What IELTS score do you need for Boston University?

The College of Engineering prefers TOEFL and accepts IELTS when TOEFL is unavailable; Duolingo is not accepted and scores from multiple tests cannot be combined. Section scores of Reading 21, Listening 18, Speaking 23 and Writing 22 are guidelines, not requirements. If you are admitted below the minimum, you have until your reply deadline to send a better score. TOEFL and IELTS are valid for two years. See Engineering.

GRS accepts TOEFL (MyBest not accepted), IELTS, Cambridge (185) and Duolingo, valid for two years. MET accepts TOEFL, TOEFL Essentials (9), IELTS or Duolingo, valid for two years. See GRS and MET.

India is not on BU's citizenship waiver list, but each graduate school has an English-medium route. Engineering waives the test if you earned or will earn a degree where the official language of instruction is English. MET waives it for a degree from an accredited institution where English is the primary language of instruction. GRS requires two consecutive years at an English-medium accredited institution, confirmed on your transcript or on institutional letterhead.

Undergraduates take TOEFL iBT, IELTS or Duolingo; IELTS One Skill Retake, IELTS Indicator and TOEFL Essentials are not accepted. IELTS 7 satisfies BU's requirement for all programs, while TOEFL 5.0 and Duolingo 125–135 describe the most competitive applicants. Waiver requests go with the application. See international applicants.

The US F-1 student visa sets no English test score of its own. What counts is the requirement Boston University sets for admission, which leads to your Form I-20. For the wider picture of studying in the US with each test, see IELTS for the USA and PTE for the USA.

Requirements change between admission cycles. Check the BU College of Engineering international students page again before you book a test, and check your own program page, which can set a higher bar.