Royal Roads University RAK Entrance Requirements: IELTS/TOEFL Score Needed

Quick Answer

Key Takeaways

• The requirements for the live courses for the Master of Arts in Tourism Management and the Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration and Leadership both request an overall IELTS Academic 6.5 score, or the university’s RRU Placement Test B2 level.
• In the case of the MBA page, which is the star program of RRU RAK with intake in October 2026, there is no point score provided either. The link goes to a 404 error page.
• Royal Roads University of Victoria, Canada, which is the actual university offering the RAK degree, requires a TOEFL iBT score of 88 total for all its graduate courses, such as the MBA.
• On January 21, 2026, there was a shift in the TOEFL scoring system. In the score report, you will see a new score ranging from 1 to 6 that is placed alongside the 0 to 120 numbers.
• The RRU RAK campus was inaugurated in 2025 for students taking up MBA, BBA, and Bachelor of Tourism and Hospitality Management programs at this institute.

Introduction

The campus of Royal Roads University was opened in the year 2025 in Ras Al Khaimah. However, there is already an intake in the year 2026 for the MBA course. If you are applying, chances are that you have come across the same hurdle as other students. The campus website says an English test is required. It just doesn't say what score you need. This guide lays out what royalroads.ae actually publishes right now, by programme, and what to do about the gaps. Study From UAE put this together for exactly this reason: so you're not stitching the real answer together from five different browser tabs. By the end, you'll know which score to aim for, and what to check before you book a test.

What Royal Roads RAK Actually Publishes for IELTS

Start with what's live on the university's own site. That's the only number worth trusting until admissions confirms otherwise. In addition to that, Royal Roads University's Master of Arts in Tourism Management program and its Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration and Leadership program also have the same admission table. In the section of "language proficiency requirement," the IELTS score required is 6.5. Each also offers the university's own RRU Placement test, at B2 or higher, as an alternative.

That second option is worth pausing on. Not every UAE branch campus runs its own English test. RRU RAK does. What if your result from the IELTS is just a 6.0? And all other documents are just fine? In such a case, the placement test will be much quicker than the retake of the entire test. But the university should confirm your eligibility first.

One more detail matters here. Neither page lists a separate minimum for writing or speaking. The 6.5 is read as a single overall score, not an overall score plus extra hurdles for each section, at least as the site stands today. For the wider picture on this campus, fees, other programmes and scholarships, Study From UAE's own profile of RRU RAK sits alongside this English requirement.

How the Requirement Differs by Programme

Not every RRU RAK course page handles this the same way, and that gap is worth knowing before you apply.

The two Master of Arts courses, as above, both state IELTS 6.5 in plain terms. The MBA, RRU RAK's biggest draw with seven Areas of Focus and an October 2026 intake, does something different. Its admissions table skips the number entirely. The row titled “Language Proficiency Requirement” has only one cell containing “Click here for more information,” and the link leads to an inaccessible page displaying a 404 error regardless of whether the user attempts to navigate through the menu or enter the URL.

This isn't necessarily a red flag. Branch campuses that opened as recently as 2025 often have admissions pages still catching up with the marketing site. One RRU RAK course page even shows leftover content from a different programme under its own heading, a clear sign some pages haven't been finished. What it does mean is that an MBA applicant can't rely on the RAK site alone for a number, and needs to ask admissions directly or use the benchmark below.

The undergraduate courses, the Bachelor of Business Administration and the Bachelor of Tourism and Hospitality Management, are a separate case again. RRU RAK hasn't published a distinct English-language figure for either one on its own site. Don't assume the 6.5 postgraduate figure carries over. If either of these two is the school you are applying to, make sure to verify the exact number before scheduling your exam.

Which Test Should You Take: IELTS or TOEFL

Given that royalroads.ae states IELTS explicitly and leaves TOEFL to a dead link, IELTS Academic is the safer default if you haven't booked a test yet. It's also the version RRU RAK's own course pages name without qualification, not IELTS General Training and not IELTS for UKVI, so there's no ambiguity about which one to sit. Study From UAE's IELTS exam guide covers band scoring and validity if you need the full picture before booking.

If TOEFL is already your plan, aim for the figure Royal Roads University's Canadian campus publishes for its graduate programmes: 88 overall. Check your score report date carefully, too. ETS has switched to a new scoring scale of 1 to 6 on January 21, 2026, for the TOEFL iBT test. The old 0 to 120 scoring scale is displayed along with the new one. An old score of 88 lines up with the new 4.5 band. That's just under the 5.0 mark that most universities treat as an advanced level. If your score report was issued on or after that date, don't assume admissions has updated its files to match. Bring both numbers when you submit documents. Study From UAE's TOEFL exam page walks through the format change in more detail.

Note: These figures reflect what the source pages state as of this writing. English-language requirements at newly opened branch campuses shift quickly, so reconfirm directly with RRU RAK admissions before you register for either test.

The Indian Angle: What This Score Requirement Means for You

A published band score is only half the picture if you're applying from India. A few things matter more than the number itself.

This is not an issue for you to worry about regarding test availability. Both the IELTS and TOEFL tests can be taken in test centers in all major cities in India, and timing, not availability, is usually the issue for most people. Ensure you book well in advance so that the scores will get to RRU RAK well in advance of the October intake deadline.

If you happen to have been educated in the vernacular board instead of the English board, allocate yourself more time in preparation than a friend that has always been studying in English. This is not because of any fixed period of weeks but just as a precaution.

Attestation is the part Indian applicants most often mix up with the English test, and it's genuinely a separate step. Once you have an offer, your 10th and 12th mark sheets and degree certificates usually need to be attested through India's Ministry of External Affairs before the UAE side will accept them. This runs on its own timeline, and it can take weeks, so start it the moment your offer letter arrives rather than after your visa paperwork begins. Study From UAE tracks exactly this kind of scheduling detail for Indian applicants, because a missed attestation window can cost you an entire intake even when your test score is already sorted.

The RRU Placement Test is worth a second look here too. A second IELTS attempt from India means another exam fee and another trip to a test centre. If your first attempt is close to 6.5, ask RRU RAK admissions whether the placement test route is open to you before you pay for a retake.

If Your Score Falls Short

A few realistic paths exist if 6.5 feels out of reach right now.

1. Sit the RRU Placement Test. RAK's own course pages list this as an equal alternative to IELTS, not a fallback, so it's worth asking admissions whether it's open to you before booking a fresh IELTS attempt.
2. Ask about a pathway option. English foundation programs have been provided by the Royal Roads Canadian campus to students who do not meet the cut-off criteria of the university; however, the RAK university hasn’t made an official announcement in this regard.
3. Retake a specific skill instead of the entire exam. The IELTS One Skill Retake allows you to retest only that particular section dragging down your overall score, if your initial test was computer-based.
4. Ask about conditional admission. RRU RAK's own MBA page mentions a preparatory programme for applicants who don't yet meet standard requirements, contingent on completing it before the degree officially starts.

None of these routes are confirmed as RAK-specific until admissions says so directly. Treat the list as what to ask about, not what to assume.

Building the Rest of Your Application File

Your English score sits alongside a small set of other documents. RRU RAK expects transcripts, a bachelor's degree for postgraduate applicants, and, for the MBA specifically, roughly five years of experience in a senior role, or a PGDM certificate (a management diploma common in India) if your experience is thinner.

If you're applying from India, check Study From UAE's Ras Al Khaimah study guide for what campus life and cost of living look like once you land.

Visa paperwork typically follows only after an offer letter is in hand, so Study From UAE's UAE student visa guide is worth bookmarking rather than acting on immediately.

Conclusion

The honest version of the RRU RAK IELTS requirement is this. A 6.5 overall is real and published for both MA programmes. The RRU Placement Test is a genuine second door. The MBA and the two undergraduate courses don't have a public number yet, so you'll need to ask directly. If you're still weighing which RRU RAK programme actually fits your background, Study From UAE's University Finder Quiz is a faster starting point than guessing from course names alone. And in case you are thinking about choosing between the IELTS and TOEFL tests, or you are not sure about the requirement for your desired program, the Study From UAE team will help you check your existing score in relation to your chosen program.