Many master's programmes in Germany are taught in English, and for them you prove your English, not your German. Most ask for IELTS Academic 6.5, while TUM and RWTH often want 7.0. This guide explains who sets the score, how to read a programme page and how to plan your test date around the application deadline.
English-taught master's programmes in Germany typically ask for IELTS 6.5, while TUM and RWTH often want 7.0. Each university sets its own cut-off, so check the programme page before you book the test.
Source: ielts.idp.com ·
There is no national IELTS minimum for studying in Germany. Each university sets its own score for its English-taught programmes. In practice, the rule lives on the page of your programme (Studiengang), and two programmes at the same university can ask for different scores. International degree programmes and certain postgraduate programmes usually do not ask for German at all, which is why the IELTS certificate carries so much weight in your file.
Look for the section on language requirements (Sprachnachweis). It names the tests the programme accepts and the score it wants.
Some programmes only name an overall band. Others also set a minimum for each part, such as Writing. Read both lines before you decide that your result is enough.
Plan for your result to be ready before the application deadline, not after it. A test booked too late can cost you a whole intake.
The table shows what English-taught master's programmes in Germany typically ask for. It is a planning guide, not a promise: the university's own page always wins.
| Where you apply | IELTS Academic, overall | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Most English-taught master's programmes | 6.5 | Whether a minimum per part is also set |
| Technical University of Munich (TUM) | Often 7.0 | The language section of your programme page |
| RWTH Aachen University | Often 7.0 | The language section of your programme page |
| Any other university | Set by the university | The programme page, before you book the test |
If you apply to several programmes, aim for the highest score on your list. A 7.0 covers every figure named above, while a 6.5 may fall short of the programmes that ask for more.
Universities ask for the Academic version. Listening and Speaking are the same in both versions, but Reading and the first Writing task are different. The full test takes 2 hours 45 minutes and you receive a band from 0 to 9 in half-band steps. It is the same test whether you book it with the British Council or with IDP, and paper-based IELTS was discontinued from mid-2026, so expect to sit it on a computer.
Three long passages of the kind you meet in academic texts. Speed matters as much as vocabulary.
Task 1 asks you to describe a chart, table or diagram. Task 2 is an essay in which you argue a position.
Identical in the Academic and General Training versions.
A face-to-face conversation with an examiner, the same in both versions.
A common situation: the overall band is fine, but one part sits below what the programme asks for. IELTS One Skill Retake lets you repeat just that part instead of the whole test.
Your original Test Report Form stays valid on its own. Before you rely on a retake, check that your university accepts a certificate with a retaken skill; the programme page or the admissions office can tell you.
Write down the overall band and any part minimums for each programme, plus the application deadline. Your target is the highest line on the list, and your latest test date is set by the earliest deadline.
A timed practice test shows which skill is holding your band down. If it is Writing, practise Task 1 and Task 2 separately, because each asks for a different academic style.
Count back from the application deadline and leave room for a retake of one skill. Test fees are set locally, so check the price list of your test centre.
Your lectures may be in English, but the flat contract, the city office (Bürgeramt) and most part-time jobs are in German. Even basic German makes the first months much easier.
Not every master's in Germany is in English. For a German-taught programme you prove German instead of English. According to the DAAD, the Goethe-Zertifikat C2, telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule and the German Language Diploma (Deutsches Sprachdiplom, level II) are usually recognised by universities, and for some programmes the Goethe-Zertifikat B2 and C1 are recognised too. The DAAD's advice is the same as for IELTS: ask your university which rule applies to your programme.
IELTS Academic, usually 6.5, often 7.0 at TUM and RWTH, always set by the university.
A German certificate such as Goethe or telc at the level your university names.
English-taught master's programmes in Germany typically ask for IELTS Academic 6.5, and TUM and RWTH often want 7.0. There is no single national score: each university sets its own, so the language section of your programme page is the final word.
Only if your programme page says so. The typical figure for English-taught master's programmes is 6.5, so with 6.0 you should either find a programme that names a lower score or plan to raise your band before the deadline.
Universities ask for IELTS Academic. Listening and Speaking are the same in both versions, but Reading and Writing Task 1 differ, and a General Training result is not what a university admissions office is looking for.
Usually not for admission. The DAAD notes that international degree programmes and certain postgraduate programmes are exceptions to the German language requirement. Some German still helps a great deal with housing, the city office (Bürgeramt) and part-time work.
Yes, with IELTS One Skill Retake: one of the four skills, once per test, within 60 days of a computer-delivered test, in the same country and not in the USA. The retake score replaces the original on a new Test Report Form, even if it is lower, so only retake when you are ready. Check that your university accepts it.
No. It is the same test with the same scoring, whichever organisation runs your test centre. Choose the date and place that suit your deadline.
Fees are set locally and differ from country to country, so check the price list of your test centre before you book.