Student Success Office for International Students and Scholars

English Proficiency Certification for Visa Purposes

This information is intended to assist admitting departments with questions surrounding certification of English proficiency.

English Proficiency Certification for Admission and Visa Purposes

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requires universities admitting international students to verify that each nonnative English speaking student has sufficient English language proficiency to succeed in the academic program. Therefore, admitting departments must present proof of this level of proficiency for each nonnative English speaking student before visa eligibility documents can be processed by the Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS).

The standard way to ensure the appropriate level of English language proficiency is 1) to require applicants to complete an objective, standardized English language assessment, and 2) to require an appropriate minimum score in order for applicants to be considered for admission. The test most frequently taken by WashU applicants is the TOEFL iBT.

When Applicants Should Take the TOEFL

Educational Testing Service (ETS, which administers the TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) will not report scores that are more than two years old from the administration of the test. For an applicant’s TOEFL or IELTS score to be valid for the purpose of English proficiency verification at WashU, the score must be valid at the time of the admissions application deadline.

About the TOEFL iBT and Appropriate Minimum Scores
TOEFL iBT tests listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and includes sections which integrate these skills (e.g., asking test-takers to speak in response to a passage they hear or read). Selected scores on the TOEFL iBt compare with the other versions of the TOEFL as follows:

TOEFL iBT (total score) Computer-based TOEFL(total score) Paper-based TOEFL (total score)
120 300 677
110 270 637
100 250 600-603
90-91 233 577
Source: Educational Testing Service (2005), TOEFL Internet-based Test Score Comparison Tables, p. 6

In addition to the composite score, the TOEFL iBT score report includes sub-scores for four skill areas: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Each sub-score ranges from 0-30.

For WashU, the OISS recommends that departments establish a minimum composite score of at least 90 in order for applicants to be considered for admission. For programs whose students will need to serve as teaching assistants, do extensive reading and writing, or otherwise meet a particularly high standard of English communication skills, departments may find that a more appropriate minimum composite score is 100.

About the IELTS Academic and Appropriate Minimum Scores
In addition to the TOEFL, WashU accepts the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic. The IELTS Academic tests listening, speaking, reading, and writing. One distinctive feature of the IELTS is that speaking skills are assessed in a ten- to fifteen-minute face-to-face interview. To learn more about how the IELTS compares to the TOEFL iBT, see ETS’s Frequently Asked Questions About Comparing TOEFL Scores to Other Test Scores.

The overall IELTS score ranges from 0-9. The score report also includes component scores of 0-9 for four skill areas: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

For WashU, the OISS recommends that departments establish a minimum score of 6.5 on the IELTS Academic in order for applicants to be considered for admission. For programs whose students will need to serve as teaching assistants, do extensive reading and writing, or otherwise meet a particularly high standard of English communication skills, departments may find that a more appropriate minimum score is 7 on the IELTS Academic.

Tests that will be TEMPORARILY accepted for students admitted for the academic year 2023-2024
Due to the pandemic, the Duolinguo English Test will be accepted.  A score of 115 is the required minimum for the Duolinguo English Test in order for applicants to be considered for admission

As a reminder, students submitting scores from the above temporarily accepted test, Duolinguo, must also complete testing upon arrival within the school to determine if they need additional English courses.  If additional courses are needed, the schools are required to submit documentation to OISS along with the specific action plan created for the student.  This will help us to ensure that students have the appropriate support given their situation.

Waiving the English Proficiency Test Requirement
The English proficiency test requirement is waived for citizens of Australia, Cameroon, Commonwealth Caribbean nations, Ghana, India, Ireland, Kenya, Liberia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, Uganda, the United Kingdom, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It may also be waived for students who have completed three or more years of study in an English-medium academic program in any of the above countries, Canada, Hong Kong, South Africa, or the United States.

If a student has completed three or more years of study in an English-medium university-level academic program in a country other than the ones listed above, the admitting department may request a waiver.

Alternatively, departments may choose to require the TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic for all applicants whose first language is not English.