Can You Get Into NUS Without SAT? NUS, NTU, SMU and SUTD Rules for Indian Students

Yes, most Indian students can apply to NUS without SAT scores, but it depends on the board you sit Class 12 with. NUS does not require the SAT, ACT or AP exams from CBSE and ISC students. State-board and other-board students must send test scores, and the SAT alone is not enough: NUS asks for the SAT or ACT plus three AP exams, or five AP exams. NTU and SUTD do not require the SAT from Indian Class 12 students taught in English, while SMU asks every applicant with an Indian board for one test, which can be the SAT, ACT, IELTS or TOEFL.

Updated October 2026 for 2027 entry. Requirements and dates are from official university sources, linked below.

Below we take each board in turn, then cover minimum scores, the AP rule that catches state-board families out, and the test dates still open before the 2027 deadlines. If you’d like help with the application itself, see our Singapore undergraduate admissions support. For everything else about each university, read our NUS guide for Indian students and our NTU guide.

NUS without SAT: the answer for each board

The table shows what each university’s official pages say, checked October 2026. NUS’s Indian Standard 12 pages still carried 2026-entry notes when we checked, so treat those rows as the latest published rule and confirm when the 2027 pages go live.

Your board	NUS	NTU	SMU	SUTD
CBSE	Not required	Not required	One test required (SAT, ACT, IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, C1 Advanced or AST)	Not required if taught in English
CISCE (ISC)	Not required	Not required	One test required (as above)	Not required if taught in English
State boards and other Indian boards	Required: SAT or ACT with Writing plus 3 AP exams, or 5 AP exams	Not required; English test only if not English-medium	One test required (as above)	English test (SAT is one option) only if not English-medium
IB Diploma	Not required, except for Medicine and Dentistry	Not required	Not required	Not required if taught in English
Cambridge or Edexcel A-Levels	Not required with full A-Level results; required if applying with AS-Level results	Not required	One test required (as above)	Not required; AS or predicted-grade applicants who are shortlisted sit SUTD’s entrance exam

NUS says the JEE (Main or Advanced) is not required. NTU says JEE-Main is not required, and that a strong JEE-Advanced rank is viewed favourably.

NUS: why CBSE and state boards are treated differently

NUS splits Indian Standard 12 into two categories: “Central and ISC Boards”, and “State and other Boards”. CBSE and CISCE students need a good pass in five subjects including English and no standardised test. Every other Indian board falls into the second category, where the test line reads “Required”.

That “Required” links to NUS’s standardised test document (updated December 2025), which lists three acceptable combinations and the minimum scores:

Option	What you need	NUS minimum
1	At least 5 AP courses	Score of 3 in each AP course
2	ACT with Writing and at least 3 AP courses	Composite 29, Writing 8, all sections in one sitting
3	SAT and at least 3 AP courses	Reading and Writing 600, Mathematics 650, both in one sitting

Two details matter. AP Calculus BC is compulsory for every programme except Law, and your APs must cover your programme’s prerequisites. Official SAT and AP scores must go to NUS through College Board (institution code 3720) and also be uploaded to the Applicant Portal. NUS says scores must reach it by the application closing date, which for international qualifications is 17 February 2027 (the window opens 16 December 2026). NUS’s 2027 dates page allows AP exams taken in 2027 to be reported within three days of results.

None of the four universities’ pages for Indian boards mentions SAT Subject Tests. At NUS, AP exams do that job.

One more NUS rule for CBSE and ISC students: if you will finish your Class 12 exams after applications close on 17 February 2027, as most 2027 applicants will, NUS lists you as not eligible for Dentistry, Law, Medicine or Nursing in that cycle.

NTU: no SAT, but a 93% bar

NTU’s India Standard 12 page sets a minimum average of 93% including English in the Class 12 board exam, and the page does not distinguish between CBSE, ISC and state boards. The SAT appears only as one way to prove English (total 1250, Reading and Writing 600) for students whose schooling was not in English. NTU states that if English is your medium of studies, an English test will not improve your chances.

The application window for India Standard 12 is 15 October 2026 to 19 March 2027. NTU decides on actual results only, so there are no provisional offers; you add your marks within three days of their release.

SMU and SUTD

SMU lists CBSE, ISC and state boards together under India Standard 12, with a minimum of 90% in five subjects including English. Every applicant with an Indian board must also submit one test from SMU’s list. For non-Law programmes in the 2026 admissions exercise, the SAT minimum was 1,350 with at least 650 in Reading and Writing, and IELTS was 7.0 overall. SMU says these minimums are “minimally sufficient” for a competitive application. IB Diploma holders are exempt. SMU’s SAT code is 2861.

SUTD requires an IELTS, TOEFL, SAT, PTE, ACT or C1 Advanced score only from applicants whose qualification was not taught in English, and sets no minimum score. If you apply with predicted marks and are shortlisted, you sit the SUTD University Entrance Examination instead. For 2026 entry, SUTD’s India Standard 12 window ran from 2 January to 2 March 2026; 2027 dates were not yet published when we checked.

For how the four compare on courses and fit, see NUS vs NTU vs SMU vs SUTD and our SMU guide.

Does a SAT score help where it is not required?

Not in any way these universities publish. NUS lists the test as “Not required” for CBSE and ISC and says nothing about extra credit for sending one. NTU says outright that an English test will not improve an English-medium applicant’s chances. At both, Class 12 marks carry the decision, so a CBSE student’s time is better spent on boards than on a SAT.

The exception is SMU, where a test is compulsory and the published SAT figure is a floor, not a target. A student who will apply to SMU and to US universities can use one SAT for both. If the SAT is new to you, start with our explainers on what the digital SAT is, what counts as a good SAT score and the SAT versus the ACT.

Your board needs a test and you haven’t taken one

For a 2027 NUS application, only two SAT dates realistically remain. College Board says its 2026–27 dates apply to international students as well as US students:

SAT date	Registration deadline	Late registration until	Scores released	Fits NUS deadline (17 Feb 2027)?
7 November 2026	23 October 2026	27 October 2026	20 November 2026	Yes
5 December 2026	20 November 2026	24 November 2026	18 December 2026	Yes
6 March 2027	19 February 2027	23 February 2027	19 March 2027	No

For SMU, the 2026 deadline for test scores was 31 March 2026, so a March sitting would have counted that year; check SMU’s 2027 timeline before relying on it. If you only need a test to meet SMU’s rule, remember that SMU also accepts IELTS or TOEFL.

The harder part for state-board NUS applicants is the AP requirement. AP exams run only in May (3 to 14 May 2027, with Calculus BC on 10 May), so if your school does not offer them, find a centre that does and ask about its registration deadline now. Our guide on how to prepare for the SAT covers a short preparation plan.

Common mistakes Indian applicants make

• Assuming “Indian board” is one category. At NUS the board on your Class 12 marksheet decides the testing rule. A student who moved from a CBSE school to a state-board school for Class 11 and 12, often to fit coaching, is a state-board applicant at NUS.
• Taking the SAT and stopping there. For NUS, a state-board student with 1500 on the SAT and no APs does not meet the requirement.
• Missing AP Calculus BC. It is compulsory for every NUS programme except Law, so plan it in Class 11, not in Class 12.
• Taking a SAT for NTU “to be safe”. If you studied in English, it adds nothing at NTU. The 93% average is what matters.
• Forgetting the English-medium rule. A state-board student schooled in Hindi, Marathi or another language will need an English test at NTU and SUTD.

In Class 11, decide your board-specific path: CBSE and ISC students focus on board marks (NTU’s minimum is 93%), while state-board students who want NUS plan the SAT or ACT and three APs. In Class 12, book tests by November and keep board marks the priority.

Frequently asked questions

Is the SAT required for NUS for CBSE students?

No. NUS lists standardised tests as “Not required” for Indian Standard 12 Central and ISC boards. You need a good pass in five subjects including English.

What SAT score does NUS need from state-board students?

At least 600 in Reading and Writing and 650 in Mathematics in one sitting, plus at least three AP exams with a score of 3 or more each, including AP Calculus BC unless you apply for Law.

Is the SAT required for NTU?

No. NTU requires a 93% Class 12 average. The SAT is only one way to meet the English requirement if you were not taught in English.

Do IB students need the SAT for Singapore universities?

Not for NUS (except Medicine and Dentistry), NTU, SMU or SUTD, based on each university’s IB pages.

Can I apply to NUS now and send my scores later?

SAT and ACT scores must reach NUS by the 17 February 2027 closing date. AP exams taken in May 2027 can be reported within three days of results.

How GyanOne helps with your application

We help Indian students work out which Singapore requirements apply to their board, plan tests early enough, and build strong applications to NUS, NTU, SMU and SUTD, alongside UK, US and other choices. GyanOne students have earned 55 Singapore admits in a single year. We have no tie-ups with any university and are never paid by them, so our advice is in your child’s interest.

Choose Application-Only Support if your child is in Class 12 and has a target list, or Comprehensive University Strategy if you want help with countries, courses and profile building from Class 9 onwards. Get help with your NUS, NTU or SMU application, or read how to apply to NUS, NTU and SMU and our guide to scholarships and the MOE Tuition Grant.

Sources

• NUS: Indian Standard 12 (Central and ISC Boards), checked October 2026
• NUS: Indian Standard 12 (State and Other Boards), checked October 2026
• NUS: Standardised Test Requirements (December 2025), checked October 2026
• NUS: Important Dates for Admissions Application, checked October 2026
• NUS: IB Diploma admission requirements, checked October 2026
• NUS: International A-Level, checked October 2026
• NTU: India Standard 12, checked October 2026
• NTU: General admission requirements and application windows, checked October 2026
• SMU: International and Other Qualifications, checked October 2026
• SUTD: India Standard 12, criteria for admission and application timeline, checked October 2026
• SUTD: A-Level certificates, criteria for admission, checked October 2026
• College Board: SAT dates and deadlines, checked October 2026
• College Board: SAT score release dates, checked October 2026
• College Board: AP exam dates 2027, checked October 2026