Foreigners who would like to study at the universities of Netherlands in English need to show their knowledge of the English language by passing following exams:
- The TOEFL® Test (Test of English as a Foreign Language™).
- Academic IELTS test (the International English Language Testing System).
- A Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE), Proficiency of English (CPE) or First Certificate in English
These English exams measure the ability to communicate in English for those who want to get education in Holland.
Below you can find the list of necessary scores for admission on Preparatory, Bachelor and Master programmes at universities in the Netherlands.
| IELTS | TOEFL | |||
Programme | paper based | computer based | internet based | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preparatory 1 year | 5.0 | 500 | 173 | 60 |
| Preparatory 6 mn | 5.5 | 525 | 196 | 70 |
| Bachelor | 6.0 | 550 | 213 | 80 |
| Master | 6.5 - 7 | 575 | 232 | 90 |
| PHD | 7 | 600 | 250 | 100 |
See information about Preparatory programmes and TOEFL & IELTS test centers in Holland.
Exceptions are allowed for students, who get second higher education in English, or for the students whose mother tongue is English. See the list of English native speaking countries.
Here you can see the several equivalence tables for TOEFL and IELTS scores.
| TOEFL Paper | TOEFL Computer | TOEFL iBT | IELTS Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 625 - 680 | 263 - 300 | 113 - 120 | 7.5 - 9.0 |
| 600 | 250 | 100 | 7.0 |
| 575 | 232 | 90 - 91 | 6.5 |
| 550 | 213 | 79 - 80 | 6.0 |
| 525 | 196 | 69 - 70 | 5.5 |
| 500 | 173 | 59 - 60 | 5.0 |
| 475 | 152 | 49 - 50 | 4.5 |
| 450 | 133 | 39 - 40 | 4.0 |
| 425 | 113 | 29 -30 | 3.5 |
Source: English Language Center
Read more: TOEFL and IELTS test.
This is another conversion table, where the levels proficiency in English are shown.
Source : Vancouver English Centre
Read more: Admission at Universities in Holland and Language and preparatory programmes.
