Nine institutions side by side (pages read October 2026)
Each row shows what the institution's own page said when it was read in October 2026. Rows are alphabetical, which is not a ranking, and each covers only the group it names.
| Institution and group | What the page lists | Other points on the page |
|---|---|---|
| American University of Bahrain (AUBH), undergraduate | IELTS Academic 6.0, or an equivalent such as TOEFL (69). | A personal interview may be required, and applicants who miss the full requirements but show potential may be admitted provisionally (see below). Source: AUBH undergraduate admissions. |
| Arab Open University Bahrain, undergraduate | IELTS 4.5 is the minimum listed for applicants who submit a test result; the university's own English Placement Test is the other route. | Scores expire after 2 years. Source: undergraduate requirements. |
| Arab Open University Bahrain, master's programmes | IELTS 6.0, with a paper-based TOEFL of 550 beside it. | Listed among the conditions for admission to any master's programme; scores expire after 2 years. Source: graduate requirements. |
| Arabian Gulf University (AGU), PhD in Innovation Management | IELTS of at least 6, or the TOEFL iBT equivalent, which the page gives as 67-80. | One programme only: the page's English requirement varies by programme. Source: AGU graduate admission. |
| Arabian Gulf University (AGU), MSc in Molecular Medicine | IELTS 5.5 (TOEFL 500); IELTS 5.0 (TOEFL 450) can be provisionally accepted. | Provisional acceptance is conditional on reaching the language requirement during the first year of the programme. Same AGU page. |
| Bahrain Polytechnic | No IELTS score: IELTS and internet-based TOEFL do not exempt applicants from its English entry test. | The page says these tests are not accepted as part of the application process. Source: entry tests. |
| Kingdom University | IELTS 5.5 (or TOEFL 550) exempts applicants from the English placement test. | Listed under applicants who earned 60% and above in their high-school certificates; applicants below 60% fall under separate rules on the page. Source: admissions. |
| RCSI Bahrain, medicine | IELTS Academic 6.5 overall, with at least 6.0 in each band. | The page also gives other options that depend on the entry route, which this page does not list. Source: medicine entry requirements. |
| Royal University for Women (RUW), undergraduate | IELTS overall band score of 5.5, or the university's own placement test at 5.5. | The page also lists TOEFL scores. Source: admission requirements. |
| University College of Bahrain (UCB) | IELTS 5.0 or more, with a paper-based TOEFL of 500 beside it. | Listed as accepted proof of English. Source: admission process and requirements. |
| University of Bahrain (UoB), undergraduate | A valid IELTS of 5.5 or more (or the TOEFL equivalent) exempts from the Preparatory Program. | Applies if the certificate is submitted to the university's English Language Center before studies start. Source: registration and admission e-services. |
| University of Bahrain (UoB), postgraduate | IELTS Academic of no less than 5.5 (or an equivalent certificate), or a pass in the English examination the university administers. The same document exempts applicants to programmes taught 90% or more in Arabic. | From the university's postgraduate admission requirements for 2026/2027, a PDF. Source: postgraduate admission requirements. |
The table gives each page's English lines for the group it names. The pages set other requirements too, so treat it as a starting point, not as your own requirement, and read the linked page before you book a test.
How to read these figures
- There is no single score. The figures run from 4.5 to 6.5 across the pages read, and inside one institution they change with the level of study (Arab Open University Bahrain: 4.5 for undergraduates, 6.0 for master's programmes; the Arabian Gulf University: 6 for one doctoral programme, 5.5 for one master's programme).
- The group you belong to matters. A line written for undergraduates says nothing about postgraduates, and Kingdom University's 5.5 sits under the heading for applicants with 60% and above in their high-school certificates.
- IELTS is not the only test named. Several rows list a TOEFL score beside IELTS; whether another test suits you is a question for the institution.
- A score is not an offer. It is an English requirement; admission depends on the institution's other requirements and its decision, and nothing here guarantees a place.
- Pages change. They can change without notice, so check the page for your own intake before you book a test.
This page is about institutions' English requirements only. A visa, residence permit or scholarship can have its own English rule, set by whoever issues it, and meeting an institution's score does not mean you meet that rule, or the reverse. This page gives no visa or immigration advice; for the difference in general, see IELTS scores for study abroad.
How IELTS fits in: a pass mark, another route or an exemption
The rows use IELTS in four ways, and the difference matters when you decide whether to sit the test.
- A minimum score. AUBH (Academic 6.0), RCSI Bahrain (6.5 overall, 6.0 in each band, one of several accepted options), University College of Bahrain (5.0 or more), Arab Open University Bahrain's master's programmes (6.0) and the two Arabian Gulf University programmes (6, and 5.5 with 5.0 provisionally accepted).
- One route among others. The University of Bahrain's postgraduate line offers IELTS Academic 5.5 or the English examination the university administers. The Royal University for Women's undergraduate line offers an overall 5.5, TOEFL scores or its own placement test at 5.5. Arab Open University Bahrain's undergraduates can submit a test result, where IELTS 4.5 is the minimum listed, or sit its own English Placement Test.
- An exemption. A valid IELTS of 5.5 or more exempts University of Bahrain undergraduates from the Preparatory Program, if the certificate reaches the English Language Center before studies start. At Kingdom University, IELTS 5.5 exempts applicants from the English placement test, under the 60% heading described above.
- Not an exemption. Bahrain Polytechnic says IELTS does not exempt applicants from its English entry test.
As general advice, not from any institution: a good result can save a step at one place and change nothing at another, so check which applies before you book.
Detail pages for three institutions
Three institutions above have their own page here:
- University of Bahrain and IELTS, for the undergraduate exemption and the postgraduate line.
- RCSI Bahrain English entry requirements, for the medicine line.
- Bahrain Polytechnic: IELTS and the English entry test.
American University of Bahrain: interview and provisional admission
AUBH's undergraduate admissions page lists IELTS Academic 6.0 or an equivalent test, and adds three things a score alone does not cover. A personal interview may be required, where applicable. Applicants who miss the full requirements but show potential for academic success at university level may be admitted on a provisional basis, which can include the Intensive English Language Program or the Foundation year. This page does not say who is offered which route, or what either programme involves, so ask AUBH.
Which IELTS test the figures mean
Where a page names a version, it names Academic: the University of Bahrain's postgraduate line, AUBH's undergraduate line and RCSI Bahrain's medicine line. The other lines quoted here say IELTS without a version, so if you have taken General Training, ask the institution whether it counts. Writing Task 1 differs (a chart, graph, table, diagram or process in Academic, a letter in General Training); Speaking is the same in both. See IELTS Academic or General Training.
Overall band or every band
RCSI Bahrain's line sets two conditions: 6.5 overall and at least 6.0 in each band. An overall band is the average of the four skill scores, rounded to the nearest half band, with a .25 remainder rounding up to the next half band and a .75 remainder up to the next whole band. For example, Listening 7.0, Reading 6.5, Writing 5.5 and Speaking 7.0 average 6.5, yet the Writing 5.5 is below a minimum of 6.0 in each band. These figures are invented to show the arithmetic, not anyone's result.
The other lines quoted here do not say how their figure is read, apart from the Royal University for Women's, which says overall. Whether an institution also reads your four skill scores is for its admissions office to say. The band score calculator does the sum for you.
How long a result lasts
Both Arab Open University Bahrain lines say scores expire after 2 years, and most institutions treat an IELTS result as valid for 2 years. The University of Bahrain's undergraduate line asks for a valid certificate. This page cannot say whether the years run from the test date, the issue date or your application, so ask if your result is close to 2 years old.
What this page does not cover
- Other institutions. Only the nine above are covered, and an institution's absence says nothing about its requirements.
- Test registration, fees and dates. Band Booster IELTS does not register students for IELTS, so this page quotes no exam fee or test date. For how booking and test day work in Bahrain, see booking IELTS in Bahrain and test day.
- Retakes. The lines above do not say whether an institution accepts a One Skill Retake result, so ask before you rely on one; see One Skill Retake or a full retake and results, re-marking and retakes in Bahrain.
- Scholarships and visas. The Crown Prince's International Scholarship Programme has its own page, CPISP and IELTS. No visa rule is covered here.
Preparing for the score your institution lists
Band Booster IELTS is a private tutoring service, not a university, a test centre or the exam board, and it is independent of every institution named here. Mike teaches every session himself, one-to-one and live in English on Google Meet. He holds the Cambridge CELTA, is based in Hanoi and scored 8.5 in Speaking in his own IELTS (see About Mike).
A session can cover Listening, Reading, Writing (Task 1 and Task 2, marked against the public band descriptors) or Speaking (Parts 1, 2 and 3 in the real test format, with feedback during the session). See IELTS Speaking coaching and IELTS Writing feedback.
The booking page shows each time in your own time zone and your price in your own currency, with the payment options, before you pay. A paid 30-minute trial can be booked once, on a first booking; you can reschedule at no charge up to 12 hours before a session, and there is no subscription and no package. No band is promised: progress depends on your starting point and the work you do between sessions. For the time difference and test centres, see online IELTS tutor for Manama, and for other countries online IELTS tutor by country.