International education opportunities greatly abound giving students from different backgrounds opportunities to further their education in their desired overseas high schools and universities.

Nonetheless, these further-education-abroad opportunities and international admission demand meeting a certain academic requirement, one of which is the ability to pass standardized tests or exams – a prerequisite condition for offering admission and study.

The chances of gaining admission into any foreign high school or universities and getting financial aids, grants, or scholarships require the student being able to perform well or excellently in a test.

Since many higher education institutions (colleges and universities) in overseas do not limit themselves to just one particular standardized exam, students are better chanced to gain admission by sitting for more than one exam. Top 5 international examinations that should be considered sitting for in other to gain overseas college and university admission are IELTS, TOEFL, SAT, GMAT, and GRE

1. IELTS (International English Language Testing System)

IELTS is a foreign standardized test of English language proficiency for non-native English language speakers. The test assesses students in 4 skill areas: listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Remarkably, the test does not have a pass or fail grade system. Candidates ranked on a scale from 0 to 9, 9 being an expert user in English and 0 being the candidate did not attempt the test., Candidates will be needing a certain score depending on whether they are taking the test for studies, career or living in a foreign country. In the UK for a general Tier 4 Student Visa, you’ll need to achieve a 5.5 overall and in each of the four areas that you are tested.

The score a candidate gets in IELTS is valid for two full years from the date of the test.

2. TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

TOEFL assesses the level at which an individual will be able to understand and use English in an academic setting. This is a requirement for non-English native speakers at most of the English colleges and universities. It is also a requirement to aid scholarship.

The score an individual gets in TOEFL is valid for two years after which it becomes invalid and would no longer be accepted. Colleges and universities consider only the latest scores of TOEFL. For that reason, an individual is expected to write the test when he or she has made up his or her mind

The dominant credit IELTS and TOEFL enjoy is that English is the most preferred language for admission internationally.

3. SAT (Scholastics Aptitude Test)

SAT is an international examination taken by high school students with no standards for the least marks but there are colleges that require good scores in SAT along with academic scores.

The test assesses critical thinking skills and also the ability to evaluate and solve mathematical problems, critical thinking, and writing.

The exam shows a student’s effectiveness and their likelihood of succeeding in the course in the long run.

4. GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test)

GMAT is an international exam with selection criteria for admission into graduate business programs such as Masters of Accountancy, Masters in Business Administration (MBA) or such other courses, mostly in the United States.

It measures the students’ aptitude to gain success in graduate business studies in a business school.

This test is a computer-based standardized test in English language and Mathematics proficiency but candidates are tested on analytical writing assessment, integrated reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and verbal reasoning.

5. GRE (Graduate Record Exam)

GRE assesses whether an individual is prepared for graduate-level employment or work. An individual is examined based on quantitative reasoning, verbal reasoning, analytical writing skills, and also in critical thinking skills which might not be in tandem with any specific field of study or discipline.

GRE score is considered in admissions decisions for MBA, Specialized Masters in Business and Doctoral Programs (Ph.D.) in many foreign colleges and universities abroad.