist.
Turn your verified requirement into a practice target
Choose the exam your shortlist accepts, then diagnose all four skills. For IELTS, use the 30-day study plan and Claire speaking practice. For PTE Academic, start with the four-week plan and Retell Lecture audio exercise. Focus additional practice on the weakest required skill, not just the overall score.
Continue with IELTS Academic Writing or continue with PTE Academic Writing.
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