Studying abroad is the dream of many students, to expand their careers. This will offer them a good academic opportunity, personal growth, and cultural exposure. There are some criteria and steps to make their dream possible. The first and wider step is to take the needed entrance exam for abroad studies and make it clear with a good score. To make your abroad studies possible in 2025, here we GLOBAL CONNECT guide you and help you understand the important entrance exams and their criteria correspondingly.
Let’s know the essential entrance exams for abroad studies;
International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
The IELTS exam is similar to the TOEFL exam and measures the English language skills of the student.
Exam format
- Listening (30 minutes + 10 minutes)
- Reading (60 minutes)
- Writing (60 minutes)
- Speaking (11 – 14 minutes)
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
This is demonstrated in evaluating the English proficiency of the student, to get placed in universities in English-speaking countries.
Exam format
- Reading (35 minutes)
- Listening (36 minutes)
- Speaking (16 minutes)
- Writing (29 minutes)
Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)
GMAT is designed for evaluating business students, especially when required for MBA programs. The overall duration of the exam is approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes.
Exam format
- Analytical Writing Assessment (30 minutes)
- Integrated Reasoning (30 minutes)
- Quantitative Section (62 minutes)
- Verbal Section (65 minutes)
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
The GRE is considered for graduate programs, top abroad universities will prefer this exam to evaluate the student’s aptitude level.
Exam format
- Quantitative Reasoning for measuring mathematical skill. (47 mins)
- Verbal Reasoning is for assessing your reading comprehension and vocabulary usage. (41 mins)
- Analytical Writing is for evaluate your critical thinking through writing. (30 mins)
Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT)
Top colleges will consider this SAT exam in the admission process to evaluate the student’s readiness.
Exam format
- Reading (65 minutes)
- Writing and Language (35 minutes)
- Mathematics (80 minutes)
- Essay (Optional) (50 minutes)
Pearson Test of English (PTE)
It’s a computer-based English language proficiency exam that is accepted by top colleges and universities, as well as for visa immigration purposes.
Exam format
- Speaking & Writing (77–93 minutes)
- Reading (32–41 minutes)
- Listening (45–57 minutes)
The essential reason for entrance exams for abroad studies
Having entrance exams for abroad studies is a value-added point for your admission to top universities like Harvard University, University of Oxford, Imperial College London, etc. Here are the essential reasons for having entrance exams for abroad studies;
- Standardized Assessment
- Skill Verification
- Language Proficiency
- Merit-Based Selection
- Global Benchmarking

Conclusion
Entrance exams for abroad studies like IELTS, TOEFL, GMAT, GRE, etc are the important exams, that are considered in the process of admission, by the top abroad colleges and universities. We, GLOBAL CONNECT the best abroad study consultancy in Chennai will guide you and mold you with our expert trainers to provide the best coaching for overseas education, to achieve your dream of studying abroad.