TOEFL Exam Eligibility: Age Limit, Educational Qualification, and Scholarship Eligibility
Content Curator | Updated On - Feb 12, 2024
TOEFL Exam Eligibility is kept at a bare minimum of having to qualify 10+2 from a recognized Indian board and being 15 years of age. Candidates less than 15 years of age are advised to be accompanied by their parents at the time of TOEFL registration for identification proof. Also, candidates above 15 years of age will be required to complete and sign a release form at the test center.
Candidates are also required to carry other things for TOEFL eligibility like the registration number, a photo identification card, and a valid passport. Candidates for taking TOEFL exam from home are required to follow certain eligibility criteria. It can be regarding the environment, equipment, speaker, and camera requirements. One of the valid reasons for taking this exam is more than 10,000 universities worldwide accept TOEFL scores.
Students from more than 130 countries appear for the test per year. Candidates of 15 years of age or older, must complete and sign a release form at the test center. A printout of the confirmation mail from ETS will also be required for verification of the exam. ETS is very strict in terms of IDs, and failing this can prevent the candidates from appearing for the exam. Candidates need to bring the same ID card to enter in TOEFL test centers.
TOEFL Accepting Colleges
More than 10,000 universities recognize the TOEFL scores, and thus TOEFL test eligibility are kept at a minimum. Candidates can check the below-mentioned brief outlook of the countries accepting the TOEFL scores:
- US: 9 out of 10 universities in the US accept the TOEFL scores for admission.
- UK: More than 98% of universities in the UK accept the TOEFL scores. 100% of institutions of the reputed Russel group accept a goodTOEFL scores.
- Canada: Around 80% of universities accept the TOEFL scores.
- TOEFL is one of the widely accepted English language proficiency tests accepted by universities in Germany and France.
TOEFL Eligibility Criteria in India
ETS has formulated a simple eligibility for TOEFL age, qualifications, documents, and TOEFL eligibility score. Candidates must have passed the 10+2 from any recognized Indian Board or University for TOEFL eligibility. If the candidate is a high-school student can take the test. TOEFL new pattern evaluates English language proficiency so that candidates can study and work in the United States. Few institutes do not ask for TOEFL exam scores from certain international candidates. A few categories for this include:
- Non-native candidates having degrees or diplomas from post-secondary institutions in countries like the US, Canada, England, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
- Non-native candidates completed at least a two-year course of study in English.
- Candidates who have transferred from institutions in the United States or Canadian universities.
- If the candidate is a non-native speaker and has taken the TOEFL test in the past two years.
- If the candidate is a non-native speaker and pursued academic work at English-speaking schools usually for two years.
TOEFL Exam Age Limit
TOEFL exam eligibility age limit is generally 18 years. ETS- the conducting body of the TOEFL exam has not set any upper age restrictions for the candidates looking to appear for the exam. Study abroad candidates looking to study in an English-speaking country with TOEFL as a part of the admission process are free to appear irrespective of age.
Educational Qualifications
ETS has not set any particular academic qualification as part of the TOEFL eligibility criteria. Generally, a candidate who has passed 10+2 from a recognized Indian board is eligible for the TOEFL exam. In another way, a candidate who has passed high school or completed an equivalent degree can appear for the test. Candidates can also take the TOEFL test while pursuing a high school education.
TOEFL Eligibility Documents Required
Candidates are required to present a recent photo and signature as TOEFL identification proof. According to the ETS guidelines, the TOEFL eligibility for Indian students is a valid passport. ETS is temporarily accepting Aadhaar Cards as identification proof for test-takers in India till further notice. Candidates are supposed to present the original documents as ETS will not accept any photocopy of original documents otherwise. Along with a passport, candidates are required to carry national ID proof having the name, signature, photo, and date of birth. Candidates of 15 years of age or less are advised to be accompanied by a parent for identification proof during the TOEFL exam registration. Below mentioned is the list of documents not accepted for TOEFL test eligibility:
- Any temporary ID card.
- Birth certificate.
- Credit/Debit card of any kind.
- Diplomatic, consulate, or embassy ID card.
- Draft classification card
- Employee ID card
- International driver's license
- International student ID
- Notary-prepared letter or document
- School or college or Library IDs
- Social security card.
TOEFL Eligibility Criteria for Re-Attempts
The TOEFL exam is conducted over 50 times per year at authorized test centers all over the world. There is no limit on the number of times a candidate can appear for the exam. However, it is important to note that there must be a gap of 12 days between two attempts of the TOEFL test. Below are some eligibility criteria for retaking the TOEFL exam:
- Improving skills.
- Taking the TOEFL iBT free practice test.
- Taking the official online TOEFL iBT course.
- Watching the official ETS TOEFL video playlist.
- Registering for the next test.
TOEFL Scholarships
There are many TOEFL scholarships available serving different purposes. The eligibility criteria for a few TOEFL scholarships are:
- TOEFL Research Grants: Candidates presently working on doctoral projects based on language assessment. Candidates are also required to have an approved thesis or paper.
- TOEFL English-language Researcher/Practitioner Grant: Practitioners teaching English in universities, intensive English programs, study-abroad programs, primary schools, and secondary schools.
- TOEFL Grant for Doctoral Research in Language Assessment: A Ph.D. candidate currently registered in a doctoral program.
- TOEFL Committee of Examiners 2024 Research Program: Applications are invited from faculty affiliated with nonprofit organizations with expertise in English language learning and assessment research.
- TOEFL Young Students Series(YSS) Research Program: Offered to candidates enrolled in master's and doctoral programs in institutions worldwide.
- Samuel J. Messick Memorial Lecture Award: A presenter and an associated topic providing impetus and direction for significant innovation in foreign language.
- TOEFL Essentials New Scholar Award: Any scholar working in the area of foreign language assessment and graduated with a doctoral degree in the previous 7 years at the time of nomination.
- TOEFL Award for International Participation at TESOL: TESOL members from a country outside the United States and Canada.
- International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL) TOEFL Scholarship for Participation: Candidates must be currently working as an EFL teacher/ lecturer
- Jacqueline Ross TOEFL® Dissertation Award: The institution of the candidate must have accepted the dissertation within 3 years prior to the award application date. Candidates who submitted an abstract for the said award in previous years are not eligible.
TOEFL Exam Eligibility for Scholarship
TOEFL exam eligibility criteria in terms of scholarship for Indian students are:
- Candidates need to reside in India at the time of application.
- Candidates are required to apply to a university or college listed in the TOEFL Destination Search.
- Candidates must have a GPA of 80/100 or 3.0
- Candidates must have a valid TOEFL score.
TOEFL at Home Edition(iBT) Eligibility
Post the COVID-19 pandemic, ETS has arranged for the facility for TOEFL at Home Edition(iBT). Candidates can appear for the TOEFL exam from the safety of home. However, candidates are required to follow a few TOEFL exam eligibility criteria in terms of equipment. Candidates can check the below-mentioned TOEFL test eligibility to appear for the exam from home.
Equipment Requirements:
- Desktop or computer is only allowed and no tablet or mobile can be used.
- PC: Windows® operating system, versions 10 or 8
- MAC®: Mac OS X® 10.5 or higher (10.13 High Sierra is recommended)
- Browser: Firefox or Chrome
- Candidates must download and install the ETS Secure Test Browser on the computer. This is a prerequisite for taking the TOEFL iBT Home Edition.
- Candidates need to run the ProctorU Equipment Check before the test. In case of any issue, it must get solved before the exam.
- The computer firewalls may hamper the functions of the test software. If this happens, candidates must reconfigure those applications before the test.
- Candidates are not allowed to use earphones. Instead, prefer to use an internal or external speaker to hear the invigilator.
- Candidates must use an internal or external microphone for communication with the invigilator.
- The webcam of the computer must be adjusted in a way that the invigilator sees a 360-degree view of the testing room.
Environment Requirements:
- TOEFL exam eligibility for the at-home exam requires candidates to take the test without anyone in the room.
- The test cannot be taken in a public place like a park, restaurant, or cafe.
- The doors of the room must be shut before the start of the TOEFL exam.
- The laptop and keyboard of the candidates must be on the top of the table.
- The table and surrounding area must not contain any items including a camera, notes, and study materials.
- Candidates must not cover ears with a headband or hat
- Candidates must not wear any jewelry at the time of the exam.
- Candidates will be monitored throughout the test and hence should be properly dressed.
Note-taking Requirements:
- Candidates must not take notes on regular paper and can use a small desktop whiteboard with an erasable marker.
- Candidates must show the invigilator that all notes have been erased at the end of the TOEFL test.
TOEFL Eligibility Score
TOEFL exam eligibility depends entirely on the college or university a candidate is selecting. The majority of the top universities have a requirement for a good TOEFL score with a good GPA. Some of the universities also require high scores in previous academic credentials and job experience. So, eligibility is entirely dependent on the university and the degree of study the candidate is pursuing. The greater the rank of the Universities, the greater will be the TOEFL eligibility scores. Eligibility scores for some of the top universities are:
| Top Universities and Colleges | TOEFL Exam Eligibility Scores |
|---|---|
| Boston University | 84 |
| Brown University | 100(iBT) and 600(Paper-based) |
| Carleton College | 100(iBT) and 600(Paper-based) |
| Columbia University | 80(iBT) and 550(Paper-based) |
| Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) | 80 (IBT exam), 550 (paper-based exam), or 213 (computer-based exam) |
| Harvard University | 80(iBT) |
| University of Michigan | 80(iBT) |
| University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) | 100 (iBT), 250 (CBT), or 600 (PBT) |
| University of Washington | 76(iBT) |
| Yale University | 100(iBT), 250(CBT) |
| University of Tulsa | 80 |
| University of San Francisco | 80 |
| University of Rochester | 100(iBT) |
| Tufts University | 90(iBT) |
| Rice University | 90(iBT), 250(CBT), and 600(Paper-based) |
| Purdue University | 80 |
| MIT | 90(iBT) and 577(Paper-based) |
| Princeton University | 27(Minimum score in speaking) |
Candidates can check the above-mentioned eligibility criteria for TOEFL exam. Candidates can contact OTI, dial +1-609-406-5430 (Monday – Friday, 7.30 am to 5.30 pm ET). Candidates can also check the TOEFL exam score eligibility for the top universities and colleges.
FAQs
Ques: What are the requirements for the TOEFL test?
Ques: Can a 10th pass apply for TOEFL?
Ques: Can anyone take TOEFL?
Ques: Do Indian students need to give TOEFL?
Ques: Who is eligible for TOEFL exam in India?
Ques: How much is TOEFL exam fee?
Ques: How long is TOEFL valid?
Ques: What is the pass mark in TOEFL?
Ques: Is TOEFL only for USA?
Ques: What is TOEFL best score?
Ques: Is TOEFL hard for Indians?
Ques: Do all colleges accept TOEFL?
Ques: Can I pass TOEFL online?
Ques: How many attempts are there for the TOEFL exam?
Ques: Can I take TOEFL at home?
Ques: What is the age limit for TOEFL test?
Ques: How many times is TOEFL taken in a year?
Ques: Is 92 a good TOEFL score?
Ques: What is TOEFL exam pattern?
Ques: How TOEFL score is calculated?
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.