Undergraduate English requirement at NTU (international applicants)
NTU's international qualifications admission guide makes a test mandatory for applicants holding or sitting PRC Gao Kao, Taiwan GSAT, South Korean CSAT, HKDSE, Vietnam, Thailand Mathayom 6 or Indonesian Ijazah SMA. It also applies if you studied English only as a second language, or not at all, in high school.
IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, C1 Advanced and AST scores must be taken within two years before the application deadline; SAT and ACT scores last five years. The TOEFL iBT Home Edition is accepted. Duolingo is not listed.
| Test | Overall | Components |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 6.5 | Writing 6.5 · Speaking 6.5 |
| TOEFL iBT / TOEFL iBT Home Edition | 90 (or 4.5 new scale) | Writing 25 (4.5) · Speaking 25 (4.5) |
| PTE Academic | 55 | Speaking 55 · Writing 59 |
| C1 Advanced | 170 | Writing 170 · Speaking 170 |
| SAT | 1250 | Reading and Writing 60 |
| ACT with Writing (single sitting) | Composite 30 | English 30 · Writing 7 |
| Duolingo English Test | Not listed by NTU | — |
Graduate (master's and PhD) English requirement
NTU's coursework admission guide asks applicants whose native language is not English for TOEFL or IELTS, taken within two years of applying. Applicants without a score, or below it, may still be considered case by case, possibly after an interview or test. PTE and Duolingo are not mentioned.
For research degrees, NTU's research admission guide asks for a good TOEFL or IELTS score only if your bachelor's was not taught in English. A university-wide research minimum is not stated by NTU; check your programme page.
| School (coursework master's) | IELTS | TOEFL iBT (old · new scale) |
|---|---|---|
| Nanyang Business School | 6.5 | 100 · new scale not stated |
| College of Computing and Data Science | 6.5 | 100 · 5 |
| Electrical & Electronic Engineering | 6.0 | 85 · 4.5 |
| Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering | 6.0 | 85 · 4.5 |
| Nanyang Centre for Public Administration | 6.5 (min 5.5 per skill) | 88–89 · 5 |
| Humanities: MA Translation & Interpretation | 6.5 (min 6.0 per skill) | 90 · 5 |
| S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies | 7.0 | 100 · 5 |
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For undergraduate entry, NTU's component floors are on Writing and Speaking, not Reading. An IELTS 7.0 overall with 6.0 in Writing still falls short.
For coursework master's, the table above is a selection; the full guide lists more than 20 schools and programmes. A few humanities programmes ask for IELTS 7.0.
Requirements vary by programme and change between admissions cycles. The score that binds you is the one on your NTU programme page and in your offer letter, so check it there before you book a test.
Frequently asked questions
Does NTU Singapore accept PTE?+
Yes for undergraduates: PTE Academic 55 overall with Speaking 55 and Writing 59. NTU's coursework master's guide lists only TOEFL and IELTS.
Does NTU Singapore accept Duolingo?+
Duolingo is not on NTU's undergraduate test list or in its graduate admission guides.
Does every international applicant need IELTS for NTU?+
No. NTU makes a test mandatory for certain qualifications, such as Gao Kao, GSAT, CSAT, HKDSE and Indonesian Ijazah SMA, and for students who took English only as a second language.
What IELTS do I need for a master's at NTU?+
Between 6.0 and 7.0 depending on the school. The engineering schools listed ask for 6.0, Nanyang Business School 6.5, and RSIS 7.0.
Does NTU accept the TOEFL Home Edition?+
Yes for undergraduates; NTU lists the TOEFL iBT Home Edition alongside the test-centre TOEFL.
Keep reading
Related
- NUS IELTS requirement
- IELTS for Singapore
- PTE for Singapore
- TOEFL to IELTS score converter
- All 711 guides
Verified against the linked official sources on 4 October 2026. Rules change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
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