The three basic requirements for admission to educational institutions in the U.S. are:

Most graduate departments require at least one academic admissions examination, either a general aptitude test such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or a demonstration of proficiency in your Field (GRE subject test), or sometimes both. See Table I for a description of academic admissions examinations that may be required (these are in addition to an English proficiency examination, Table III, required of non-native speakers of English). Professional schools such as law, medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine have special examinations tied to placement schemes; see the booklet Scholars and Professionals in this series.

These tests are standardized, multiple choice tests that require a high degree of English proficiency. Some also require mathematical skills or in-depth knowledge of content related to the field of study. To obtain information about these examinations, consult your advising center or write to the addresses in Table I.

Usually the faculty of each department within each university determines the requirement for various entrance examinations, as well as the weight given to the result; in consequence, there is no general rule to follow with respect to examination requirements.

To find out if you need to take one or more of these entrance examinations, consult reference books at the advising center. These reference books also give ranges of the score levels of successful applicants. There are no passing or failing grades on these examinations, but your score will have an effect on the overall competitiveness of your application.

These tests are only one of the factors in the evaluation of a foreign student's record. Admissions officers are aware that you may be taking the examinations in a language other than your native tongue, and they will take this into account.