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Do I Need to Take an English Proficiency Exam (When Applying to Universities)?

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This guide helps students decide if and when they need to take an English proficiency exam for applying to colleges and universities.

This post was written especially for College Essay Guy by

Kristen Karovic, IEC and Founder of College Bloom

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Alexandra Feinson, Deputy Director of University Counseling at UWC Changshu China

A note from the authors: The content of this article won’t help every applicant: every situation is sensitive and unique, and education is continuously changing. However, we want to be transparent that our goals are to give you context, steps, and tools for further research so you can be empowered in your next decisions. Reach out if you need clarification or guidance: we are educators here to support you.

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Depending on where you are from and where you go to school, answers to questions about your citizenship, language, or current curriculum can give colleges and universities the information they need about your proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in English. You might also need to demonstrate your knowledge of English as a requirement for a student visa, (for example, when applying to study in the UK).

Here’s what we’ll cover in this post:

  • The university perspective of English language requirements

  • Common challenges students face 

  • Common options for English language exams: TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo English Test, Cambridge, Pearson

  • Free practice links for English proficiency exams

  • Five questions to ask yourself to decide which test to take

  • Three factors to help you decide when to take an exam

  • Alternative tests to demonstrate English proficiency

  • The best indicator if you should take an English language exam

  • Options if you cannot take an English language proficiency exam

Before you read any further, a warning: 

Cracking the code of English language requirements can feel like more of an art than a science. There will not be one perfect answer for every student, and you may even encounter obstacles (more on that below). But this article should help you understand the requirements and the strategy for English proficiency in the college application process.

Do I need to take an English test?

If you are an international student and studying in a national school, the answer is most likely, YES. 

Like many parts of the application process, understanding if you need to take an English exam requires reading the fine print: the details on a school website. Each college and university will use a different combination of the methods above, have different rules for what they think “proves” that you speak English well, and even require different levels of English proficiency. And the rules can change each year! That’s why step one of this process is to always start with the admissions website. 

Here’s an example from University College Utrecht in the Netherlands: 

 
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...and that’s not even the whole list for this university! But you can see how a university website will guide you towards the requirements for your specific situation. For students applying from countries where English is not the official language, a major factor in the process is also how much of your high school studies are completed in English (if any).

Remember that admission officers are ultimately looking to ensure that you will be able to successfully complete a university degree in English without barriers to the language. When in doubt about your specific situation, email or call the university directly, and the admission officer will be happy to clarify.

English proficiency exam policies: a few challenges 

The world is a beautifully complex place and university websites/policies are not always perfect in capturing this complexity when it comes to listing English requirements for your particular situation. Two common sources of confusion you may encounter are:

  1. Requirements for dual citizens:
    What if you have citizenship from an English-speaking country, but live and attend school in classes other than English? For example, you are a Canadian citizen taking high school classes in Spanish. Some colleges may not require an English exam (based on citizenship), while others may require an English exam (based on residence or language of instruction). 

    When in doubt? After carefully reading the site, email them: asking the admissions office is the best way to get a clear answer.

  2. University doesn’t readily recognize that English is the acknowledged primary language for your country: 
    Sometimes, instead of saying: “English tests are not required for students in countries where English is an official language,” university websites will say: “English tests are not required for students from these countries: A, B, C …” This can be frustrating if you are reading this website while sitting in a country that is not on the list, but you know English is the primary language for your country (and most likely one of your native languages).

    Don’t assume you have to take a test just because your country isn’t listed … ask first! Email the college to inquire whether your particular country/language background is sufficient to show your abilities in English. For many colleges, your outreach could lead to one less test you have to take.

    But also be prepared for the answer to be: “You are still required to submit an English proficiency test.” If that is the college’s official policy, for whatever reason, the choice is in your hands to either take a test or not apply to that school. The good news is that if English is your native language, but you are still required to take the exam, you should be able to handle the exam without meaningful preparation.

It is important to note that each university establishes their own standards of who is required to take an English proficiency exam and also make a careful internal review of which exams they accept.

So I have to take an English language test. What are my options?

Your first goal is to check each university’s website that you are interested in to see which exams or certificates they accept. You might have already taken an exam or completed a certificate, so see if it is valid for your application.

The table below shows five of the most common English language proficiency exams you will encounter, and you will most likely need to have completed one of them: TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), IELTS (International English Language Testing System), Duolingo English Test, Cambridge Exams, and Pearson PTE Academic.

So many options! So many acronyms!

TOEFL IELTS Duolingo English Test Cambridge Pearson PTE
Reading Yes Academic reading Yes Yes, with use of English Yes, with Writing
Listening Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Speaking Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes, with Writing
Writing Yes Academic writing Yes (writing sample) Yes Yes, with Reading and Speaking
Video interview No No Yes No No
Length 270 minutes 165 minutes 60 minutes 235 minutes 180 minutes
Test Center Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Online (home) Yes No Yes No No
Cost $180 USD (may vary for online test) $245-250 USD $49 USD $175 USD + (varies by test center) $250 USD
Score validity* 2 years 2 years 2 years Forever 2 years
Max score 120 9 160 230 90
Free Practice URL TOEFL Practice Sets IELTS Practice Tests Duolingo Practice Test Cambridge Exam Preparation Pearson PTE
 

*Scores can be considered valid for the date of application or for the date of enrollment. Please see the table below, as this can be a gap of 6-9 months, and always clarify with the university of your choice what exam dates (as well as which exam) they consider valid.

 

Practice, practice, practice…

You wouldn’t go into a math test without studying, right? Even if you’re advanced or fluent in English, you still need to familiarize yourself with the format for an English proficiency exam. 

The next step in understanding your options is taking advantage of practice questions and tests to acquaint yourself with how it feels to take each test. Practicing may lead to you preferring one style of test or realizing you can get your best score on a certain test. 

Good news: there are free resources online—offered by the same companies which create these exams—that will help you practice for each of the major English language exams. We recommend you first use the official practice material (specified  in the chart above) before exploring other free resources online. There are many YouTube videos and websites which claim to have realistic test content when, in fact, they do not align with the questions or goals of these exams at all.

There are also paid resources that can help you study for and simulate the exams, such as TOEFL practice exams from ETS and preparation packages from Pearson. Magoosh is also a popular platform to prepare for the TOEFL and IELTS (among other exams). Although you have to make an investment, these simulations can be extremely helpful in your preparation for the actual exam. 

Now, let’s say you magically find time to practice ALL of these exams, and you are now sitting in front of a set of practice test results. As previewed in the chart above, the scores on each test are calculated VERY differently. If you received a 120 Duolingo English Test score and a 90 on the TOEFL, which is better?

The internet to the rescue! Here are a couple of resources for comparing scores across test types: 

Note: you will not have to worry about converting your practice test score yourself. The application requirements will specify overall scores, subscores, and/or individual program preferences for each exam that they accept. Check out this example from the University of Toronto.

Five Questions to Ask Yourself to Decide Which Test to Take

So now you are acquainted with each test. But as mentioned above, each college may give you multiple options! The answers to these five questions should help you narrow in on which test you should take: 

  1. Does every school on your college list have one test in common? Make a list of which tests are accepted at each school on your college list. Is only one test accepted by all the schools? Take it! This is a great way to minimize the number of tests you have to take and focus your studying efforts.

  2. How much can you afford to pay for taking the test and sending your test scores? The Duolingo English Test is much less expensive than the other test options, and it’s also the test that offers the most fee waivers. If cost is the overriding factor, this is probably your best option (unless some of your colleges don’t accept the Duolingo Test, or require additional proof of proficiency, so you will have to choose another exam: see option 3). More and more colleges and universities are realizing that the cost of the Duolingo English Test leads to better access to who can take it; if it is not listed, be sure to advocate for yourself and highlight the convenient price point to this exam. 

  3. Does the country/region where you are applying prefer one test over the others? While many countries accept multiple tests, you will find that certain tests are most common in certain areas. If you are applying to the U.S., the TOEFL, IELTS, and Duolingo English Test will be widely accepted. In the UK, the IELTS or Cambridge Exams may be preferred, and Canada, Australia, and New Zealand accept Pearson PTE (but also allow TOEFL and IELTS). The Duolingo English Test is accepted by these institutions around the world, and more and more higher education institutions continue to accept the Duolingo English Test, especially due to its low price point  (and versatility - it can even count as an interview for some schools, such as Tulane University). 

  4. Does one test’s content come more easily to you? Using the practice resources shared above, you can start getting familiar with the formats of each test and the types of questions they will ask. Are you getting your best results on one particular test, or are you most comfortable with one format? Take that one!

  5. Where can you easily/safely take the test? Two of the tests we are discussing offer at-home testing: Duolingo English Test and TOEFL. Taking the test at home will mean setting up your room and computer to certain specifications, with stable internet, and being prepared to maintain eye contact with your screen. For the remaining test options, you will have to visit a testing center (look up the closest testing center on their websites), which might be suspended in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Remember that your health and safety is the utmost priority.

Pro Tip: Some universities will waive an English Proficiency Test if students achieve a certain score on the SAT/ACT.

- For example, Tulane University notes: “For non-native English speakers who have taken the SAT or ACT, a 600+ on the SAT reading/writing or 27+ on the ACT English waives your requirement for an English proficiency score.” This would mean a student would not have to submit the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test.

- Also keep in mind that some universities will accept the SAT/ACT for admission, but not for enrollment. For example: the University of Arkansas accepts a 500 on the SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Subscore or a 19 ACT English Subscore for admission. However, to enroll into English composition courses, “non-native speakers of English must submit an acceptable writing score.” This writing score includes the exams listed in the table above, but also includes their own English Language Placement Test.

These questions aren’t going to get every student to the one perfect solution, but hopefully they will help you think about the most important factors to consider when picking an English exam: what’s accepted by the school, what’s most common in the region, what are the costs, and where will you test.

When should I take the test?

Another factor to consider is when you will take your English exam during your high school career. The perfect timing is a balance of three factors:

  1. Your scores will be valid at the time of application

  2. You are ready to do your best

  3. You’ve built in time to try again

As you saw in the chart earlier, many of the English exam scores expire after two years. So finding the best time to take the test usually means a year or two before your enrollment, but not waiting until the last minute.

How early is too early to take an exam? 

You can always opt to take an exam for practice, even if it is not considered valid by the university due to its validity, or because you are considering repeating the exam at a later date. You can also take an exam the last few months of the application season—with a goal to improve a second time while also solidifying which exam will in fact fulfill the necessary requirements. 

When in doubt, ask the admission office at the college you are interested in directly so you can make sure your scores are valid. For some schools, it will depend on when you are applying; for other schools, it will depend on when you are enrolled in classes. 

Here is a table with university responses about the earliest date a student could take an English proficiency exam, specifically following the U.S. timeline for applications for fall semester enrollment. The question he emailed to each U.S. university admission office was: “What would be the earliest date my TOEFL score would be considered valid if I am applying to begin class in the fall?” (Note: he only sent an email requesting this information after he did not find it on their Admission Requirements webpages).

 
University A We would recommend that you take the TOEFL exam no earlier than two years before April of the year you are applying, so it remains valid for the duration of the application cycle.
University B Since the March test score for the year you are applying is valid for two years, this test score will be valid for both the Spring (January) and Fall (September) applications, because these test scores will need to be submitted by the deadlines, which for Fall admission would be January 15th.
University C All matriculating students must have a valid TOEFL in order to meet the F-1 student visa requirements. You would be eligible to take the TOEFL as of September, two years before you enroll in classes, given the 2-year validity of the exam.

Why not wait as long as you can before you take an English test? 

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After all, the longer you speak/learn in English, the better your English will be! But also keep in mind how much your English proficiency might change (or flatline) during the last two years of high school. Is it really necessary to wait until application time to take an English proficiency test?

You need to plan ahead in case you are a nervous test taker or something goes wrong on test day. What if there is an issue at the test center? What if your proctor disqualifies your Duolingo English Test after you break one of their rules? Or you ran the ProctorU Equipment Check for the TOEFL test before test day and all was good, but on test day, you experience a problem?

Using the practice resources linked above, you can identify your growth areas and make a study plan for whichever test you decide to take. Give yourself time to study the format, identify your strengths and weaknesses, improve those weaknesses, and replicate test conditions (with time!)  so that you are ready to give your best performance. We recommend familiarizing yourself with requirements and options ahead of time, and starting to practice at least one year before the time your application is due, with the goal of taking the exam months before your application is even due. 

Can I use a different type of test to show my English proficiency?

As with every step of this process, the answer is: it depends on the rules of that school. But it’s a great idea to check and see if a test you are already taking might fulfill the English language requirement. Examples of other tests that could count include: SAT, ACT, AP English exam, IB English exam, or GCSE/IGSCE/GCE results. 

For example, at Cardiff University in Wales:

The University minimum requirement for English is grade C/4 at GCSE or IELTS (Academic) with 6.5 overall and a minimum of 5.5 in each of the subskills, or an accepted equivalent.

Usually, a college website will state whether these tests/exams are acceptable alternatives to an English language exam requirement. They might even offer their own English proficiency exam as an option. But if they don’t mention alternatives on their website, it never hurts to ask.

Ok now I know how to check the English requirements. But if I have a choice, should I take/submit an English exam? 

Great question. Let’s take a step back to the beginning, where we talked about why colleges require English language proficiency. Pursuing higher education in English means entering into a fast-paced environment with English-language instruction, English-speaking peers, and technical terminology in a language that may not be your first. (Shout out to all my Chemistry majors studying cycloalkanes!) Colleges have a sense of what this environment will be like, and they use English tests (and certain score cut-offs on those tests) to make sure they are setting you up for success by admitting you.

When you are researching English language requirements, you will definitely find schools where these tests are optional, or schools where you can request a waiver that will excuse you from having to submit a test result. Should you take this path?

To make your decision, ask yourself two questions:

  1. How else are you demonstrating your English ability in your application?

  2. Will taking an English proficiency exam highlight your capability to succeed in the language?

Let’s break those down. 

Colleges want you to succeed when you arrive. So, in your application, they will be looking for evidence that you are ready to thrive in an English-language environment. But that evidence doesn’t necessarily need to come in the form of an exam. Is your personal statement really excellent? Is your English teacher writing you an awesome recommendation letter? Did you get to interview with the college in English? 

Each of these pieces (or better yet, a combination of them) will showcase your English skills. Put yourself in the seat of the application reader and ask yourself: when they are evaluating my application, what evidence will prove that I will have a smooth transition in English to study and excel at their school and my program of choice?

These non-exam types of evidence are why some schools allow you to apply for a waiver to forgo the testing requirement. Here are examples of what might help qualify you for a waiver: 

  • Test scores, such as from the SAT and ACT

  • Majority to all of your high school classes taught in English (accompanied by a letter from a school official verifying your proficiency in English)

  • A letter of proficiency from a high school official

If a university decides to accept evidence of your proficiency in English in alternative ways, then you will not have to take an additional exam in English.

The nice thing about potentially having SO many types of evidence at your fingertips is that you can ask yourself: which piece of evidence is my strongest? Colleges are looking for reasons to admit you, so you should pick evidence that makes you shine (and avoid evidence that would cause concern). 

Here’s an example:

Let’s say you are deciding between taking the Duolingo English Test, doing an interview with the college, or asking for an English language test waiver because you have studied for four years of high school in an English curriculum. (And let’s put aside for a minute that college interviews can be valuable for many other reasons besides showing your English ability.)

Are you a great test-taker? Why not find out by taking a free 15-minute Duolingo English Practice Test? How does that practice score compare to the requirements or averages of your favorite college? 

Are you a great interviewer? Try a practice interview with a counselor, teacher, or friend. Do you tend to get nervous and not speak clearly? Or are you confident and effusive.

How is your English class grade? How are your grades in other classes that involve lots of writing and discussion? Does using those grades as evidence make you seem weaker or stronger when it comes to English proficiency?

The great news is that if you are asking yourself “should I take an English exam,” you have options. If you are normally a great speaker, but you tense up in interviews, don’t pick that option. If your English grade isn’t your best, but you know you can do better, add the Duolingo English Test. Look at all of your options and pick the one or combination that will make you look strongest when it comes to listening, speaking, reading, and writing in English. 

If I have no interest in or ability to fulfill an English language requirement, what are the other pathways to college in English? 

None of what we’ve discussed so far may be available to you. You may not have access to the required tests, may not be able to afford them, or may not be interested in schools that have these requirements. Maybe you are excited to go to college in English, but you are not yet prepared with your English language skills. You still have great options! 

There are pathways you can take to college and university undergraduate degrees in English, and these options serve to strengthen your proficiency skills to a university level. Many colleges and universities offer “bridge” programs to help with English, or partner with programs that could allow you to transition into an English-speaking education, without having to prove your English in the application process.

For example:

For more information on these sorts of programs that fill the gap between your current level of education and the level needed to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in English, check out this article on Foundation Programs.