UAE universities set programme-specific English requirements within the applicable admissions framework. You may need an approved English test, qualify through your previous education, or enter a preparatory route. An overall score alone is not enough when the programme also specifies minimum scores in individual skills. EmSAT is no longer a compulsory Grade 12 university-entry requirement, but universities can still set English conditions.
Who sets the requirement—and what changed with EmSAT?
The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) gives institutions flexibility to develop admissions criteria. Its December 2024 update to the guiding criteria explicitly directs applicants to check requirements with their chosen university and major.
Separately, the Ministry of Education and MoHESR cancelled EmSAT for Grade 12 students seeking higher-education admission. The ministry’s explanation also allows universities to admit students who need remedial English study.
For a September 2026 application, do not treat an old admissions table showing a compulsory EmSAT English score as a nationwide rule. Some university pages still list EmSAT results for particular applicant categories. If you already have a result, ask whether it remains acceptable for your programme and intake; a listed score is not an instruction to book a new test.
English admission and programme recognition are different checks. Before committing to a course, use the guide to checking university and programme accreditation alongside, not instead of, the admissions requirements.
What minimum English score will you need?
There is no useful single answer such as “all UAE universities require IELTS 6.0”. Published requirements differ between institutions and between entry routes at the same institution.
The examples below show that variation. They are not recommendations or a complete admissions checklist.
| Published entry route | IELTS Academic requirement | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| American University of Sharjah: undergraduate full admission | 6.5 overall | Its English requirements identify accepted tests and exclude certain formats. |
| University of Wollongong in Dubai: business bachelor’s, three-year advanced entry | 6.0 overall; 6.0 in reading and writing; 5.0 in listening and speaking | An overall 6.0 does not compensate for reading below 6.0. |
| University of Wollongong in Dubai: computer science and IT, three-year advanced entry | 6.0 overall and in every skill | The skill requirements differ from the business route. |
| University of Wollongong in Dubai: business bachelor’s, four-year direct entry | 5.0 overall | This is a different entry structure, not the three-year route with a lower threshold. |
Open the UOWD bachelor’s admissions requirements to check its route-specific tables and footnotes. For AUS, use the undergraduate application requirements, especially the English proficiency section.
Compare like with like when researching degree options in the UAE. Record the degree title, campus and entry route next to each score. Otherwise, you could compare a preparatory or extended route with direct admission to a different course structure.
Postgraduate requirements need a separate check
Do not carry an undergraduate threshold over to a master’s application. AUS, for example, publishes IELTS Academic 6.5 for full graduate admission and a 6.0 threshold within its conditional-admission criteria, but retains 6.5 for its MBA and MA TESOL programmes.
For an MBA, review both the programme’s admissions conditions and its course structure and assessment demands. A conditional route offered by another department is not evidence that the MBA offers the same concession.
Which tests and formats are accepted?
Check the complete test name, not just the brand. Where a university specifies IELTS Academic, do not substitute IELTS General Training without written approval. Likewise, do not assume that different TOEFL products are interchangeable.
Acceptance also varies by institution. UOWD’s bachelor’s page lists PTE Academic alongside IELTS Academic and TOEFL, whereas AUS’s undergraduate English section states that it accepts only TOEFL and IELTS. Both institutions exclude TOEFL iBT Home Edition; UOWD also explicitly excludes IELTS Online.
Before choosing between IELTS, TOEFL and PTE, shortlist programmes and check which test and delivery format each accepts. A convenient test is poor value if your intended university will not use the result.
TOEFL scores changed in January 2026
ETS introduced a TOEFL iBT scale of 1–6, in half-point increments, on 21 January 2026. During the two-year transition, score reports also include a comparable overall score on the previous 0–120 scale.
You may therefore encounter university pages showing either scale, or both. Do not calculate your own conversion or assume ETS’s recommended institutional threshold is automatically the university’s threshold. Ask admissions which published requirement applies to your test date and how it assesses section scores.
The ETS score-scale guidance explains the transition. It helps you interpret the report; the university still decides whether the result meets its admissions requirement.
Can previous English-medium study replace a test?
It can be relevant, but establish the applicable exemption before paying for an exam. MoHESR’s December 2024 guidance states that students who studied English-language curricula outside the ministry curriculum are not required to prove English proficiency. It also tells applicants to confirm programme requirements directly with institutions.
Ask admissions how that provision applies to your school curriculum and applicant category, particularly if its website still requests a test from every applicant. Provide your curriculum details, transcript and any requested evidence of the teaching language. Do not take a general policy announcement as confirmation that your application file is complete.
Postgraduate exemptions require their own check. AUS explicitly exempts applicants who completed their bachelor’s degree there from its graduate English proficiency tests. That is a defined exemption, not proof that every English-taught bachelor’s degree qualifies everywhere.
Request written confirmation that your exemption has been approved, including whether a placement assessment remains necessary.
How to find your programme’s exact requirement
Use this sequence before booking a test or paying a non-refundable deposit:
- Open the programme page. Confirm the campus, award, intake and entry route.
- Read the central admissions policy. Look for separate undergraduate, postgraduate, transfer and conditional-entry sections.
- Read every English-table footnote. Record the overall score, skill minimums, accepted formats and any remedial-study conditions.
- Check result age and submission rules. AUS, for example, states that IELTS and TOEFL reports are valid for two calendar years. Ask whether validity is assessed at application, registration or another specified point.
- Resolve conflicting pages with admissions. Send the two pages and your result, rather than choosing whichever requirement is lower.
- Keep the answer with your offer. Ask for the result-submission deadline, verification method and any remaining conditions.
A useful enquiry is: “For this programme, campus and intake, will you accept my test version and test date with these overall and section scores? If not, which approved alternative or preparatory route is available?”
What happens if your English score is too low?
A shortfall does not always mean rejection, but a pathway is not automatic. Identify whether you missed the overall score, one skill minimum, an accepted-format rule or a validity condition.
Retake the test or improve a weak skill
Ask whether you can submit a replacement result before the university’s deadline. If considering IELTS One Skill Retake, confirm acceptance first: IELTS itself advises checking directly with the receiving organisation before booking.
Use your score breakdown to plan preparation. Our guide to IELTS in the UAE covers test selection and preparation; start with the skills that fall below the actual admission threshold.
Enter an approved bridge or foundation route
AUS’s admissions FAQ says admitted undergraduate applicants with IELTS scores between 4.5 and 6.0 can enrol in its Bridge Program. Placement depends on test results and, where needed, placement assessments. This shows a route available at one institution, not a UAE-wide entitlement.
If offered a foundation, bridge or remedial route, ask:
- Is this admission to the degree, or only to the preparatory programme?
- What exact result or course grade permits progression?
- Is another external English test required at the end?
- Can you take degree-credit courses during this period?
- What are the duration, attendance requirements and total additional charges?
- What happens if you do not meet the exit condition?
Do not assume that paying for or attending preparation guarantees progression. Check whether completion is recognised only by that university before treating it as an alternative to a transferable test result.
Accept conditional entry—or defer
Read the condition itself. A conditional offer may concern English, academic grades or missing documents; the label alone does not tell you what study you can start.
Ask admissions to specify permitted registration, the deadline for clearing English and the consequences of missing it. If no suitable route is available, request the next eligible intake and check deferral and refund terms before paying further charges.