Hi everyone! I'm currently looking for a PhD and 'randomly' contacting research groups rather than hoping for an already existing project. Some researchers mention themselves that it's ok to contact them when interested, but I'm not sure about the level of formality that is needed to do that. Would they make a call just based on a motivational letter and enough info to show that my academic background is sufficient, or are recommendation letters already needed at this stage?

Hi all. Anyone out there who knows how strict the English language requirements for PhD applicants usually are? Both TOEFL and IELTS are quite pricey, so I'm wondering if it would be good enough to prove that I spent one semester of my MSc in the US. That was six years ago though..