TOEFL scores: when they arrive, how long they last and how to send them

From the last question to your official scores

Writing and Speaking are scored after the test, so only Reading and Listening can be shown at the end, and even those are unofficial: they can differ from the official scores because ETS runs a statistical check after the test. This is the usual sequence.

How long TOEFL scores are valid

TOEFL scores are valid for two years after the test date. After two years ETS will not report or verify them, so an institution cannot receive them from ETS any more.

Two years is counted from the test date, not from the date you send the scores. If an application deadline is close to the end of the two years, check whether the institution needs the scores to be valid on the day you apply, on the day it receives them, or on the day you start the course. Policies differ, and only the institution can tell you.

What the score report shows

Since 21 January 2026, the report shows a band from 1 to 6 for each section, in half-band steps, and an overall band: the average of the four, rounded to the nearest half band. An average of 5.25, for example, becomes 5.5.

For a two-year transition period, the report also shows a comparable overall score on the old 0–120 scale, so institutions that still state requirements out of 120 can read it directly. The band-scores guide explains what each band means, and the score converter shows the full ETS table.

MyBest scores

Your score report also includes MyBest scores: your best score in each section from all your valid TOEFL iBT tests of the last two years, combined. If you scored higher in Reading on one date and higher in Speaking on another, MyBest shows both.

On a report from the new test, older scores from the 0–120 scale are converted to the 1–6 scale in the MyBest section. Not every institution accepts MyBest scores, so check before you count on them.

Sending your scores to universities

Your test fee includes up to four score reports, sent to institutions or agencies you choose before the test. You can add, delete or change these recipients in your ETS account until 10 p.m. local test-centre time on the day before the test. After that, each additional report has a fee, and you order it through your ETS account during the two years your scores are valid.

How fast a report arrives depends on how the institution receives scores. ETS gives approximate times: 4 to 8 business days through the ETS Data Manager, 8 to 10 business days by server feed, and 10 to 12 business days plus mailing time by post.

Choosing recipients before the test has one consequence: if you choose any recipient, you cannot request a score review of your Writing or Speaking section later.

Score review for Writing and Speaking

If you think your Writing or Speaking score is wrong, you can ask for a score review through your ETS account up to 30 days after the test date, for a fee. Scoring specialists review your responses. If the score stays the same, you are told by email within three weeks.

A review can move a score down as well as up, and the reviewed score becomes your official score for that date. It is not available if you have already had scores sent to any institution. For most students, a review only makes sense when one section is far below what their other sections and their practice suggest.

Cancelling and reinstating scores

At the end of the test you decide whether to report or cancel your scores. Cancelling removes all four sections; you cannot keep some and cancel others. Cancelled scores are not reported to you or to any recipient, and once you choose to report, you cannot cancel afterwards.

If you cancel and change your mind, you can reinstate the scores through your ETS account within 60 days of the test, for a fee. Reinstated scores are reported about three weeks after the request.

Because MyBest combines your best section scores, a weaker test usually does less harm than students fear. Cancel only if something went clearly wrong, such as illness or a serious technical problem.

Working back from a deadline

To choose a test date, start from the application deadline and count backwards.

If you need TOEFL for a visa

Immigration authorities set their own rules, and they can differ from university rules. For example, the TOEFL iBT Information Bulletin for 2026–27 notes that only tests taken before 21 January 2026, and the separate TOEFL iBT Australia test, are currently approved for Australian visa purposes. Check the current rule with the authority that will assess your application before you book.

Practice scores and official scores

Only ETS issues official TOEFL scores. Scores from a practice test, including a fullmock mock, are estimates of the band you might receive, useful for planning and for choosing what to study, and they cannot be sent to any institution.

Questions about TOEFL scores and results