Different Types of Scholarship Exams for Studying Abroad (2026)

Scholarship exams are tests that assess a student’s academic ability, language skills, or aptitude to decide who receives financial aid, such as tuition waivers, stipends, or grants. For studying abroad, most of these are standard admission tests like IELTS, SAT, or GRE, while a few scholarships conduct their own exam.

Here are the key features of scholarship exams for studying abroad:

• Purpose: These exams help universities and scholarship bodies select students for merit aid, tuition waivers, stipends, and assistantships. A higher score often leads to a larger award.
• Format: Most are computer-based tests of English, mathematics, reasoning and verbal skills. Provider-run scholarships may add a written exam, an essay round or an interview.
• Conducted by: Testing bodies like ETS, College Board and GMAC conduct the standard exams. Some scholarship providers and governments conduct their own selection tests. For example, the Embassy of Japan holds a written exam for the MEXT scholarship.
• Role in selection: A qualifying exam score only makes a student eligible, and the final decision still depends on grades, essays and interviews. Provider-run exams are part of the award’s own selection and are usually open only to shortlisted applicants.

National exams like NTSE and NMMS are often searched as scholarship exams. These support studies in India only and do not cover a degree abroad.

Scholarship exams for studying abroad fall into five types, from English tests like IELTS to admission tests like SAT and GRE. Admission tests have the most direct link to money, as many universities tie merit awards to fixed score bands. English tests mostly decide whether a student can apply at all.

Here is an overview of the types of scholarship exams and how each one links to funding:

English proficiency scholarship exams like IELTS and TOEFL rarely award money on their own, but most scholarships need a valid score before a student can receive the award. The required score is set by the university, not the scholarship, so the same band may work for one course and fall short for another.

Here are the English proficiency exams accepted for scholarships abroad:

Here are some scholarships where an English proficiency score decides eligibility:

• GREAT Scholarships (UK): These offer GBP 10,000 (INR 12.7 L) towards tuition for one-year taught master’s courses, with 12 scholarships open to Indian students for 2026-27. Applicants must meet the English requirement of the UK university they apply to.
• Chevening Scholarships (UK): Chevening removed its own English requirement in 2020. However, selected scholars still need an unconditional university offer, so the university’s IELTS or TOEFL condition must be met before the deadline.

(Conversion rate: GBP 1 = about INR 127)

SAT and ACT are the main undergraduate scholarship exams, and they show the clearest link between a score and the award amount. Many US universities are test-optional for admission, but their automatic merit scholarships still depend on a submitted SAT or ACT score.

Here are the undergraduate exams that decide merit scholarships abroad:

• SAT: Scored on a 400-1600 scale. Most US universities list SAT bands in their scholarship tables, with a higher band leading to a larger yearly award.
• ACT: Scored on a 1-36 scale and accepted in place of the SAT. Universities set an equal ACT band for each award, so students can submit whichever test they score better on.

Here are some US universities that give automatic merit scholarships based on SAT scores:

These awards need no separate scholarship application, but the score must be sent officially by the testing agency. Score rules also differ between universities. For example, the University of Mississippi accepts super scores from multiple test dates, so students should check this rule before planning a retake.

Postgraduate scholarship exams like GRE and GMAT help students get merit scholarships, tuition waivers, and assistantships for master’s and PhD programmes abroad. Universities check these scores along with grades, work experience, and research before giving a scholarship. Some business schools also give scholarships directly based on fixed GMAT score ranges.

Here are the postgraduate exams that support scholarships abroad:

• GRE: Scored on a 260-340 scale across Verbal and Quantitative sections. It is used mainly for MS and PhD programmes, where departments offer assistantships and tuition waivers.
• GMAT: Scored on a 205-805 scale in the Focus Edition. Many older guides mention 700 as the score needed for scholarships, but that is from the old 200-800 scale. A 700 on the old scale is not the same as 700 on the Focus Edition.
• LSAT: Scored on a 120-180 scale and needed for law school admission and merit aid in the USA and Canada.
• MCAT: Scored on a 472-528 scale and needed for medical school admission in the USA and Canada.

Here are some scholarships linked directly to GMAT and GRE scores:

For MS and PhD students in the USA, most funding comes from assistantships, not named scholarships. An assistantship covers tuition and pays a monthly stipend, and the department decides it based on the GRE score and the student’s research profile.

Provider-run scholarship exams are tests that the scholarship body conducts itself as part of its selection process. For example, the JN Tata Endowment holds a critical thinking aptitude test, and the Embassy of Japan holds a written exam for the MEXT scholarship. 

Students cannot replace these tests with an IELTS or GRE score. In most cases, only shortlisted applicants take the test, and an interview follows it.

Here are the main scholarships for Indian students that conduct their own exam or selection round:

The MEXT written exam depends on the category. Research students write English and Japanese papers, while undergraduate applicants also write mathematics and science papers. Since these exams are held only after shortlisting, students must first get through the document round with strong grades and a clear statement of purpose.

Country-specific language scholarship exams test a student’s skill in the local language of the study destination. For example, German-taught courses under DAAD scholarships need a TestDaF or DSH certificate, and Chinese-taught courses under the Chinese Government Scholarship need an HSK score. 

These exams are needed only when the course is taught in the local language. For English-taught courses in these countries, an IELTS or TOEFL score is usually enough.

Here are the language exams linked to scholarships in non-English-speaking countries:

The right scholarship exam depends on the student’s study level, study destination and the scholarship they are targeting. For example, a Class 12 student aiming for US merit scholarships needs the SAT, while a graduate applying for an MBA abroad needs the GMAT. Students should choose the scholarship first and then take the exam that scholarship asks for.

Here are the deciding factors for choosing the right scholarship exam:

Preparing for scholarship exams means aiming for the score the scholarship needs, not just the score needed for admission. For example, a student aiming for US merit scholarships should plan the SAT around the university’s scholarship score bands and deadlines. For provider-run exams like the MEXT written test, students should prepare according to that test’s own subjects.

Here are some tips to prepare for scholarship exams for studying abroad:

• Aim for the scholarship band, not the admission cut-off: A small rise in score can move a student into a higher award band. For example, at the University of Mississippi, a student with a 3.5 GPA gets USD 15,000 a year for an SAT of 1360-1410, but USD 20,160 (INR 19.2 L) a year for an SAT of 1420 or above.
• Plan backwards from the scholarship deadline: Students should book the exam early enough to get the score report and still have time for one retake. Automatic merit awards need official scores sent by the testing agency, so a score that arrives late may miss the award.
• Check the university’s retake rule before a second attempt: Some universities combine the best section scores from different test dates, while others use only one test date. For example, the University of Mississippi accepts super scores, so a retake that improves even one section can raise the award.
• Match the score to the scale the university uses: TOEFL moved to a new 1-6 scale in January 2026, and GMAT scores are now reported on the 205-805 Focus Edition scale. For example, ETS links a 100 on the old TOEFL scale to a 5 on the new scale, so students should check which scale the university lists before setting a target.
• Prepare for provider-run exams by their own subjects: These exams do not follow the IELTS or GRE pattern. For example, undergraduate MEXT applicants write papers in English, Japanese, mathematics and science, so revising school-level subjects matters more for them than a GRE-style course.

The right scholarship exam depends on the scholarship a student is targeting, not on which test is the most popular. Students should first shortlist the scholarships that match their study level and destination, then check the exam and score each one asks for. Booking the exam early also leaves time for one retake before the scholarship deadline.

Yocket Premium helps students shortlist universities and scholarships that match their profile, along with the exams and scores each one needs. Expert counsellors also guide students on test timelines, applications and documents, so no scholarship deadline is missed.