Exemption Policy
If you have one of the following: IELTS or TOEFL iBT or PTE Academic test scores, you can apply for exemption. Exemption means that you do not have to study English at the ELI.
Important Notes
- The test score report must be valid (no more than two years old).
- You can apply for exemption throughout the academic year before the final teaching week of any module or semester.
- If you have English program grades prior to applying for exemption, they will remain on your KAU student academic record.
- If your application is accepted, your English language course will be updated to ‘E’ on ODUS and will not be part of your grade point.
How to Apply for Exemption
- Go to the Electronic Requests System (ERS) website, make a new request and attach a copy of your official IELTS or TOEFL iBT or PTE Academic test score report along with your university ID card.
- Your documents will be reviewed by the Educational Affairs Office.
- Check if your exemption application has been accepted or rejected on ERS.
- If your application has been accepted, check your academic record on the ODUS Plus system to ensure that the status of the English language courses has been updated to ‘E’. Make a request on ERS if it has not been updated two weeks after your application has been accepted.
| Institute Courses | IELTS (Minimum Overall Score) |
TOEFL iBT | Academic PTE (Minimum Score) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Total Score Old Scale |
Minimum Total Score New Scale |
|||
| Health Faculties – ELIH | The course cannot be waived based on the exam score | |||
| Scientific Faculties – ELIS | 5 (Academic Test) |
42 | 3 | 31 |
| English Language Department – ELIE | 5 (Academic Test) |
42 | 3 | 31 |
| Faculty of Communication and Media – ELIC | 4 (General or Academic Test) |
30 | 2 | 18 |
| Humanities and Administrative Faculties – ELIA | 4 (General or Academic Test) |
30 | 2 | 18 |
| Literary Track – ELCA | 4 (General or Academic Test) |
30 | 2 | 18 |
A student shall be exempted from studying ELCA English language courses if he or she obtains a score equivalent to Level 2A or higher in the English Cambridge Placement Test (CEPT) or any other placement test approved by the English Language Institute.
Notice: Only English language proficiency tests taken in person at authorized test centers under supervision are accepted. Results of English language proficiency tests taken remotely from home are not accepted, as shown in the table below:
| Test | Test Location | Accepted for English Course Equivalency |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | Authorized Test Centers | Accepted |
| IELTS General | Authorized Test Centers | Accepted for ELCA courses only |
| IELTS for UKVI | Authorized Test Centers | Not accepted |
| TOEFL iBT | Authorized Test Centers | Accepted |
| TOEFL iBT Home Edition | Remotely (from home) | Not accepted |
| PTE Academic | Authorized Test Centers | Accepted |
| PTE Online | Remotely (from home) | Not accepted |
| PTE UKVI | Remotely (from home) | Not accepted |
| PTE Core | Remotely (from home) | Not accepted |