What IELTS score do I need for university?

Most UK universities require 6.5 overall with no sub-score below 6.0. Top universities may require 7.0 or 7.5.

Is IELTS Academic different from IELTS General?

Yes. Academic has academic reading/writing texts suitable for university study. General has workplace/social texts.

Cambridge English / IELTS · Vocabulary

IELTS Academic Vocabulary: 5,000 words target

IELTS Academic 6.5–7.5 range (CEFR B2–C1)

Estimated core vocabulary	5,000 words	IELTS Academic 6.5–7.5 range (CEFR B2–C1)
CEFR reference	Level IELTS Academic	Advanced (U2C 7–9 (CEFR C1–C2))

Vocabulary focus areas

Academic word list (AWL) vocabulary
Discipline-specific terminology
Academic writing phrases
Note-taking vocabulary

How to learn effectively

Learn vocabulary in groups by theme, not alphabetically. Every word needs at least one collocation and one example sentence in a natural context. Review after 1, 3 and 7 days.

Next step

IELTS Academic Grammar
Back to IELTS Academic overview

Framework: Cambridge English / IELTS. Cambridge English / IELTS Official: https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/. Updated: 2026-11-02.