TOEFL and IELTS Score Validity: How Long Scores Last
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Sep 18, 2026 • Updated Sep 18, 2026
TOEFL and IELTS scores stay valid for 2 years from your test date. After that they cannot be sent to a university or verified, even if you scored well the first time.
⏱️ Validity window: 2 years from the test date for both TOEFL iBT and IELTS
🎓 Schools recheck validity at enrollment, not only when you apply
📩 A score older than 2 years is not reported or verified by ETS
🏠 TOEFL MyBest scores only combine section scores still inside the 2-year window
🛂 If your score will expire before you start classes, book a retest early
How long TOEFL and IELTS scores last
TOEFL iBT scores stay valid for 2 years after your test date, according to the official 2026-27 TOEFL iBT Information Bulletin . Once a score passes that 2-year mark, ETS states it is not reported to a university or verified for a school that requests it, even if you request it yourself. IELTS sets the same window. The IELTS partners recommend a maximum period of two years for a result to demonstrate your English ability, and IELTS does not investigate a Test Report Form more than 3 years old even when an institution asks it to.
Both testing bodies set this limit because English ability changes over time, especially if you stop studying or using English regularly after your test. A score from 3 years ago tells a university little about your current level, so neither ETS nor IELTS treats it as reliable proof past the window.
Why validity matters at enrollment, not just at application
Most applicants only think about score validity on the day they submit an application. The real risk sits later, at enrollment. If you apply a year before your intended start term, get admitted, then defer for a semester or wait months for a visa appointment, your score ages toward the 2-year mark before you set foot on campus.
International admissions offices and designated school officials, the staff authorized to issue your Form I-20, confirm your English score is still valid when they finalize your file for enrollment, not only when they first review your application. A score accepted at admission fails this second check if too much time passed in between.
Timeline example
| Stage | What happens to your score's validity |
|---|---|
| You take TOEFL or IELTS in Year 1 | Score valid for 2 years from this date |
| You apply and get admitted in Year 1 | Score accepted, well inside the window |
| You defer admission or face visa delays | The clock keeps running on your original test date |
| You try to enroll close to Year 3 | Score has likely expired, school asks for a retest |
What TOEFL's MyBest scores mean for an expiring score
ETS builds a MyBest score for TOEFL test takers, combining your best result in each section, Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing, from every valid sitting in the last 2 years. Once a specific test date passes 2 years old, its section scores drop out of your MyBest calculation entirely, even if that sitting produced your best Speaking or Writing score. If one of your strongest sittings is close to aging out, retest before it drops rather than relying on an older result to keep raising your combined score.
TOEFL enforces a hard cutoff, IELTS frames it as guidance to schools
The two testing bodies word their 2-year rule differently, and the difference matters for how you plan a retest. ETS states TOEFL scores older than 2 years "can't be reported or verified," a technical block built into its own systems, not a suggestion left to each university.
IELTS instead frames its window as guidance: "the IELTS partners recommend that an IELTS result demonstrates a test taker's English language ability for a maximum period of two years." IELTS itself still verifies a Test Report Form up to 3 years old if an institution asks, though most universities choose to follow the 2-year recommendation as their own hard rule regardless. Do not assume a university will make an exception because IELTS worded its policy as a recommendation, check the specific school's own stated cutoff instead of relying on this distinction.
What to do if your score is close to expiring
Check your test date against your planned enrollment term, not just your application deadline.
Contact your university's international admissions office and ask whether they check validity at application, at I-20 issuance, or at the start of the term.
If your score ages past 2 years before your start date, register for a retest early. Regular TOEFL registration closes 7 full days before your test date, after that an express fee applies, so plan ahead rather than booking at the last minute, per the TOEFL iBT Information Bulletin .
Order a fresh official score report sent directly to the university once your retest results post, rather than relying only on your original application file.