Which rules this page covers, and which it does not
This page is for Kuwaiti students who already hold a Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) scholarship and are studying, or about to study, in the United States or Canada. It deals with the English-language rules that apply once you are abroad: how long Intensive English (ESL) may last, which IELTS or TOEFL tests are treated as approved, and how many test fees are reimbursed. That is a different question from the score needed to receive a scholarship in the first place, which is covered in IELTS scores for Kuwait Ministry of Higher Education scholarships.
Three offices of the Kuwait Cultural Office published the statements below: Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Ottawa. Each has its own website and wording, so the table and the sections keep them apart. Do not apply one office's rule to another office's students; ask the office or advisor who handles your file which statement applies to you. The statements are reported as read on 24 October 2026. Requirements change, and this page is not scholarship advice for any individual student.
Band Booster IELTS is a private one-to-one tutoring service. It is not a test centre, it does not register anyone for IELTS or TOEFL or handle scholarship reimbursement, and it has no connection with the ministry, the cultural offices, any university or any test provider.
The three offices at a glance
| Office and source | Language-test rules | Test-fee reimbursement |
|---|---|---|
| Washington, D.C.: the Intensive English rules for MOHE scholarship students (marked Revised July 2026; see the note on its source below) | A maximum of one year (12 months) of ESL to obtain the TOEFL or IELTS score for full academic admission to the major. Only international TOEFL or IELTS tests from a ministry-approved testing centre, in the US or in Kuwait, are allowed. | At most three TOEFL or IELTS test fees taken during the ESL period are covered. A copy of the test score (the document calls it the official test score) and the receipt must be provided. |
| Los Angeles: the Sponsored ESL students page | An approved IELTS or TOEFL result submitted to the university can be used to gain admission; the page's alternative is finishing the highest ESL level. If you are unsure an exam is approved, check with your advisor first. | A maximum of 3 IELTS or TOEFL reimbursements for tests taken after the scholarship approval date. You email your Scholarship Advisor the "Official IELTS/TOEFL exam" document and a receipt. |
| Ottawa: the Kuwait Cultural Office in Canada, FAQ and Study in Canada page | The pre-departure checklist says to upload your IELTS results on the Dayrah System and on the MOHE website. | A maximum of three reimbursed trials. A pass in Kuwait before arriving in Canada is requested from MOHE; a pass in Canada can be requested from the Cultural Office. |
The Washington office: one year of ESL, approved centres and three test fees
The Washington rules come from a PDF titled Intensive English Rules and Regulations for Ministry of Higher Education Scholarship Students. It is listed as New Student - ESL Form on the Documents & Forms page of the Kuwait Cultural Office website in Washington (last updated 28 July 2026 there), its letterhead reads Embassy of the State of Kuwait, Cultural Division, and it carries the line Revised July 2026. It was read on 24 October 2026. Rules change, so ask your advisor for the current version before you rely on it.
The time limit on ESL
The document allows a maximum of one year (12 months) of Intensive English (ESL) to obtain the international TOEFL or IELTS score required for full academic admission to your major. It adds that the scholarship is suspended after one year if the student has not obtained academic admission at an approved university for the major. This page does not explain how a suspension is handled; ask your advisor.
Which tests count
Only international TOEFL or IELTS tests from a ministry-approved testing centre, either in the US or in Kuwait, are allowed. All other English proficiency exams are not accepted. The document does not list the approved centres, and this page names none. IELTS test venues in Kuwait reports what the test providers list there, not what the ministry approves. If you are unsure whether a centre is approved, ask your advisor before you book.
Test fees and the ESL ticket
A maximum of three TOEFL or IELTS test fees taken during the ESL period are covered by the scholarship. To be reimbursed, the student must provide a copy of the test score (the document calls it the official test score) and the receipt. This page quotes no exam fee.
The same document says a student is eligible for an ESL ticket if they meet all of the following conditions:
- at least 3 months of ESL studies completed;
- at least 50% of all courses taken during the ESL period passed;
- academic admission obtained at an approved university for the major.
This page gives no ticket value and cannot say that a ticket or a reimbursement will be granted in your case. The document contains further ESL rules that are not covered here, so read it in full.
The Los Angeles office: admission by test result and a limit of three
The Los Angeles office's page for sponsored ESL students offers two ways to gain academic admission: submit an approved IELTS or TOEFL result to the university, or finish the highest ESL level. For students who are unsure whether an exam is approved, the page advises checking with their advisor before taking it.
On reimbursement, the page limits students to a maximum of 3 IELTS or TOEFL reimbursements for tests taken after the scholarship approval date. The student emails the Scholarship Advisor the "Official IELTS/TOEFL exam" document together with a receipt. The page itself says what the receipt must show, so read it there. This page does not say how a test taken before the approval date is treated; ask your advisor.
The Ottawa office: where to claim, and the Dayrah upload
The Kuwait Cultural Office in Canada, in Ottawa, answers the question "Are IELTS exam fees refunded by the Cultural Office?" in its FAQ. A student who passed IELTS in Kuwait before arriving in Canada has to request the reimbursement from MOHE, while a student who passed the test in Canada could request it from the Cultural Office. The limit it gives is a maximum of three reimbursed trials to pass the IELTS.
The office's Study in Canada page lists, in its pre-departure checklist, uploading your IELTS results on the Dayrah System and on the MOHE website. Use the office's page and your advisor for the steps.
Reading the three statements together
- The number three appears in each, in different words. Washington covers at most three test fees taken during the ESL period, Los Angeles limits reimbursements to three for tests taken after the scholarship approval date, and Ottawa gives three reimbursed trials. This page cannot tell you how the three wordings combine in your case.
- The clocks differ. Washington counts test fees taken during the ESL period; Los Angeles counts tests taken after the scholarship approval date.
Questions to put to your advisor before you book a test
- Is the testing centre I plan to use approved by the ministry?
- Which of the tests I have already taken count towards the reimbursement limit?
- Which documents and which receipt do you need from me, and where do I send them?
- If I passed in Kuwait, or in the US or Canada, who handles my reimbursement?
- Which score does my university need, and does it ask for IELTS Academic or General Training? The statements read for this page say IELTS without naming the type.
The university's own requirement is separate from the scholarship rules; IELTS scores for study abroad explains the difference, and Academic and General Training explains how the two tests differ. If you plan to sit the test at home in Kuwait, booking IELTS in Kuwait covers ID, payment and moving or cancelling a booking.
Preparing for IELTS while you are in ESL
The cultural offices name both IELTS and TOEFL. Band Booster coaches for IELTS, so the notes below cover IELTS only. Because the offices cap what they reimburse, it helps to know what the test asks before you book it.
| Skill | Format |
|---|---|
| Listening | 30 minutes, 40 questions, four parts; the recording is played once |
| Reading | 60 minutes, 40 questions, three sections |
| Writing | 60 minutes: Task 1 (at least 150 words, about 20 minutes) and Task 2 (at least 250 words, about 40 minutes); Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1 |
| Speaking | An interview of 11 to 14 minutes in three parts |
Scores run from 0 to 9 in half-band steps, and the overall band is the average of the four skills, rounded to the nearest half band. General teaching advice, not from the cultural offices:
- Find your weakest skill early. The overall band is an average, so one low skill pulls it down. The band score calculator shows how four skill scores average into an overall band.
- Practise Writing under time. Write both tasks in one 60-minute sitting, and have your Task 2 marked against the public band descriptors.
- Speak aloud in the real three-part format. The Speaking Part 2 timer helps you rehearse the long turn.
Lessons with Mike: Band Booster's own terms, separate from the exam and the scholarship
Every lesson is taught by Mike himself, one-to-one and live on Google Meet in English. He holds the Cambridge CELTA, teaches from 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. There is no fixed course and no minimum commitment, and no band is promised: progress depends on your starting point and the work you do between sessions. See IELTS Speaking coaching and IELTS Writing feedback.
You book the test with a test provider and take your questions about ESL, approved centres and reimbursement to your cultural office or advisor, not to Band Booster. For lessons, open the booking calendar: it shows each slot in your own time zone, wherever you are studying, and your price in your own currency before you pay. Your first booking can be the paid 30-minute trial, once. You can reschedule a lesson at no charge up to 12 hours before it. See also the online IELTS tutor page for Kuwait City and the page for Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.