This page reports what the pages of five institutions in Oman and one IDP page say about IELTS and the foundation stage, as read in October 2026. Rules change and differ by programme and applicant, and the institution decides, so check its current catalogue or admissions office. This page gives no admission advice.
The rules at a glance
| Institution | What its page says about IELTS | Skill rule | Other route on the same page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sohar University | IELTS at least 5.0 exempts an applicant from the English component (read here as part of its General Foundation Programme, GFP) | None of the four skills below 4.5 | Its own English Placement Test, minimum 61 out of 100, among other routes |
| Dhofar University: English | IELTS 5.0 gives exemption from English | Writing at least 4.5; no other skill named | SAT I verbal score of 500 |
| Dhofar University: Freshman English | IELTS 7.0 exempts from ENGL 101A/B and ENGL 102 | None named | SAT I 380 (writing section) |
| Bayan College | IELTS 5.00: incoming students are placed directly into their academic studies | None named | A placement test for Foundation entry; the IELTS sentence is a note beneath it |
| Buraimi University College | Not an IELTS exemption: its foundation English exit exam has been benchmarked with IELTS | Overall band score 5, none below 4 in each skill, to enter an academic programme | Not applicable: the exit exam is the college's own |
What the preparatory year is, and why the names differ
Sultan Qaboos University's Centre for Preparatory Studies page says its courses cover English, mathematics, information technology and study skills, and that since 2010/2011 this preparatory year has been a requirement at every university and college in Oman. That is SQU's own statement, checked here against no other source, and the lines used give no IELTS figure, so this guide states no SQU exemption rule.
The stage goes by different names: SQU says preparatory year, Sohar University's page speaks of the GFP (IDP's list spells it out as General Foundation Program), Bayan College and Buraimi University College both use General Foundation Program for their pages, and Bayan also speaks of foundation levels. Use your institution's own term when you write to it.
Sohar University: IELTS 5.0, with no skill below 4.5
Sohar University's how-to-apply page says an applicant can be exempted from the English component with an IELTS score of at least 5.0, with none of the four areas below 4.5. The list sits under direct entry to an academic programme and the Computing paragraph after it names the GFP, so this guide reads the English component as part of the foundation stage; that is a reading, not the page's statement. The same list names other routes: a minimum of 61 out of 100 in the Sohar University English Placement Test, TOEFL scores, and a GFP completed at another university or college.
The lines used do not say whether Academic or General Training is needed, how long a result stays acceptable, or by when to submit it, and the page carries no date this guide could see. Ask Sohar. IELTS Academic or General Training explains the two tests, and our page for Sohar covers testing there.
Dhofar University: separate figures for English, Freshman English and result age
Dhofar University's page says students may be exempted from English, Math or IT Foundation requirements if they meet its criteria, and packs several rules into a few lines:
- Exemption from English: IELTS 5.0 with Writing at least 4.5. The page says exemption from English requires 5.0 in IELTS with a writing minimum of 4.5, or an SAT I score of 500 on the verbal section. This guide reads that as IELTS 5.0 with Writing at least 4.5; the lines used do not say whether 5.0 is the overall band or whether other skills are checked, so ask.
- Freshman English: IELTS 7.0. Applicants with a minimum English score of 7.0 IELTS, or 380 SAT I (writing section), will be exempted from the Freshman English requirements ENGL 101A/B and ENGL 102. That is a higher figure for different courses; the lines used do not say how it relates to the first exemption.
- Result age. The validity of all these tests is limited to two years from the date of taking the exam.
- Certificates from outside Oman. Holders of IELTS and TOEFL certificates issued by institutions outside Oman may be asked to sit its placement test.
- Not the only route. Undergraduates are admitted on a General Education Certificate or equivalent plus English, Math and Information Technology placement tests.
The page carries no date of its own that this guide could see, so confirm the figures are current. Our page for Salalah covers testing there.
Bayan College: IELTS 5.00 goes directly into academic studies
Bayan College's General Foundation Program page says incoming students take an internationally benchmarked placement test, covering all English language skills along with IT and Math, to gain entry to Foundation studies. A note beneath that paragraph says incoming students with an IELTS score of 5.00 are placed directly into their academic studies. This guide reads that as skipping the foundation levels, but the sentence does not say so, and it gives one figure. The lines used do not say whether it is the overall band or applies to each skill, how old a result may be, or whether anything else in the foundation stage still applies. The wording is wider than Sohar's, so ask Bayan whether it covers your programme.
Buraimi University College: an exit exam benchmarked with IELTS
Buraimi University College's page on its foundation English exit exam says the exam is taken at the end of level 2 to test the English proficiency of students completing the Foundation Programme, and that it has been benchmarked with IELTS. It states the condition for entering an academic programme in band terms: an overall band score of 5, with not less than 4 in each of the skills.
This is a different kind of rule: the college's own exam at the end of foundation, not an IELTS exemption at the start, and the lines used do not say an IELTS result can replace it. The page does not set out how exam marks relate to band scores, so this guide does not describe that.
One weak skill can matter: the arithmetic
The overall band is the average of the four skills, rounded to the nearest half band: an average ending in .25 rounds up to the next half band, and one ending in .75 to the next whole band. The results below are made up, not anyone's real scores, and are checked against the Sohar and Dhofar sentences as this guide reads them.
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Average | Overall | Sohar's wording | Dhofar's English sentence, if 5.0 is the overall band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 | 5.5 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 5.25 | 5.5 | Writing 4.0 is below 4.5 | Writing 4.0 is below 4.5 |
| 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 5.00 | 5.0 | Overall 5.0, nothing below 4.5 | Overall 5.0, Writing 4.5 |
| 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 4.75 | 5.0 | Overall 5.0, nothing below 4.5 | Overall 5.0, Writing 4.5 |
The first row has the higher overall band and still falls short of both sentences, because of one skill. The third shows rounding: an average of 4.75 becomes an overall 5.0. Only the institution can say how it applies a real result; the IELTS band score calculator checks your own arithmetic.
IELTS is one route among several, so ask what each route would exempt you from. The figures above are institutions' own English rules for entry and placement in Oman, not visa minimums and not the scores that universities abroad ask for; IELTS scores for study abroad keeps those apart.
One Skill Retake and the foundation units
IDP's worldwide list of organisations that accept One Skill Retake, which has an Oman section, read in October 2026, includes Sohar University - General Foundation Program and the University of Technology and Applied Sciences - Preparatory Studies Center, among other Oman organisations. A listing is not the institution's own rule, the page is undated, and lists change, so ask the institution before you rely on a retaken result. See One Skill Retake or a full retake and IELTS results in Oman.
Checking your own case, step by step
- Find your institution and programme on its own site, note its term for the foundation stage, and ask what the pages used here leave open: Academic or General Training, overall band or each skill, how long a result counts, how and by when to submit it, and whether the rule covers your programme and intake.
- If you hold a result, compare all four skills with the wording, not only the overall band.
- Book IELTS with the provider you choose; Band Booster does not register students. The Muscat page sets out what IDP, the British Council and ielts.org list for IELTS in Muscat, and booking IELTS in Oman covers ID and moving a test.
Preparing for a 5.0 target
This is general study advice from Band Booster IELTS, not guidance from any institution, and no band is promised. Sohar's wording puts a floor under all four skills and Dhofar's under Writing, so a weak skill can matter as much as a strong one; a timed practice paper in each skill shows where to focus, and the Speaking Part 2 timer helps with the long turn.
Where Band Booster fits
Band Booster IELTS is a private online tutor. It is not a university, a test centre or the exam board, and it has no connection with the institutions on this page, IDP, the British Council or any regulator: it does not register you for IELTS or decide admission or exemption. 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). Sessions can cover any of the four skills, with feedback in the moment; see IELTS Speaking coaching and IELTS Writing feedback (their prices are for Vietnam).
Oman is in a higher regional price tier than Vietnam; 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 taken once, on your first booking, and sessions can be rescheduled at no charge up to 12 hours before. There is no subscription and no package to commit to. No band, exemption or place is guaranteed: progress depends on your starting point and the work between sessions.
Related pages and fees
See the page for Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman and online IELTS tutors by country and city. This page quotes no exam fee and no test date; the providers set them and they can change.