IELTS is often treated as a hard requirement for studying or moving abroad, but a number of countries have moved away from that. Places like Germany, Canada, Portugal, and the UAE have put together pathways for students, workers, and migrants that rely on things like previous English-medium education, employer interviews, or MOI certificates instead. Worth reading if you have been holding back on studying abroad because of the exam requirement. https://www.msmunify.com/blogs/countries-without-ielts/