The National University of Singapore Faculty of Law has updated its published admission requirements for the LLM coursework programme. As of 6 August 2026, the official page lists a minimum IELTS (Academic) overall band score of 7.0, down from the 7.5 that the same page published on 14 January 2026. That is the headline change, and it is worth being precise about what it does and does not mean.
The published minimum is exactly that: a floor for eligibility, not a prediction of admission. Meeting it does not guarantee a place, and the page itself states admission requirements, not admission outcomes. What the change does is widen the group of applicants who can formally apply. It does not signal that the school has become easier to get into, that competition has fallen, or that any particular score now makes admission more likely. Those are conclusions the official page does not support, and you should treat anyone who claims otherwise with caution.
What the official page now publishes for the LLM
For the LLM coursework programme, the current published English requirement is a TOEFL iBT total score of 100 under the old scoring system or 5 under the new system, or a minimum IELTS (Academic) overall band score of 7.0. The TOEFL line now names both scoring systems explicitly, which is a small but useful clarification.
The academic requirement remains a good Bachelor’s degree in Law. The programme is full-time over one year, except for Maritime Law, which may be taken part-time over two years with classes that may be held on weekdays during office hours.
The LLM may be taken with or without a specialisation. The listed options are Asian Legal Studies, Corporate & Financial Services Law, International & Comparative Law, Intellectual Property & Technology Law, International Arbitration & Dispute Resolution, Maritime Law, and International Business Law. For International Business Law, Semester 1 is conducted in Singapore and Semester 2 in Shanghai. The January 2026 version described that programme only as conducted in Singapore and Shanghai, without splitting it by semester.
What changed between January 2026 and August 2026
Comparing the two versions of the same official page, three things moved.
First, the LLM IELTS minimum dropped from 7.5 to 7.0. Second, the TOEFL line now states both the old and new iBT scoring systems, rather than only the old total of 100. Third, Singapore was added to the list of countries whose applicants are exempt from the English proficiency requirement.
That last point deserves care. The exemption applies to applicants from English-medium institutions in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. The January 2026 version listed the same countries except Singapore. This is not a threshold being lowered; it is a change in which applicants the exemption covers. If you studied law in English at an institution in one of those seven countries, you fall within the exemption. If you are from a country not on the list, you may still submit an official document from your university — a transcript, degree certificate or letter — stating that the medium of instruction for your law degree was English.
What did not change
The asynchronous online video interview is still there. All shortlisted LLM applicants will be invited to complete one, to assess spoken English proficiency, held between November and January. This requirement appears on both the January 2026 and the current version of the page. It was not removed, relaxed or added; it is unchanged.
The JD programmes also remain unchanged. The 3-year and 2-year JD still publish a minimum TOEFL iBT 100 (old system) or 5 (new system), or a minimum IELTS (Academic) overall band score of 7.5, plus an interview and a written test for shortlisted applicants. The JD figure did not move.
The PhD requirement is a minimum TOEFL iBT 100 (old system) or 5 (new system); candidates with a minimum IELTS (Academic) overall band score of 7.0 may also apply. From AY2025/2026, the GRE is optional. Graduate Diploma programmes publish a minimum TOEFL iBT 100 (old system) or 5 (new system), or a minimum IELTS (Academic) overall band score of 7.0.
One change that is only a proposal
The International & Comparative Law specialisation is proposed to be discontinued with effect from AY2027/2028, subject to the receipt of requisite approvals. That is a proposal noted on the official page, not a completed decision. It still needs the requisite approvals before it takes effect. If you are considering that specialisation, it is worth watching how this develops, but you should not treat it as settled.
Test scores, validity and the application window
NUS only accepts TOEFL iBT scores, including the iBT Home Edition, from a single test date, and does not accept MyBest scores. The IELTS One Skills Retake is not accepted either. If you are planning to retake sections to push an overall score up, check whether your test provider’s retake option is compatible with these rules before you pay for it.
The English test score report is valid for two years from the test date and must be valid at the beginning of the NUS application period. The official page gives a worked example: for the application period 1 September 2026 to 15 October 2026, which leads to matriculation in August 2027, the acceptable English test score report will be dated between 1 September 2024 and 15 October 2026.
The practical implication is straightforward. If you already hold a valid score within that window, you are fine. If you do not, you need to sit the test early enough for the score to be uploaded into the NUS online application system by the application deadline. The official page says exactly this: schedule a test date early enough for scores to be uploaded by the deadline. Leave yourself room for a retake if your first attempt falls short, because the two-year validity window and the single-test-date rule mean you cannot mix and match scores from different sittings.
How to read the change as an applicant
If you were previously holding back because your IELTS score sat at 7.0 rather than 7.5, the published requirement now includes you. That is the honest scope of the change. It does not tell you anything about your chances relative to other applicants, because the page publishes no such information. What it does is remove a formal barrier that previously excluded you from applying.
If you are applying from a country on the exemption list, you may not need a test score at all, provided your institution is English-medium. If you are not on that list, the waiver route via an official document from your university remains available. For PhD applicants specifically, the portal marks IELTS/TOEFL scores as optional, but there is a catch: if your undergraduate degree is not from a Singapore Autonomous University or an institution in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States, you must either provide a test score with the report uploaded, or submit a waiver request letter with supporting documents, considered case by case. Failure to do either renders the application incomplete and it will not be processed further. That rule applies to the PhD; for the LLM, follow the requirements as published for the coursework programme.
Before you act, check the current page
NUS states that it may change admission requirements from time to time, and that applicants should check the website regularly for the most up-to-date requirements. The figures in this article reflect the official page as of 6 August 2026. Requirements can move again, so confirm against the current official page before you book a test, prepare documents or submit an application. The page is the only authoritative source for what is required at the moment you apply.