6 Simple Steps to Sending Your TOEFL Scores to Schools

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Have you taken the TOEFL or will be taking it soon and aren’t sure how to send your scores to schools? It’s important to understand the process of sending TOEFL score reports to make sure your scores are properly sent and received in time.

Read this guide to learn exactly how to send TOEFL scores to schools as well as all the information you need to know about costs, how long it takes for schools to receive your scores, and final tips for sending TOEFL score reports.

 

How to Send TOEFL Scores to Schools

The process for selecting which schools you want to receive your TOEFL scores is the same whether you’re doing it before or after you’ve taken the TOEFL.

To select which schools you’d like to receive your scores, follow these six steps:

1. Log on to your TOEFL iBT account or create an account if you haven’t already.

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2. On the home page, select “Order Score Reports.” (If you haven’t already registered for a test date, you’ll need to do that first by selecting “Register for a Test.”)

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3. For Product Type, click “TOEFL Services” then click “Continue.”

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4. Select the test date you want to send the scores of and click “Continue.”

5. Search for and select the schools you want to send your scores to.

6. Follow any additional prompts you receive (such as payment, which is discussed more below).

 

If you want to submit your TOEFL score report request by mail, print and complete the TOEFL iBT Additional Score Report Request Form, and mail it with your payment to:

ETS-TOEFL iBT
P.O. Box 6153
Princeton, NJ 08541-6153 USA

 

If you’d like to submit your score report request via fax, complete the same score report request form linked above and fax it along with your registration number and credit/debit card information to 1-610-290-8972.

 

How Much Does It Cost to Send TOEFL Scores?

When you register for the TOEFL, you will have the option to choose up to four schools you’d like your TOEFL scores to be sent to for FREE. The cost of sending these score reports is included in your registration fee, and this is the only time you’ll be able to send scores for free.

If, after registering for the TOEFL, you change your mind about which schools to send your scores to, you can make changes for free up until 10pm of the day before your exam. You can do this be logging on to your online account and selecting “View Orders” on the home page.

Changing where your scores will be sent after 10pm on the day before your exam, as well as sending scores after you take the TOEFL or selecting more than four schools during registration will cost $19 per TOEFL score report.

 

How Long Will It Take for Schools to Receive Your TOEFL Scores?

Unlike many other standardized tests, TOEFL score reports can only be sent to schools through the mail; official scores cannot be sent via email. This means it will take several weeks for your scores to arrive.

If you choose which schools to send your scores to before you take the TOEFL, your score report will be mailed to the schools you designated 13 days after you take the exam (you’ll receive your scores 10 days after you take the test). If you choose to send score reports to schools after you’ve already received your scores, your TOEFL score report will be mailed 3-5 business days after your order is received.

After your TOEFL score reports are mailed, it will take about 7-10 days for schools in the United States to receive your scores, and longer, about 4-6 weeks, for schools outside of the United States to receive your scores.

So, when you’re trying to estimate how long it will take for schools to receive your TOEFL scores, remember to include the time it takes for your scores to be sent (up to 13 days), as well as the shipping time itself (up to 10 days for US schools and up to six weeks for international schools). This means, for US schools, your TOEFL scores will be received about three weeks or slightly longer after you submit a score report, and for international schools it can take eight weeks or longer. There is no rush or expedited shipping for TOEFL score reports.

 

How Long Are Your TOEFL Scores Valid For?

Your TOEFL scores are valid for two years after you complete the exam. After two years, you will no longer be able to send score reports for that test date, and you’ll need to take the TOEFL again in order to send official scores.

Nearly every university requires an official TOEFL score report in order for your scores to be valid, but some employers interested in your English skills may be willing to accept TOEFL scores older than two years old.

 

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TOEFL scores are valid for two years after you take the exam.

 

3 Final Tips for Sending TOEFL Scores to Schools

Now that you know how to send TOEFL scores, follow these final three tips on how to send TOEFL scores to make sure your score reports get to the schools you want to receive them.

 

#1: Know That Sending TOEFL Scores Affects Your Ability to Rescore

Once you choose to send your scores to any school or institution, you lose your ability to have your Writing and/or Speaking sections rescored through the Score Review service. The Score Review service allows you to request that your Writing and/or Speaking sections be rescored if you feel that they were not scored correctly the first time.

You can only use this service up to 30 days after you take the TOEFL, and it costs $80 to rescore each section. Most people don’t use this service, and, even if they do, it’s rare for scores to be changed after Score Review, but this is still something you may want to be aware of.

#2: To Save Money, Take the TOEFL After You Decide Which Schools You’ll Be Applying To

You only get four free score reports; after that you’ll have to pay $19 for each additional score report you want to send. If you’re trying to keep costs down, one way to do this is to use only the free score reports without having to pay for additional score reports.

Your ability to do this obviously depends on how many schools you end up applying to, but if you take the TOEFL when you’re still trying to narrow down which of a dozen schools you want to apply to, you may end up sending some or all of your score reports to schools you lose interest in and don’t end up applying to, meaning you’ll have to pay $19 to send your scores to each school you do apply to.

Waiting until you’ve decided which schools to apply to or have narrowed down your list of possibilities can end up saving you money in score report costs.

 

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Sending your TOEFL scores only to the schools you’re serious about will save you money and help you keep your piggy bank full.

 

#3: Make Sure Your TOEFL Scores Will Be Received by Application Deadlines

Even if you spend dozens of hours studying and earn a top TOEFL score, all of that work will go to waste if schools don’t get your scores in time. Remember to account for both the time it takes for ETS to put your scores in the mail as well as travel time in the post.  As rough guidelines, if you’re applying to schools within the United States, take the TOEFL at least 25 days before deadlines, and if you’re applying to schools outside the United States, take the TOEFL at least two months before deadlines.

If you’re not sure how long it will take for your TOEFL scores to reach a specific country, you can search online for estimated times (TOEFL scores are sent via regular airmail) or contact that country’s postal service.

It’s always better to have your scores in before deadlines, but if there’s no way schools will get your scores in time, you may be able to self-report your scores (you’ll get your scores ten days after the exam) to schools and have them receive your official scores later. Not all schools accept this however, so be sure to contact them first.

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Review: How to Send TOEFL Scores

Whether you choose which schools to send your scores to before or after your take the exam, the process of how to send TOEFL scores is quite simple and quick to do.

Before you take the TOEFL, you’ll be able to choose up to four schools to send your scores to for free. Sending your TOEFL scores to any schools beyond these four will cost $19 per score report. Your TOEFL scores will be valid for two years after you take the exam.

When signing up for the TOEFL, remember to choose a test date that allows enough time for schools to receive your scores before application deadlines. TOEFL scores are only sent via mail, and it will take about three to eight weeks for them to arrive.

 

What’s Next?

Want more information on how the TOEFL is scored? Check out our guide to learn exactly how the TOEFL is scored so you can maximize the number of points you get.

What score should you be aiming for on the TOEFL? Learn what a good TOEFL score is and how you can figure out what your goal score should be.

Practice tests are one of the best ways to prepare for the TOEFL. We’ve gathered information on the highest-quality TOEFL practice tests into one place so you have access to the best study materials.



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Author: Christine Sarikas

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.