The weight of language tests in an international application

When a family contacts me about studying abroad, the language question always comes second, after « where? » and before « how much? ». And it’s often the question that stalls the longest, because the test landscape is confusing: IELTS or TOEFL? Cambridge or Duolingo? Score 6.5 or 90? And above all: is my child’s level good enough?

This article untangles the subject in three parts: which test for which destination, which score for which type of programme, and how to prepare concretely.

The 4 tests that matter

IELTS (International English Language Testing System)

The global standard. Accepted by universities in the UK, Netherlands, Canada, Australia, and increasingly the United States.

• Format: 4 papers — Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking (face-to-face interview)
• Score: 0 to 9, in 0.5 increments. Overall = average of all 4.
• Cost: ~€250
• Validity: 2 years

Typical scores required:

Programme type	Minimum IELTS
Selective UK university (Oxbridge, Imperial, LSE)	7.0 (sometimes 7.5 for law or medicine)
Standard UK university (Russell Group)	6.5
Dutch university (WO)	6.5 (sometimes 7.0)
Canadian anglophone university	6.5

TOEFL iBT

The American standard. Preferred by US and Canadian universities.

• Score: 0 to 120 (30 max per section)
• Cost: ~$245
• Validity: 2 years

Approximate equivalences:

IELTS	TOEFL iBT
6.0	79-80
6.5	88-90
7.0	100
7.5	110

Cambridge English (C1 Advanced / C2 Proficiency)

Key advantage: it never expires (lifetime validity). If your child passes C1 Advanced in year 10, it’s still valid in year 13.

• Cost: ~€200-250
• Accepted: increasingly by UK and European universities as an IELTS alternative

Duolingo English Test (DET)

The newcomer. Online, at home, results in 48h, accepted by a growing number of universities (mainly USA and Canada, less in UK).

• Cost: ~$65 — 4 times cheaper than IELTS or TOEFL
• Validity: 2 years
• Caution: not accepted by all universities. Check each university’s website before taking it.

Which destination, which test?

Destination	Recommended	Alternative
🇬🇧 UK	IELTS Academic	Cambridge C1/C2, TOEFL (some universities)
🇳🇱 Netherlands	IELTS Academic	TOEFL, Cambridge C1
🇺🇸 USA	TOEFL iBT	IELTS, Duolingo (increasingly accepted)
🇨🇦 Canada	IELTS Academic	TOEFL, Duolingo
🇦🇪 UAE (branch campuses)	Depends on home university	IELTS or TOEFL
🇨🇭 Switzerland (EPFL)	None (Bachelor in French)	TOEFL/IELTS for English Master’s

The real level required: beyond the minimum score

The minimum score displayed by a university is a threshold for eligibility, not a guarantee of comfort.

A 6.5 IELTS is enough to be admitted, not to be comfortable

A 6.5 corresponds to B2+ / weak C1. Concretely, the student can follow most of a lecture but may lose the thread on fast or jargon-heavy passages. To be genuinely comfortable from day one, aim for 7.0-7.5, a solid C1.

Writing is usually the weakest component for francophone students

Typical scores for French lycée students:

• Listening: 6.5-7.0 (good — lots of exposure via series and YouTube)
• Reading: 7.0-7.5 (good — reading comprehension is practised at school)
• Speaking: 6.0-6.5 (okay — face-to-face exams cause stress)
• Writing: 5.5-6.0 (weak — academic essay structure in English isn’t taught in French lycées)

Consequence: many students get an overall 6.5 but with 5.5 in Writing, and some universities require a minimum per component (often 6.0 in each paper). Result: overall score is fine but admission is refused because of Writing.

Tip: work on Writing as a priority. It’s the component with the strongest improvement potential in 3-6 months.

When to prepare (and when to take the test)

Ideal calendar for a September 2027 intake

Period	Action
January-March 2026	Assess real level (free practice test online)
March-June 2026	Targeted preparation (courses, books, apps, or prep course)
June-August 2026	Take the test (summer session — results in 2-3 weeks)
September-October 2026	Results in hand for UCAS applications (January deadline)
If score insufficient	2nd attempt in October-November (no limit on attempts)

Preparation resources

Free: British Council practice tests, ETS TOEFL practice, YouTube channels (IELTS Liz, E2 IELTS), Cambridge One exercises.

Paid: Magoosh (€150), IDP IELTS Prep (€50), British Council intensive courses (€500-1,000 for 4 weeks), private tutoring (~€40-60/h).

Recommended preparation time: 3 to 6 months to gain 0.5 to 1.0 on the overall score.

The special case of bilingual and IB students

Bilingual students

If the child is de facto bilingual, the test is a formality: they’ll score 7.5-8.5 without specific preparation. But they still must take it: no university exempts based on a bilingualism declaration alone.

Exception: some universities exempt students who have completed at least 2 years of schooling in English in an English-speaking country.

IB students

Students in the IB Diploma with English as Higher Level (HL) or Language A are often exempted from the language test by British and Dutch universities. Check case by case.

Key takeaways

• IELTS is the global standard (UK, NL, Canada). TOEFL is the American standard. Duolingo is cheapest but not accepted everywhere. Cambridge never expires.
• The minimum score is a threshold, not a comfort guarantee. Aim 0.5 to 1.0 above the minimum.
• Writing is the weakest component for francophones — prioritise it.
• Prepare 3 to 6 months before the test date. Take the test in summer to have results before autumn applications.
• Always check which test is accepted by each university.

Going further

• UCAS Personal Statement: the structure that works in 2026
• IB Diploma: adapting your application to 3 systems
• British Council — IELTS
• ETS — TOEFL iBT

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Article written by Constantin Mardoukhaev, co-founder of Axiom Academic. Constantin supports francophone families in the linguistic preparation of their international applications.