You can study in Singapore without IELTS, but in most cases you swap it for another score, not for a letter. NTU and SMU accept SAT or ACT results as proof of English for undergraduate entry. NTU also drops the English test entirely when English was a subject in both your junior and senior high school years, unless your qualification is on its mandatory-test list. NUS does not ask for IELTS or TOEFL from undergraduate applicants with “other” school qualifications, and tests their English with its own test after they enrol.
Scholarships follow the same rules, because you are considered for most of them through your admission application. For research degrees, NTU’s Research Scholarship and the NUS Research Scholarship accept international students of any nationality, with no bond. Below are the confirmed English routes at each university, the scholarships with verified terms, and the 2027 application windows.
Study in Singapore without IELTS: which universities accept what
| University | Level | Confirmed way in without IELTS | MOI letter alone? |
|---|---|---|---|
| NUS | Bachelor’s (“Other High School Qualifications”) | No IELTS or TOEFL asked at application; NUS Qualifying English Test after enrolment | Not needed for this route |
| NUS | PhD and research master’s | Faculty of Science accepts proof that your degree was taught fully in English | Yes, at Science; other faculties set their own rules |
| NTU | Bachelor’s | SAT (1250, Reading and Writing 600) or ACT (30, English 30, Writing 7); or no test if English was studied in junior and senior high school and your qualification is not on the mandatory list | No; NTU does not mention MOI exemptions |
| SMU | Bachelor’s | SAT (1,350, reading and writing 650) or ACT (29, English plus Reading 57); IB Diploma holders submit no test | No |
Other sites list SUTD and SIT as no-IELTS options too. I could not confirm their current English rules, so I have left them out. Check their admissions pages directly if you are interested.
NTU: English rules and the 2027 application window
NTU’s international qualifications page sets one list of accepted English tests. Scores must reach NTU by the application deadline.
| Test | NTU minimum | Valid for |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 6.5 overall, Writing 6.5, Speaking 6.5 | 2 years |
| TOEFL iBT (incl. Home Edition) | 90 (or 4.5), Writing 25 (4.5), Speaking 25 (4.5) | 2 years |
| PTE Academic | 55 overall, Speaking 55, Writing 59 | 2 years |
| C1 Advanced | 170 overall, Writing 170, Speaking 170 | 2 years |
| SAT | 1250 total, Reading and Writing 600 | 5 years |
| ACT with Writing (one sitting) | Composite 30, English 30, Writing 7 | 5 years |
A test is compulsory if you hold the PRC Gao Kao, Taiwan GSAT, South Korean CSAT, HKDSE, Vietnam High School Graduation Certificate, Thai Mathayom 6 or Indonesian Ijazah SMA. It is also compulsory if English was not studied at both junior and senior high school, or was only a second-language subject. Outside those cases, NTU does not ask for a test.
For the 2027 intake (term starts late July), NTU’s windows are:
- 15 October 2026 to 20 January 2027: most international qualifications, including those not listed separately (for example German Abitur, NZ NCEA and Pakistan HSC). Documents are due within 3 days after closing.
- 15 October 2026 to 19 March 2027: IB Diploma, UK A-Level, American High School Diploma with AP, India Standard 12, HKDSE, PRC Gao Kao and several others.
SMU: SAT or ACT instead of IELTS
SMU asks international applicants for one standardised score. The SAT and ACT count on the same footing as IELTS, so a good SAT means no IELTS. All sections must come from one sitting.
| Test | Non-law programmes | Law |
|---|---|---|
| SAT | 1,350, reading and writing 650 | 1,350, reading and writing 700 |
| ACT | 29, English plus Reading 57 | 29, English plus Reading 64 |
| IELTS Academic | 7.0, reading 7.0, writing 6.5 | 7.5, reading and writing 7.0 |
| TOEFL iBT (from 21 Jan 2026) | 5, reading 5, writing 4.5 | 5.5 |
| PTE Academic | 66, reading 66, writing 56 | 76, reading 76, writing 66 |
| C1 Advanced | 185, reading 185, writing 176 | 191, reading and writing 185 |
IB Diploma holders, and holders of accepted diplomas from LASALLE, NAFA or NIE, submit none of these. SMU had not posted its 2027 window when I checked. For the 2026 intake it ran from 17 November 2025 to 19 March 2026, with test scores due by 31 March.
NUS: the undergraduate route with no IELTS at application
If your school-leaving exam is not on NUS’s country list (WAEC, NECO and many African and Latin American exams are not), you apply under “Other High School Qualifications.” That page does not ask for IELTS or TOEFL. It does ask for SAT or ACT with at least three AP courses, or at least five AP courses, and AP Calculus BC for every programme except Law. After you enrol, students without the required English qualifications sit the NUS Qualifying English Test, and a low result means extra English courses.
The window for international qualifications for August 2027 entry runs from 16 December 2026 to 17 February 2027, and the application fee is S$20.
Singapore scholarships you can get without IELTS
NUS ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship
- Who: citizens of ASEAN countries other than Singapore, applying for a full-time NUS bachelor’s. Transfer students are not eligible.
- Covers: 100% of subsidised tuition after the MOE Tuition Grant, S$5,800 a year for living, S$3,000 a year for accommodation, and a one-time S$1,750 computer allowance.
- How to apply: no separate form. NUS considers every eligible admission applicant. Shortlisted students are interviewed between January and July and told by mid-July.
- Bond: you must take the MOE Tuition Grant, which requires three years of work for a Singapore-registered company after graduation.
Some sites give 31 August 2026 as this scholarship’s deadline. The scholarship follows the NUS admission window, which for international qualifications is 16 December 2026 to 17 February 2027.
NUS International Undergraduate Scholarship
This is the NUS freshman award open to every nationality except Singaporean. It pays subsidised tuition after the tuition grant, S$5,800 a year for living, S$5,000 a year for accommodation and S$1,750 for a computer. You are considered automatically through your admission application, and the same tuition grant bond applies.
NTU Research Scholarship
- Who: local and international students admitted full time to an NTU graduate research programme, with at least Honours (Distinction) or equivalent.
- Stipend from January 2026: S$3,000 a month for PhD and S$2,900 for research master’s, with up to S$500 more a month after the PhD Qualifying Exam.
- Also covers: annual tuition fees. No bond.
- Duty: international scholars do teaching or lab supervision under the Graduate Assistantship Programme.
- How to apply: tick your interest in the scholarship in your NTU admission application. There is no separate deadline; each programme sets its own.
The scholarship page sets no English rule. English requirements come from your programme’s admission page, so check it before assuming you can skip a test.
NUS Research Scholarship
The NUS Research Scholarship waives tuition and pays S$3,000 a month for PhD students (S$3,500 after the qualifying exam) and S$2,900 for research master’s students, at rates in force since 1 January 2026. It is open to any nationality and has no bond. NUS asks for TOEFL or IELTS if neither your first language nor your degree’s language was English. If your degree was taught fully in English, the Faculty of Science accepts proof of that instead, so ask your university for a medium-of-instruction letter. Other faculties set their own rules.
Singapore International Graduate Award (SINGA)
SINGA, run by A*STAR, is a bond-free award for international students with excellent undergraduate or master’s results who want a PhD or EngD in science or engineering at a Singapore university. I could not confirm its current stipend, deadlines or English rules on A*STAR’s site, so check the SINGA page before you apply.
For PhD applicants, the SINGA scholarship does not require IELTS, TOEFL or GRE scores and checks your English at interview instead.
How to apply to study in Singapore without IELTS
- Find your qualification category: each university lists qualifications by country, and that decides which tests apply to you.
- Pick your English route: SAT or ACT for NTU and SMU, the no-test route at NTU if English ran through your high school years, or the “Other High School Qualifications” route at NUS.
- Book tests early: SAT, ACT and AP results take weeks to arrive, and AP exams run only in May. Send official scores using the university codes (for SMU: SAT 2861, ACT 5284).
- Apply within the window: NTU opened on 15 October 2026; NUS opens on 16 December 2026.
- Research applicants: choose a programme, check the faculty’s English rule and deadline, and select the scholarship in the admission form. Get a medium-of-instruction letter if your faculty accepts one.
- After an offer: your university registers you for a Student’s Pass. As published by NTU for 2026, expect a S$45 processing fee, a S$60 issuance fee and S$30 for a multiple-journey visa if one is required.
Research applications need strong references. Our recommendation letter samples show what a useful one contains. If you are comparing Asian options with no English test, our CAS-ANSO Scholarship guide covers a fully funded route in China.
FAQ on studying in Singapore without IELTS
Does NTU accept a medium of instruction letter instead of IELTS?
NTU’s undergraduate page does not mention MOI letters. It accepts SAT or ACT scores as alternatives, and asks for no test if English was studied in junior and senior high school and your qualification is not on its mandatory list.
Can I use SAT instead of IELTS in Singapore?
Yes, at NTU (1250 total, Reading and Writing 600) and SMU (1,350, reading and writing 650 for non-law). At NUS, applicants with “other” qualifications need SAT or ACT plus AP courses, and no IELTS.
Which Singapore scholarships are open to all nationalities?
The NUS International Undergraduate Scholarship (all except Singapore citizens), the NUS Research Scholarship, the NTU Research Scholarship and SINGA. The NUS ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship is for ASEAN citizens only.
Do Singapore scholarships have a bond?
Undergraduate NUS scholarships require the MOE Tuition Grant, which carries a three-year work bond in Singapore. The NTU and NUS Research Scholarships and SINGA have no bond.
For award values and the 2027 admission window, see our full guide to NUS scholarships.
Sources and updates
NTU test scores, mandatory-test rules and 2027 windows come from NTU’s international qualifications admission guide, and the research award from NTU’s Research Scholarship page. SMU scores and exemptions come from its international and other qualifications page. The ASEAN award comes from the NUS ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship page; other NUS details come from the NUS Office of Admissions (Other High School Qualifications, important dates, International Undergraduate Scholarship), the Ministry of Education Tuition Grant page, the NUS Graduate School and the Faculty of Science. SINGA eligibility comes from A*STAR. Student’s Pass fees come from NTU’s Student’s Pass guide. Information checked on 24 October 2026.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
