The degree itself is in English almost everywhere in Europe — but if English isn’t your first language, you’ll usually have to prove it before you can enrol. For most international applicants that means an IELTS or TOEFL score, and the questions that follow are practical ones: what score do you actually need, do the sub-scores matter, can you get a waiver, and which test should you sit? This guide answers each, so the English requirement becomes a box you tick cleanly rather than a late-stage scramble.
The typical scores you’ll need
Across English-taught European MiMs, the requirement clusters in a fairly narrow band:
- IELTS Academic — usually 6.5 to 7.0 overall. The more selective schools tend to ask for 7.0.
- TOEFL iBT — usually around 90 to 100. Stricter programmes specify 100.
- Alternatives — many schools also accept the Cambridge English exams (C1 Advanced / C2 Proficiency) and, increasingly, the Duolingo English Test. Which ones vary, so check.
Two important caveats sit under those headline numbers, and they’re where applicants slip up.
Sub-scores matter as much as the overall
A common mistake is aiming only for the overall figure. Many schools also set minimum sub-scores — for example, “no individual band below 6.0,” or a specific minimum on writing or speaking. You can hit a 7.0 overall and still miss a requirement if one section dips below the floor.
So read the requirement in full, not just the headline number, and — if your overall masks a weaker section — prepare specifically for that section. A balanced score across all four skills is safer than a lopsided one that happens to average out.
Who qualifies for a waiver
Most schools waive the English test under certain conditions. The two most common:
- You’re a native English speaker.
- You completed your bachelor’s degree taught entirely in English — often evidenced by a medium-of-instruction letter from your university.
Some schools also waive for applicants from particular countries, or with other recognised English qualifications. But the mechanics differ in ways that matter:
- A few waive automatically; many require you to request the waiver and provide proof.
- Some require a test regardless of your background.
The trap is assuming a waiver applies when it doesn’t, then discovering late that you need a test you haven’t booked. So confirm each school’s exact waiver rule early — and if it’s ambiguous, ask the admissions office directly.
Which test to take
There’s no single “best” test — there’s the one that fits your target list and your strengths:
- IELTS Academic and TOEFL iBT are accepted almost everywhere and are the safest default. Pick whichever format suits you (IELTS has a face-to-face speaking section; TOEFL is fully computer-based).
- The Duolingo English Test is cheaper, shorter and taken at home, and a growing number of schools accept it — but not all, so only rely on it if your specific programmes list it.
- Cambridge C1/C2 is accepted by some schools and never expires, which can suit applicants who already hold it.
The practical move: list your target schools, check which tests each accepts, and choose the single test that covers the most of them so you only sit one. (Our guide on how to build your MiM shortlist helps you fix that list first.)
Timing, validity and retakes
A few logistics that quietly cause problems:
- Validity. IELTS and TOEFL scores are generally valid for two years. The result must still be valid when you apply — and sometimes when you enrol — so don’t sit it too early.
- Book early. Test slots and result turnaround can take weeks; the English test should be on your calendar alongside the GMAT/GRE and not left to the last round. Map the whole sequence with our month-by-month application timeline.
- Retakes. There’s no limit on attempts, so if you fall short of a school’s minimum you can retake — which is another reason to sit the test with a buffer before your deadline rather than at the wire.
If you fall short
If your score lands below a target school’s minimum, you have options: retake (focusing on the weak section), apply to schools with a lower or waived requirement, or check whether the school offers a conditional offer or a pre-sessional English course. What you shouldn’t do is submit a score you know is below the bar and hope — the threshold is usually a firm gate.
The bottom line
The English test is one of the more controllable parts of a MiM application: the bands are predictable (roughly IELTS 6.5–7.0 / TOEFL 90–100), waivers are common if you studied in English, and you can retake if needed. Treat it like any other deliverable — check each school’s exact requirement and waiver rule, pick one widely-accepted test, sit it early with a buffer, and mind the sub-scores. Do that and it never becomes the thing that holds your application up. Remember, too, that the test is the only language hurdle: you can study a European MiM entirely in English without speaking the local language.
Sources & how to confirm
The score bands, waiver conditions and validity rules described here are the general patterns across English-taught European Master in Management programmes, synthesised from the published English-proficiency requirements across the schools in our catalogue and summarised in our application requirements checklist. The exact IELTS/TOEFL threshold, the accepted tests, the sub-score minimums and the waiver policy all vary by school and change between cycles — none of it is asserted here as a universal rule, and no per-school cut-off is invented. Always confirm the current English requirement and any waiver on each programme’s official admissions page, and ask the admissions office if your eligibility for a waiver is unclear, before you book a test. Last checked June 2026.