Applications · 7 min read
How to study abroad without IELTS
Think IELTS is the only way in? It isn't. Here's how thousands of international students get admitted abroad each year using MOI letters and alternative English proficiency options.
Ask any HSC graduate in Dhaka about studying abroad, and within the first minute someone will say "but you need IELTS first." It's repeated so often that it's become an assumption rather than a fact — and for many students, it becomes the reason they give up on the idea entirely before they've even started.
Here's the truth: a large and growing number of universities around the world will admit you without an IELTS score. You just need to know which doors are open, and how to walk through them the right way.
Why some universities don't require IELTS
Universities ask for English proficiency proof for one reason — they need to know you can follow lectures, write assignments, and survive academically in an English-medium environment. IELTS is simply one (expensive, time-consuming) way to prove that. It is not the only way.
If you've completed your HSC, A-Levels, or Bachelor's in English as the medium of instruction, many universities will accept a Medium of Instruction (MOI) certificate from your school or college instead of an IELTS score. This single document — confirming that your education was conducted in English — can be enough to satisfy the language requirement outright.
Your alternative-to-IELTS toolkit
• Medium of Instruction (MOI) Letter — Issued by your school, college, or university registrar confirming your classes were taught in English. Widely accepted across the UK, parts of Europe, and many universities in Malaysia and Australia for direct-entry or foundation programs.
• Duolingo English Test (DET) — Taken online from home, results in under 48 hours, and costs a fraction of IELTS. Increasingly accepted by universities in the USA, Canada, and the UK.
• PTE Academic — Fully computer-based, faster results than IELTS, and accepted by a wide range of universities in Australia, the UK, and New Zealand.
• University-run English assessments — Some institutions (especially in Malaysia, Germany, and parts of Eastern Europe) will simply test you themselves during the admissions process — no external certificate needed.
• Foundation & pathway programs — If your English needs work, a one-year foundation program bridges the gap and guarantees progression into the degree itself, with English support built in.
Where this works best
Malaysia: Many private universities accept MOI letters or simple in-house English tests for Bangladeshi applicants — and tuition is a fraction of Western costs.
Germany & the Netherlands: A growing number of English-taught Bachelor's and Master's programs accept Duolingo or MOI documentation, particularly for students with a strong academic record.
Turkey: Government-funded Türkiye Bursları scholarships and many state universities will waive IELTS for students who can show English-medium education history.
UK foundation pathways: Several university-affiliated pathway colleges accept MOI letters for foundation-year entry, with the IELTS requirement waived entirely upon progression if you pass your foundation modules in English.
How to actually get your MOI letter
1. Visit your school/college administration office and request an official letter on letterhead confirming your medium of instruction was English throughout your HSC (or Bachelor's) studies.
2. Make sure it's signed and stamped by the principal or registrar — unsigned letters are routinely rejected.
3. Get it notarised if the destination university specifically asks for notarised copies (common for UK and some EU applications).
4. Keep both a scanned PDF and physical copies — you'll need to submit it multiple times across different applications.
A word of caution
Not every university will accept these alternatives — and requirements change every intake. The biggest mistake students make is assuming a workaround that worked for their senior will automatically work for them. Always verify the current requirement directly on the university's official admissions page, or with an admissions officer, before you commit time and money to an application.
This is exactly the kind of detail that's easy to miss when you're managing five applications at once — and exactly the kind of detail UROOAI checks for you. When you generate your roadmap, we flag which of your shortlisted universities accept MOI letters or alternative tests, so you're not guessing.
The bottom line
IELTS is a path — not the only path. If the cost or stress of the exam has been holding you back, it's worth spending one afternoon mapping out which of your target universities will accept what you already have. For a lot of Bangladeshi students, that one afternoon is the difference between waiting another year and starting their abroad journey this intake.