MU-GRADTest guide

How to prepare for the MU GRAD Test (2026): format, the score you need, registration, fees and a 6-week study plan

By The English for Education team·9 min read·Updated 7 October 2026

IELTS specialists — MUIC & Chulalongkorn University alumni, IELTS Speaking Band 9, trained via IDP IELTS teacher courses.

How to prepare for the MU GRAD Test (2026): format, the score you need, registration, fees and a 6-week study plan

Quick answer

To prepare for the MU GRAD Test, learn its four computer-based sections — Listening (20 marks, 30 minutes), Grammar (20 marks, 30 minutes), Reading (40 marks, 1 hour) and one academic essay in Writing (20 marks, 1 hour), 100 marks in total, or 120 as MU GRAD Plus with the 20-mark Speaking Section — then check the exact score your programme needs. For students entering Mahidol from academic year 2026, the Faculty of Graduate Studies' graduation standard is MU GRAD Plus 70 (Speaking and Writing at least 10 each) for Master's and Graduate Diploma students and 90 (Speaking and Writing at least 12) for doctoral students, and some programmes set higher standards, even at admission. Register and pay on the Faculty's English Proficiency Examination system, then follow a 4–6 week plan of timed section practice, essay and speaking feedback and full mocks — free practice is at engforedu.com/mugrad and engforedu.com/journey.

What is the MU GRAD Test?

The MU GRAD Test is the computer-based English proficiency test of Mahidol University's Faculty of Graduate Studies, run by its Language Center. The Faculty's examination system offers MU GRAD TEST, MU GRAD Plus, a separate Speaking Section, a separate Writing Section and TOEFL ITP. MU GRAD Plus is the MU GRAD Test plus the Speaking Section, and it is the score the academic-year-2026 standards use.

From academic year 2026, new Graduate Diploma, Master's, Higher Graduate Diploma and doctoral students also take the MU GRAD Test once in their first semester as a placement test (1,000 Baht), unless they qualify for an exemption. The result shows which English courses you need if you have not yet met the standard, and it can be combined with a Speaking Section score to form MU GRAD Plus.

How to prepare for the MU GRAD Test (2026): format, the score you need, registration, fees and a 6-week study plan — visual guide — Visual guide · What is the MU GRAD Test?

What is the MU GRAD Test format?

The Faculty's guidelines set out four sections for the MU GRAD Test and a fifth, Speaking, for MU GRAD Plus. Reading carries the most marks, so it deserves the most practice time.

MU GRAD Test and MU GRAD Plus sections (Faculty of Graduate Studies guidelines)
Section	What it measures	Questions and time	Marks
1. Listening	Spoken English in academic and everyday contexts: conversations, discussions and lectures	20 questions, 30 minutes	20
2. Grammar	Grammar rules and sentence structure; recognising and correcting errors in written English	20 questions, 30 minutes	20
3. Reading	Academic texts: main ideas, details, inferences and vocabulary	40 questions, 1 hour	40
4. Writing	Writing, presenting an argument and supporting opinions in an academic style	1 essay, 1 hour	20
MU GRAD Test total	Sections 1–4	3 hours of section time	100
5. Speaking (MU GRAD Plus)	Five recorded tasks: describing pictures, giving opinions, describing a diagram, responding to an audio lecture or discussion, responding to a conversation video	Short preparation time, then 90 seconds of recording per task (4 marks each)	20
MU GRAD Plus total	Sections 1–5	MU GRAD Test plus Speaking	120

What MU GRAD score do you need?

It depends on your degree, your intake year and your programme. For students entering from academic year 2026, the Faculty of Graduate Studies' announcements set the standards below. Scores are valid for up to two years from the test date and must be submitted to the Faculty's Language Center before they expire. Master's students may also use MU ELT (84 or above, with Speaking and Writing at least 10).

Some programmes set higher standards, some at admission. The annex to the 2026 Master's announcement lists them — for example, several Faculty of Dentistry Master of Science programmes need MU GRAD Plus 70 with Speaking and Writing at least 10 (or IELTS 5.0 or TOEFL iBT 64 with section minimums) at admission, and the International College's Master of Management in International Tourism and Hospitality Management needs MU GRAD Plus 70, IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL iBT 79.
Exemptions exist with programme approval — for example, for native English speakers who are citizens of listed English-speaking countries, or graduates of degrees from those countries.
These standards apply to students entering from academic year 2026; earlier intakes follow the announcement for their own cohort, so check the rule for your student ID year.

Mahidol graduate English standards for students entering from academic year 2026
Standard	MU GRAD Plus	IELTS (Academic)	TOEFL iBT
Master's, Graduate Diploma, Higher Graduate Diploma — to graduate	70+ (Speaking 10+, Writing 10+)	5.0+ (Speaking 5.0+, Writing 5.0+)	64+ (Speaking 15+, Writing 17+)
Doctoral — to be admitted	48+	4.0+	42+
Doctoral — to graduate	90+ (Speaking 12+, Writing 12+)	6.0+ (Speaking 6.0+, Writing 6.0+)	79+ (Speaking 19+, Writing 23+)

What happens if your MU GRAD score is below the standard?

You can retake the test until you reach the standard, or take the English courses the Faculty assigns — normally in the second semester of your first year. Either way you must meet the standard before your final thesis or dissertation examination. For Master's students the number of courses depends on your score band:

Master's students below the graduation standard: English courses to register for (academic year 2026 onwards)
MU GRAD Plus	IELTS	TOEFL iBT	Courses to take
56–69	4.5	52–63	One course
48–55	4.0	42–51	Two courses
40–47	3.0–3.5	32–41	Three courses
Below 40	Below 3.0	Below 32	Four courses

How do you register for the MU GRAD Test, and how much does it cost?

Register on the Faculty of Graduate Studies' English Proficiency Examination system at graduate.mahidol.ac.th/MUGRADRegister. The Faculty's fee announcement lists these fees:

Sign up with one email per account; you can apply only once per test session.
Upload a 1-inch photo taken within the last six months and a copy of your Mahidol graduate student ID card or a valid national ID card (.jpg files, up to 2 MB each).
Pay by QR payment, invoice, or VISA, Mastercard or JCB card through the SCB payment gateway (card fees may apply) before 22:00 on the deadline in your payment notice. Cash and bank transfers are not accepted.
Within three working days of paying, check that your registration shows 'Completed'.
Your seat number and venue are announced 2 days before the test, and results are posted 7 days after it under 'View Scores'.

MU GRAD fees (Faculty of Graduate Studies announcement, checked 7 October 2026)
Test	Fee per session
MU GRAD Plus (computer-based) E-Package	3,500 Baht
MU GRAD Test (computer-based), without Speaking	1,500 Baht
Speaking Section	2,500 Baht
Writing Section	1,000 Baht
MU GRAD placement test (one time, for registered new graduate students)	1,000 Baht

When and where is the MU GRAD Test held?

The Faculty publishes sessions on its examination calendar. When we checked on 7 October 2026, the October 2026 MU GRAD Test calendar listed sessions on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at Salaya, in 9:00–12:00 and 13:00–16:00 slots. The calendar warns that dates, locations and availability may change, so sign in and confirm your session before you pay, and book well before your programme's deadline so you have time for a retake.

How long should you study? A 6-week MU GRAD study plan

Six weeks suits most candidates; if your diagnostic is already close to your target, compress it to four. Use engforedu.com/mugrad for the test overview and engforedu.com/mugrad/practice for section practice with explanations, and keep grammar, vocabulary and reading moving every day with the free plan at engforedu.com/journey.

A 6-week MU GRAD study plan
Week	Focus	What to do
Week 1	Diagnostic and target	Take a timed diagnostic; write down your programme's total plus its Speaking and Writing minimums.
Week 2	Grammar and Listening	Daily error-correction and sentence-structure drills; 20-question listening sets in 30 minutes.
Week 3	Reading	40 questions in 60 minutes: main idea, detail, inference and vocabulary-in-context; keep an academic word log.
Week 4	Writing	A timed academic essay every two days (plan, write, check within the hour); get feedback on argument, organisation and grammar.
Week 5	Speaking (for MU GRAD Plus)	Record 90-second answers: describe a picture and a diagram, give opinions, respond to a short lecture and a video conversation.
Week 6	Full mocks and review	Two full timed mocks, then review every wrong answer by section; book your session and check your seat number 2 days before.

What are the most common MU GRAD mistakes?

Preparing for the wrong standard — check your degree, intake year and programme first.
Ignoring section minimums: a 70 total is not enough for a Master's student if Speaking or Writing is below 10.
Spending too long on grammar items and rushing the 40 reading questions, which carry 40 of the 100 marks.
Writing an essay without a clear position and supporting reasons.
Letting a score expire — results are valid for up to two years and must reach the Language Center before then.

How to prepare for the MU GRAD Test in 6 weeks

1
Check your standard
Find the MU GRAD Plus, IELTS or TOEFL iBT minimum for your degree, intake year and programme, including the Speaking and Writing minimums.
2
Take a diagnostic
Do a timed diagnostic and find your weakest section.
3
Drill section by section
Practise Listening and Grammar (30 minutes each), Reading (40 questions in an hour) and one timed essay.
4
Practise speaking
If you need MU GRAD Plus, record 90-second answers to the five Speaking task types.
5
Register and take full mocks
Register and pay on the Faculty's examination system, then take two full timed mocks before test day.

Frequently asked questions

What is the MU GRAD Test?

Mahidol University Faculty of Graduate Studies' computer-based English test: Listening, Grammar, Reading and Writing for 100 marks. With the Speaking Section it becomes MU GRAD Plus, out of 120.

What MU GRAD score do I need for a Master's degree?

For students entering from academic year 2026, the graduation standard is MU GRAD Plus 70 with Speaking and Writing at least 10 each (or IELTS 5.0 or TOEFL iBT 64 with section minimums). Some programmes set higher standards, even at admission — check your programme.

What MU GRAD score do I need for a PhD?

For doctoral students entering from academic year 2026: MU GRAD Plus 48 to be admitted and 90 (Speaking and Writing at least 12) to graduate — or IELTS 4.0 and 6.0, or TOEFL iBT 42 and 79.

How much does the MU GRAD Test cost?

The Faculty's fee announcement lists 1,500 Baht for the MU GRAD Test without Speaking, 3,500 Baht for MU GRAD Plus, 2,500 Baht for the Speaking Section, 1,000 Baht for the Writing Section and 1,000 Baht for the one-time placement test for new students.