How US Universities Verify TOEFL, IELTS, and Duolingo Scores Before Issuing an I-20

Who checks your English score, and why it matters for your I-20

A designated school official, or DSO, is a staff member at your US school specifically authorized to manage your record in SEVIS, the government system that tracks international students, and to issue your Form I-20, the Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status. Before your I-20 is finalized, your school needs confidence that the English score in your file is real and belongs to you, not a screenshot someone edited or a printout of a report that never got sent.

This check does not replace your admission decision, the admissions committee already reviewed your application. It is a separate integrity step that confirms the number on file matches what the testing body actually recorded, and it usually happens as your file moves from admission toward the I-20 stage.

How ETS verification works for TOEFL

According to the TOEFL iBT Information Bulletin , institutions verify scores sent to them directly by ETS, and if there is a mismatch between the official score ETS holds and what you submitted, the school asks ETS to confirm which one is correct. ETS also runs an Online Score Verification Service through the ETS Data Manager. A school or an authorized organization looks up your official TOEFL score using your test appointment number and date of birth, rather than relying on a document you provide yourself. This only works for scores still inside the standard 2-year validity window, ETS does not verify a score more than 2 years old even on request.

The safest route is having ETS send your official score report directly to your school's institution code when you register or shortly after you get your results, instead of only emailing the school a personal copy.

How IELTS verification works

IELTS operates a similar system called the IELTS Results Service . An institution logs into a secure portal and enters your Test Report Form number to confirm your identity and your actual scores directly against the record IELTS holds. This lets a school confirm a result is genuine without asking you to resend anything.

Since a Test Report Form is only considered reliable proof of your English level for about 2 years, and IELTS states it does not investigate a form more than 3 years old, an older TRF number can come back unverifiable even if the document itself looks fine.

Duolingo English Test scores

Fewer US schools accept the Duolingo English Test compared to TOEFL and IELTS, and the exact verification steps a school follows differ by institution. If your target school accepts Duolingo, ask its international admissions office directly how they want the result shared and confirmed, rather than assuming a screenshot or a self-forwarded PDF is enough.

Why screenshots and printouts get rejected

• A screenshot or scanned printout can be edited before it reaches the admissions office, and it carries no built-in way to confirm it is unchanged.

• Score reports sent directly from ETS or IELTS to the school arrive through a channel the school already trusts, which is why official sending matters more than the document itself looking correct.

• If your DSO cannot verify a self-submitted score, expect a request for an official score report or direct electronic sending before your I-20 is finalized, which delays your visa interview timeline if you leave it until the final weeks before your intended start date.

What to do to avoid delays

Order official score sending to your school directly from your ETS or IELTS account as soon as you have your results, do not wait until the school asks. Keep your test appointment number or Test Report Form number saved somewhere you can access quickly, your DSO may ask for it if a manual verification step is needed. Ask your school's international office directly whether they need the score sent to a specific institution code or portal, since the process differs by testing body and sometimes by school.

Building this into your admission-to-I-20 timeline

Treat score verification as its own step in your planning, separate from the admission decision and separate from paying your SEVIS I-901 fee. A gap of even a few weeks at this stage pushes back your I-20 issue date, which then pushes back your visa interview date, since you generally need a signed I-20 in hand before you can schedule that interview.

If your school flags your score for manual review, respond the same day with whatever your DSO requests, whether that is a direct score-sending order, your appointment number, or your Test Report Form number. Slow replies at this specific step are a common, avoidable reason students miss their intended program start date.