IELTS, TOEFL or STEP for Gulf universities

The three tests compared

STEP details from ETEC's test page; IELTS from ielts.org; TOEFL from ets.org, checked October 2026.

What some UAE universities ask for

From each university's admissions page, checked October 2026, for Ministry curriculum applicants. Programmes can ask for more.

For American-curriculum students, the UAE Ministry of Education's equivalency also lists IELTS 5.0 or TOEFL iBT 61 among accepted English scores.

When STEP is the right choice

STEP is designed for speakers of English as a foreign language and is used by Saudi universities, scholarship programmes and employers that ask for a certificate of English level. ETEC describes it as a test for secondary and university graduates, students joining English-taught programmes and preparatory years at Saudi universities, and scholarship applicants. It is cheap compared with international tests, available all year, and fast to return results.

Its limits are worth knowing. STEP's current sections are reading, grammatical structures and listening, with no speaking or writing, and ETEC does not publish a pass mark: each university or programme sets its own minimum. A STEP score is mainly useful inside Saudi Arabia.

When IELTS or TOEFL is the right choice

IELTS Academic and TOEFL iBT test all four skills, which is why universities across the UAE, the rest of the Gulf, the UK, the US and elsewhere accept them. If your child might apply outside Saudi Arabia, or to an English-taught programme that does not list STEP, one of these is the safer investment.

Between IELTS and TOEFL the difference is mostly format. IELTS Academic takes 2 hours and 45 minutes, and the speaking test is a conversation with an examiner. TOEFL iBT can be taken at a test centre or at home. Universities usually accept both; check which the target programmes list and the minimum for each section, not just the overall score.

How to decide in four steps

1. List the programmes your child is likely to apply to, inside and outside Saudi Arabia.
2. Copy each one's accepted English tests and minimum scores, including section minimums.
3. If every programme accepts STEP, STEP is the cheapest route; if any needs IELTS or TOEFL, prepare for that one instead.
4. Book a first attempt early in Grade 12, leaving time for a second attempt before application deadlines.

Fitting the English test around Qudurat and Tahsili

For Saudi applicants, the English test is usually the third piece after the school average, the General Aptitude Test (Qudurat) and the Achievement Test (Tahsili). Because STEP is available all year, it can be booked around those tests; IELTS and TOEFL also offer frequent dates. A sensible order is Qudurat and Tahsili preparation through Grade 11 and 12, with the English test taken once a practice score clears the target with a margin.

How one-to-one lessons help

English test scores move fastest with targeted practice. For STEP, that means grammar in context and reading speed; for IELTS and TOEFL, it adds speaking and writing, where individual feedback on each answer makes the biggest difference. A tutor starts with a diagnostic test, identifies the weakest section and works on it with timed practice.

LiveTutor lessons are one to one, 60 minutes, online, with tutors who teach IELTS and TOEFL preparation and English for STEP. Arabic-speaking tutors are available for some subjects, ask when you book. We do not guarantee scores, but we will tell you honestly how far your child is from the target.