The short answer: there is no single Saudi score, only what each page states
Saudi universities do not share one IELTS requirement. On the pages we read on 24 October 2026, the figures run from 4 to 7 and depend on the university, the programme and the applicant group. This page sets out what four universities' pages say: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), King Saud University (KSU), Prince Sultan University (PSU) and Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University (PNU). They are examples, not a ranking or a full list: we have read only the pages named here.
These are the universities' own statements, not admission advice. Requirements change and can differ by programme, so the programme page and the admissions office have the last word. A score at or above a figure here does not guarantee admission, a scholarship or an exemption.
Read on the universities' own pages on 24 October 2026. The PNU page carries no publication date, and the KSU page shows only a 2025 application phase marked closed. This page quotes no exam fee or test date.
| University and page | Level or applicant group | What the page states about IELTS |
|---|---|---|
| KAUST, admissions page on entry requirements | The line itself names no level or group; the page's entry requirements are for KAUST's Master's and Ph.D. programmes | IELTS 7 overall, with at least 6.5 in all individual sections. IELTS Online is accepted. |
| KAUST, same page | Saudi nationals and PhD students | Applicants with IELTS 6.5 overall and at least 6 in all individual sections may still be admitted on the condition that they take KAUST's Academic English Language Communication Course (AELC) in their first semester. |
| King Saud University, PhD initiative page | KSU's PhD initiative | TOEFL iBT 61, or IELTS 6, or STEP 85. The page says it accepts only official TOEFL, IELTS and STEP scores. The page we read shows its 2025 application phase as closed. |
| Prince Sultan University, undergraduate admission | Undergraduate | A minimum overall 4 in the Academic IELTS is one of several alternative ways to meet the English requirement; the page also lists a Qiyas STEP score of 50 and TOEFL and Duolingo options. IELTS Online is accepted as part of the requirement. |
| Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Master of Fashion & Textile Design page | One master's programme | A minimum of 4.0 on the IELTS Academic examination, or an equivalent standardized test, is listed as a ranking criterion. |
KAUST: two conditions, and a list of what does not count
KAUST's admissions page accepts IELTS at 7 overall with at least 6.5 in each individual section. That is two conditions, not one: a result of 7.0 overall with 6.0 in Writing, for example, does not meet a rule of at least 6.5 in every section. The page's minimum entry requirements are for entry to KAUST's Master's and Ph.D. programmes.
The same page says IELTS Online is accepted, and lists what it does not accept:
- Medium of Instruction (MOI) certificates.
- The Duolingo English Test, except for Visiting Student applicants.
- TOEFL MyBest scores (superscores).
- IELTS One Skill Retake results.
If you plan to improve one skill by retaking only that skill, note that KAUST does not accept a One Skill Retake result. IELTS One Skill Retake explains how the retake works and when a full retake is the other route.
KAUST's page also says an English test score is not required if you earned a degree through in-person study at an accredited institution in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia or New Zealand. It says the exemption covers only degrees physically completed in those countries, not degrees completed by distance learning, or through satellite campuses, joint programmes or branch institutions located outside them. This page cannot tell you whether your own degree qualifies; ask KAUST.
The second KAUST row in the table is a conditional route stated for Saudi nationals and PhD students: they may still be admitted at IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 6 in each section, on the condition that they take KAUST's Academic English Language Communication Course (AELC) during their first semester. It is not a lower general requirement, and who exactly counts as being in those groups is for KAUST to say.
King Saud University: one figure from a PhD initiative page
The page for King Saud University's PhD initiative states a minimum of TOEFL iBT 61, or IELTS 6, or STEP 85, and says that only official TOEFL, IELTS and STEP scores are accepted. This is the English-test line on one initiative's page, not a statement of King Saud University's requirement for every programme. The page we read on 24 October 2026 describes a 2025 application phase and says that phase has been closed for now, with the next phase to be announced in autumn 2025. It shows no later phase, so it cannot be read as a current open call: ask KSU whether a new phase has opened. The page also says further requirements may be set by each department or programme.
The line does not say whether the 6 is an overall band or a minimum for each section, or whether it means IELTS Academic, so ask KSU.
Prince Sultan University: a 4 is one route among several
Prince Sultan University's undergraduate admission page lists several alternative ways to meet its English requirement. One is a minimum overall 4 in the Academic IELTS. The page also lists a Qiyas STEP score of 50, and TOEFL and Duolingo options. It says PSU accepts IELTS Online as part of the requirement.
A 4 is one route among several, so it is not a statement that PSU admits everyone who reaches that band. And the page is about undergraduate admission, so other levels and programmes may state other figures: read the page for yours.
Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University: a programme-level line
The Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University page for its Master of Fashion & Textile Design lists a minimum of 4.0 on the IELTS Academic examination, or an equivalent standardized test, as a ranking criterion. It is a programme-level line on one master's page, so do not read it as PNU's requirement for other programmes. How a ranking criterion counts when applicants are ranked is for PNU to explain, and this page does not.
Why one number would mislead
- Different universities, different figures. 7 at KAUST, 6 on KSU's PhD initiative page, an overall 4 as one alternative at PSU, and 4.0 on one PNU master's page.
- Same university, different applicant groups. KAUST states 7 overall with 6.5 in each section, and a conditional route at 6.5 overall with 6 in each section for Saudi nationals and PhD students.
- Same test name, different figures. The STEP figure is 85 on KSU's PhD initiative page and 50 on PSU's undergraduate page: different universities, levels and programmes, so a number belongs to its programme.
- Same IELTS, different acceptance rules. KAUST and PSU state that IELTS Online is accepted; the KSU and PNU lines we read do not mention it.
Overall band or every section? How to read the figures
Each of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking is scored from 0 to 9 in half-band steps. The overall band is the average of the four, rounded to the nearest half band: a .25 remainder rounds up to the next half band and a .75 remainder rounds up to the next whole band. KAUST's line sets both an overall figure and a minimum for each section. PSU's line is for an overall score. The KSU and PNU lines we read give a single figure without saying whether it is overall or per section, so ask. The IELTS band score calculator shows how four skill scores become an overall band.
The PSU and PNU lines name IELTS Academic, while the KAUST and KSU lines we read say only IELTS. General Training is a different version of the test; see Academic or General Training. KAUST's page and PSU's page each state that test scores are valid for two years from the test date; the KSU and PNU lines used here do not say how old a result may be. Two years is the validity most institutions apply, but each decides, so ask before you book.
Admission requirements are not visa rules
The figures above are what universities state for admission. A visa or residence rule is set by a different body, and meeting one does not mean you meet the other. This page covers no Saudi visa rule and gives no visa or immigration advice. IELTS scores for study abroad compares visa and university figures in Australia, Canada and the UK, not Saudi Arabia.
A short checklist before you book the test
- Find your own row: the university, the level and the applicant group.
- Open the linked page and look for a date. The PNU page carries none, and the KSU page shows a closed 2025 phase, so ask whether the figure is current.
- Where a page is silent, ask the admissions office and keep the reply: overall or per section, Academic or General Training, how old a result may be, and whether IELTS Online is accepted.
- Check the kind of result you hold. KAUST says it does not accept One Skill Retake results.
- Then book the test with a test provider, because Band Booster does not register students. See booking IELTS in Saudi Arabia and IELTS test centres in Saudi Arabia.
Where Band Booster IELTS fits
Band Booster IELTS is a private online tutor, not a university, a test centre or an admissions adviser. It is independent of the universities named on this page, of IDP, the British Council and Cambridge University Press & Assessment, and it does not register you for the test, set test fees or dates, or issue results.
Mike holds the Cambridge CELTA, is based in Hanoi and scored 8.5 in Speaking in his own IELTS. He teaches every lesson himself, one-to-one and live on Google Meet in English. Once you know the figure your programme asks for, lessons can work on Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking: Speaking is practised in Parts 1, 2 and 3 in the real test format with feedback in the moment, and Writing Task 1 and Task 2 are marked against the public band descriptors. See about Mike, IELTS Speaking coaching and IELTS Writing feedback.
The booking calendar shows each slot in your own time zone, and the pages for Riyadh, Jeddah and Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman explain how lessons work from there. The booking page shows your price in your own currency before you pay. No band or admission is guaranteed: progress depends on your starting point and the work you do between sessions.