PYP Course Waiver for Freshman Students
The waiver policy depends on the course type, the qualification or test used, and the fulfillment of additional conditions in some cases. Some courses may be waived directly once a minimum score is met, while others depend on prior waivers or on completing waiver requirements related to the same academic semester.
| Time of Submitting the Result | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Before the end of the first week of classes | The student has the right to drop the registered course(s) and may also register for a higher-level course(s) if they meet the previous requirements (pre-requisite). |
| After the end of the first week of classes and before the deadline for dropping a course with a Withdrawn (W) grade | The student has the right to drop the registered course(s), but they cannot register for a new course after this stage. If they qualify to move to the higher level, they will only be able to register for it at the beginning of the following semester. |
| After the deadline for dropping a course with a Withdrawn (W) grade | The student must continue studying the registered course(s), and the grades will be recorded in their academic transcript. |
In light of the change introduced to the rules governing waiver of English courses, the period from January 1, 2026 to August 13, 2026 has been designated as a transitional period for shifting from the previous rules to the updated rules. During this transitional period, students who are admitted in Academic Year 1448 AH (2026–2027) or who were admitted in previous years may have either the previous rules related to waiver of English courses or the updated rules shown below applied to them, whichever is more beneficial to the student. Students who are admitted after that will be subject only to the updated rules shown below.
View previous English-course rules
ENG010
A student may be waived from ENG010 by meeting any of the following:
- Academic IELTS: Reading 5, Writing 5, and Overall 4.5
- TOEFL iBT (0–120): Reading 4, Writing 14, and Overall 34
- IGCSE English: Grade B
- SAT: 1100
- High school from an international school inside or outside Saudi Arabia, provided that English was the language of instruction.
ENG020
A student may be waived from ENG020 by meeting any of the following:
- Academic IELTS: Listening 5, Speaking 5, and Overall 4.5
- TOEFL iBT (0–120): Listening 4, Speaking 14, and Overall 34
- IGCSE English: Grade B
- SAT: 1100
- High school from an international school inside or outside Saudi Arabia, provided that English was the language of instruction.
ENG030
A student may be waived from ENG030 by meeting any of the following:
- Academic IELTS: Reading 5.5, Writing 5.5, and Overall 5
- TOEFL iBT (0–120): Reading 8, Writing 18, and Overall 45
- IGCSE English: Grade A or A*
- SAT: 1150
ENG040
A student may be waived from ENG040 by meeting any of the following:
- Academic IELTS: Listening 5.5, Speaking 5.5, and Overall 5
- TOEFL iBT (0–120): Listening 7, Speaking 16, and Overall 45
- IGCSE English: Grade A or A*
- SAT: 1150
- High school from an international school inside or outside Saudi Arabia, provided that English was the language of instruction.
The current approved rules for waiver of English courses are shown below.
A student may be waived from any English course in the Preparatory Year Program upon meeting the minimum required score in one of the approved qualifications or tests.
| Course | Academic IELTS | TOEFL iBT (0–120) For tests taken before January 21, 2026 | TOEFL iBT (1–6) For tests dated January 21, 2026 or later | IGCSE | High School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENG010 | Reading: 5 Writing: 5 Overall: 4.5 |
Reading: 11 Writing: 13 Overall: 36 |
Reading: 3 Writing: 3 Overall: 2.5 |
Grade B | High school from an international school inside or outside Saudi Arabia, provided that English was the language of instruction. |
| ENG020 | Listening: 5 Speaking: 5 Overall: 4.5 |
Listening: 11 Speaking: 16 Overall: 36 |
Listening: 3 Speaking: 3 Overall: 2.5 |
Grade B | High school from an international school inside or outside Saudi Arabia, provided that English was the language of instruction. |
| ENG030 | Reading: 5.5 Writing: 5.5 Overall: 5 |
Reading: 15 Writing: 18 Overall: 50 |
Reading: 3.5 Writing: 4 Overall: 3 |
Grade A or A* | Not applicable |
| ENG040 | Listening: 5.5 Speaking: 5.5 Overall: 5 |
Listening: 15 Speaking: 18 Overall: 50 |
Listening: 3.5 Speaking: 3.5 Overall: 3 |
Grade A or A* | Not applicable |
- A student may be waived from English courses even if they previously studied them at Prince Sultan University and did not pass, provided the required score is achieved in one of the approved tests.
- Approved test scores may not be used for waiving English courses more than twice.
- Results of IELTS Academic and TOEFL iBT taken online may be accepted.
A student may be waived from mathematics courses upon meeting one of the approved criteria for each course, whether through Qudurat and Tahsili together, through IGCSE Mathematics at the required level, or through SAT Mathematics.
| Course | Qudurat and Tahsili Together | IGCSE Mathematics | SAT Mathematics |
|---|---|---|---|
| MATH001 | Qudurat: 85 Tahsili: 85 |
Grade B or above A-level or AS-level |
600 |
| MATH002 | Qudurat: 90 Tahsili: 90 |
Grade A or A* A-level |
680 |
In light of the change introduced to the rules governing waiver of law courses, the period from January 1, 2026 to August 13, 2026 has been designated as a transitional period for shifting from the previous rules to the updated rules. During this transitional period, students who are admitted in Academic Year 1448 AH (2026–2027) or who were admitted in previous years may have either the previous rules related to waiver of law courses or the updated rules shown below applied to them, whichever is more beneficial to the student. Students who are admitted after that will be subject only to the updated rules shown below.
View previous rules details
LAW001
A student may be waived from LAW001 by meeting one of the following minimum thresholds:
- IELTS Academic: 5.0 in each skill
- TOEFL iBT: total score 34, with minimum subscores of Reading 4, Writing 14, Listening 4, and Speaking 14
- IGCSE English: Grade B
- SAT: 1100
LAW002
A student may be waived from LAW002 by meeting one of the following minimum thresholds:
- IELTS Academic: 5.5 in each skill
- TOEFL iBT: total score 45, with minimum subscores of Reading 8, Writing 18, Listening 7, and Speaking 16
- IGCSE English: Grade A or A*
- SAT: 1150
The current approved rules for waiver of law courses are shown below.
Waiver of law courses does not depend only on a test score. It also requires fulfilling a prior condition related to waiver of the relevant English courses.
- First condition: the student must have been waived from ENG010 and ENG020.
- Second condition: meeting one of the following minimum thresholds:
- SAT:1200
- Qudurat:80
- Tahsili:80
- First condition: the student must have been waived from all English courses: ENG010, ENG020, ENG030, ENG040.
- Second condition: meeting one of the following minimum thresholds:
- SAT:1350
- Qudurat:85
- Tahsili:85
Waiver of communication skills courses is linked first to the waiver of the relevant English courses, then to meeting the minimum threshold in one of the language tests.
- First condition: the student must have been waived from ENG010 and ENG020.
- Second condition: meeting one of the following minimum thresholds:
- TOEFL iBT (1–6):3
- TOEFL iBT (0–120):50
- Academic IELTS:5
- First condition: the student must have been waived from all English courses: ENG010, ENG020, ENG030, ENG040.
- Second condition: meeting one of the following minimum thresholds:
- TOEFL iBT (1–6):3.5
- TOEFL iBT (0–120):66
- Academic IELTS:5.5
Results of IELTS Academic and TOEFL iBT taken online may be accepted.
This part depends on completing the waiver requirements related to the same academic semester, not on combining separate waivers across different semesters.
CMP011 / PDS001 / PE001
- First condition: the student must have been waived from ENG010 and ENG020.
- Second condition: the student must have been waived from one of the following courses, depending on the program requirements:
- MATH001
- LAW001
- ENG011
CMP012 / PDS002 / PE002
- First condition: the student must have been waived from ENG030 and ENG040.
- Second condition: the student must have been waived from one of the following courses, depending on the program requirements:
- MATH002
- LAW002
- ENG012
A student will not be waived from the remaining courses unless all waiver requirements are fulfilled within the same academic semester. Combining waivers across different semesters is not recognized for this purpose.
- If a student is waived in the same semester from ENG010, ENG020, and MATH001, then the student will also be waived from CMP011, PDS001, and PE001.
- If a student is first waived from ENG010 and ENG020, then in a later semester from MATH001, the student will not be waived from CMP011, PDS001, and PE001.
- This page is for guidance only and is based on the policy governing the waiver of PYP courses for freshman students.
- Students should always refer to the study plan of their major to understand which courses actually apply to them.
- In case of any discrepancy between a student’s personal understanding and the university’s implementation, the approved policy and related executive rules remain the reference.