If you are applying to study in Hong Kong for a master’s degree starting in autumn 2027, there is one change worth checking before you book your next English test. Since 21 January 2026, the TOEFL iBT has been reported on a new 1–6 scale, and Hong Kong’s graduate schools now publish both old and new minimum scores. They have not all set the same new threshold.

What changed with the TOEFL score scale

According to Educational Testing Service (ETS), the organisation that runs TOEFL, tests taken on or after 21 January 2026 receive overall and section scores from 1 to 6 in half-band steps. Until January 2028, score reports also show a comparable 0–120 score. ETS suggests that institutions which previously required 80 use a 4, and those which required 90 use a 4.5. Check the ETS website for the full comparison table.

Minimum IELTS and TOEFL scores at Hong Kong’s eight public universities

The table below lists each university’s institution-wide minimum for taught master’s programmes. On the new TOEFL scale, HKU, CUHK, HKUST and PolyU ask for 4.5, while CityU and EdUHK ask for 4.0. For IELTS, CUHK, HKUST, HKBU and Lingnan require an overall 6.5, and HKU, PolyU, CityU and EdUHK require 6.0.

The key point: an old-scale 79 or 80 was the floor at most universities, but under ETS’s comparison table a new-scale 4.5 sits roughly at an old 86 or above. In practice, applicants using a new-format TOEFL result for HKU, CUHK, HKUST or PolyU face a higher bar than before. HKBU and Lingnan currently list only old-scale TOEFL scores, so confirm the new-scale figure with them directly. If you are still building your shortlist, it helps to read this alongside how Hong Kong universities performed in the THE 2027 rankings.

Three details applicants often miss

• The university minimum is not the programme minimum. Business, media, education and arts programmes often set higher scores. Most taught master’s programmes in HKU’s Faculty of Arts, for example, require IELTS 7.0 with no band below 5.5.
• Scores are usually valid for two years. From the 2026 intake, HKU requires tests taken within two years before 1 September of the admission year. EdUHK requires tests taken on or after 1 January 2025 for 2027/28 entry, and HKBU counts two years back from the date of the offer letter.
• Home-based tests are mostly not accepted. HKUST, PolyU, HKBU and EdUHK do not accept the TOEFL iBT Home Edition, and PolyU, HKBU and EdUHK also exclude IELTS Online. CUHK’s Graduate School, by contrast, lists both as acceptable.

For applicants from mainland China, CityU accepts the College English Test Band 6 (CET-6), with the score set by each programme, and EdUHK requires a CET-6 total of 430 or above. CityU also requires an English interview for applicants presenting IELTS 6.0 or a new-scale TOEFL 4.0. Applicants whose bachelor’s degree was taught in English are exempt at most universities.

HK VirtueLead Tips

1. Set your target by programme, not by university. List the English requirement on each programme page you plan to apply to and prepare for the highest one.
2. Aim to have scores ready before December. Most first-round deadlines fall between December and January; CUHK’s MSc in New Media, for instance, has a priority deadline of 7 December 2026. Work backwards from the 2027 Hong Kong master’s application deadlines and leave room for a retake.
3. Do not convert scores yourself. Report tests taken before 21 January 2026 on the old scale and later tests on the new scale, following each university’s online application instructions.

Once you hold an offer, start on your student visa paperwork early; our guide to the Hong Kong student visa process and document checklist walks through each step. For help planning your applications around your English scores, you can contact an HK VirtueLead adviser through the HK Life Hub website.