The awareness and the demand for international qualification and exposure has become quite important for today's students. That is one reason why India has seen a huge spike in the number of students going abroad. However, there is one fundamental requirement which is a must if a student is serious about higher education. That is the proficiency in the English language.
 
Almost all the top league universities across the world focus on English as the basic requirement and that too at a proficient level. Almost all the undergraduate programs are taught in English only. That is the reason why some of the universities also conduct English based proficiency tests for international students. As for others, there are the regular entrance examinations.
 
They are ETC, TOEFL, TOEIC. On the other hand, few small time universities also developed their own module of testing students on the language. Apparently, the undergraduate and graduate programs happen in a very intense mode and no time can be wasted on developing good grip over the language. In general, the US Universities prefer TOEFL while Australia and UK consider IELTS examination.
 
There are also many universities across the world which is now offering pre-course briefing and some offer pre-sessional English programs which range between 1 to 3 months. This is a common practice in countries like Australia, Canada, New Zealand etc. various aspects such as note taking techniques, cultural immersion programs, general study skills are taught as part of the program. Make a note folks!!