Is GRE Required for Chevening Scholarship? The Short Answer

No, the GRE is not required for the Chevening Scholarship itself. Chevening's eligibility rules don't mention the GRE, the GMAT or any other admissions test, but you must hold an unconditional offer from a UK course, and a few UK courses do ask Pakistani applicants for a GRE or GMAT score.

So the real question is whether the three courses you pick need one. Below is what Chevening's own pages say, checked on 22 October 2026, and how to check your courses.

What Chevening actually asks for

Chevening's eligibility page lists five requirements. You must:

1. be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country (Pakistan is one) and, for this kind of award, live in an eligible country
2. return to your home country for at least two years after the scholarship
3. have at least two years of work experience after your undergraduate degree, totalling 2,800 hours
4. hold an undergraduate degree that lets you onto a UK master's
5. apply to three different eligible UK courses and hold at least one unconditional offer by the deadline in the application timeline

None of these is a test score. Chevening's course guidance doesn't mention the GRE or GMAT either.

Why some Chevening applicants still need the GRE or GMAT

Point 5 is where tests come in. Chevening says the only condition it accepts on your offer is a financial one, such as a deposit. Every other condition the university sets must be met before Chevening's offer deadline, which is 8 July 2027 for the 2027-28 cycle, according to its application timeline.

So if one of your chosen courses needs a GRE or GMAT score, you need that score to get the unconditional offer. One clear example is the London School of Economics. Its Department of Finance application FAQs say a GMAT or GRE score is mandatory for any applicant without a UK undergraduate degree applying to MSc Finance (full-time), MSc Finance and Private Equity, MSc Finance and Economics, and its risk and finance master's. A Pakistani bachelor's degree is not a UK degree, so those courses would need a score from you.

Most UK master's courses don't ask for the GRE. The answer is always on the course's own entry requirements page, not on Chevening's site.

What about the MBA?

Chevening caps MBA fees at £22,000, according to its course guidance; universities may put in up to 20% towards that cap, and you pay anything above it. Many UK MBAs also set their own admissions test rules, so check the business school's page if an MBA is one of your three choices.

Do I need IELTS for Chevening?

Not for Chevening itself. Chevening's FAQ says its English language requirement was removed in 2020. Your university still sets its own English rule, and you must meet it to turn a conditional offer into an unconditional one. Chevening also says that a pre-sessional English course needed to meet a university's conditions is not allowed. Our article on scholarships without IELTS explains when an MOI letter can work.

Is there an age limit for Chevening?

No. Chevening's applications Q&A answers the question of an upper age limit with a plain "No". What matters is the two years of work experience after your degree.

When can I apply next?

The Chevening Pakistan page says applications for 2027-28 are closed. For this cycle, applications opened in August and closed in October 2026, so the next round is likely to follow a similar pattern in 2027, but Chevening has not published dates yet. Use the time to pick your three courses and check whether any of them needs a test.

If one of your courses needs the GRE or GMAT

• Find the minimum score and the deadline for scores on the course page, and allow time for a retake.
• Book through the official ETS (GRE) or GMAC (GMAT) site only. Never use leaked or "real exam" questions: ETS and GMAC can cancel scores for that.
• If you would rather not take a test, swap that course for one that doesn't need it. Chevening lets you choose any three eligible courses.

Our GRE guide for Pakistani students and GMAT guide cover test centres, fees and preparation.

Your next step

List your three UK courses and open each one's entry requirements page. Note any GRE, GMAT or English test rule and its deadline. Then read our Chevening scholarship page, our Chevening essay samples and the round-up of UK scholarships still open for 2027. Chevening's and each university's official pages are the final word on the rules.