Exams that give scholarships for study abroad?

Test Prep
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Anyone knows which exams or tests we can give from India to get scholarships if planning to study in Canada, US, Poland, France or Australia?

I’m just exploring options and got confused as there are like so many options. Please help me!

2 Likes
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If you are talking about exams that can get you scholarships, few common ones are:

  1. SAT (for undergrad, mostly US, but sometimes usable for Canada too)
  2. GRE or GMAT (for masters/MBA, mostly US & Canada)
  3. IELTS or TOEFL (required for all, but some universities give partial scholarships if you score well)
  4. And also Olympiads or national-level stuff helps if you’re going for undergrad

France & Poland mostly go for academic-based or govt scholarships instead of exam-based… try checking for things like Charpak (France) or NAWA (Poland).

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Hi @u_nairr yeah, it does get confusing with all the exams floating around :sweat_smile:. Here’s the simple version:

  • US/Canada – For undergrad, SAT/ACT can help both with admission and some merit scholarships. For master’s, GRE/GMAT may matter depending on your program. And almost everywhere you’ll need an English test like IELTS, TOEFL, or even Duolingo now.

  • Poland/France – Most programs won’t ask for SAT/GRE. What matters is your academic record and language test (IELTS/TOEFL for English, or DELF/TCF if you’re applying to a French-taught course). Scholarships like Erasmus+ are more about your profile than extra exams.

  • Australia – English test (IELTS/TOEFL/PTE) is the key. GRE/GMAT is optional, only if the course specifically wants it.

So bottom line: English test is non-negotiable. For the US/Canada, adding SAT (for undergrad) or GRE/GMAT (for master’s) can give you an edge for scholarships. For Europe/Australia, your grades + language scores are usually enough.

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I too got lost in all the information :sob:
Anyway, I found that

  1. For US/Canada, universities love high SAT/GRE/GMAT scores, they link it to funding
  2. For France, Charpak scholarship doesn’t need any entrance test, just grades + motivation
  3. Australia has some university-specific merit scholarships (high IELTS score helps)
  4. Poland mostly public funding or university aid, not many exam-based ones

I’d say focus more on the country/university you want, then figure exams based on that :face_exhaling:

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Also don’t ignore government or external scholarships! Like:

  1. Inlaks and JN Tata (for US/Europe, masters mostly)

  2. Commonwealth (for UK, sometimes Aus)

  3. Vanier (for PhD in Canada)

  4. Eiffel (France, masters/PhD)

    They usually don’t ask for extra exams but ur normal entrance + academic record should be strong
    Use keywords like “scholarship exams for study abroad in India” or “merit-based scholarships for Canada/US students” when searching online, helps narrow everything down.

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hey @u_nairr

If you’re looking at scholarships abroad, the good news is – there’s usually no separate exam just for scholarships. The same admission tests (like IELTS/TOEFL, GRE, GMAT) are used for both uni admission and scholarship applications.

  • USA & Canada – You’ll need IELTS/TOEFL for sure. Some scholarships (like Fulbright) may also ask for GRE/GMAT depending on the program. Many unis (like UBC) auto-consider you for merit aid once you apply.
    Fulbright info | UBC scholarships

  • France – For scholarships like Eiffel Excellence, you just need to show English or French language proof (no extra test).
    Eiffel scholarship

  • Poland / EU (like Erasmus+) – Mostly IELTS/TOEFL, sometimes nothing extra beyond what the uni asks.

  • Australia – Again, IELTS/TOEFL/PTE is what matters. No “special scholarship test.”

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@u_nairr For scholarships abroad, the essential exams are mainly IELTS, TOEFL, or PTE for English proficiency, which are accepted in Canada, the US, France, Poland, and Australia. For the US, GRE or GMAT (for MS/MBA) plus SAT/ACT (undergrad) can boost merit-based funding and are often tied to awards like Fulbright. In Canada, the GRE/GMAT is optional but helps for competitive programs, while scholarships like Vanier CGS and OGS are university-nominated. France relies mostly on IELTS/TOEFL with schemes like the Eiffel Scholarship. Poland accepts English tests only, with funding through NAWA and Erasmus+. In Australia, IELTS/TOEFL/PTE are key, with major awards such as Australia Awards and RTP. Overall, strong English scores are universal, and the GRE/GMAT mainly matter for US/Canada or MBAs.