If your primary language is not English, you must meet the English language proficiency requirements and may be required to submit TOEFL, IELTS or DET test scores.
Test scores should be sent no later than three weeks prior to your respective application deadline to ensure receipt of your official score report. The Graduate School will only accept official score reports sent from a test administrator and there is no place in your application that will allow you to self-report required test scores.
Detailed instructions for the score report process are listed below. If you still have questions regarding the submission of your test scores, please contact the Graduate School at gsadmit@princeton.edu.
All Princeton graduate students must demonstrate a level of oral proficiency in the English language sufficient to participate successfully in the various activities that comprise a graduate education.
The following applicants are not required to submit English language test scores:
All other applicants must submit valid TOEFL, IELTS or DET scores.
Valid English language test scores that have been submitted or will be submitted are subject to review. Once test scores are in our system, they cannot be removed or suppressed from the review process. Expired scores will not be considered.
The three internationally-recognized English language proficiency tests accepted by Princeton are the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and the Duolingo English Test (DET).
There is no place in your application for you to self-report required test scores as Princeton only accepts the official score reports sent from your test administrator.
Admitted students may be assigned the English Language Program (ELP) code based on their TOEFL score, meaning they will be required to be tested here and may have to take courses with the ELP depending on how they do with that testing.
If your scores are as follows—TOEFL (Speaking) of lower than 27, IELTS (Speaking) of lower than 8.0, or DET (Conversation) of lower than 125—you will be required to take a test upon enrollment regardless of if you qualified for an exemption.
Educational Testing Service (ETS) administers the internet-based TOEFL (iBT). Applicants who take the test in a country which does not offer the iBT TOEFL should take the TOEFL paper-delivered test. Due to the nature of the graduate admission process, the Graduate School has not set a recommended minimum score for the iBT TOEFL. However, each department may set its own recommendations. Please check with the department to which you are applying. Additionally, Princeton is not currently accepting MyBest scores; however, the University does consider the highest score from each section.
The ETS institution code for Princeton University is 2672. Department codes are not used at Princeton; if the test requires you to select a code, choose one closest to your desired field. All score reports with the institution code 2672 will be received by Graduate Admission regardless of whether or not you select a department code. Allow several weeks for test scores to reach us. Graduate Admission will update your submitted application checklist with your test date when your scores are received.
If the name you entered on the test report is different than the name on your application, your test scores may not match. If you only have one name, please enter it in the last name field and a period (.) in the first name field. If there is a name discrepancy, or if you believe you are experiencing problems due to differing names, please contact the Graduate School at gsadmit@princeton.edu.
TOEFL scores expire two years after the original test date. ETS will not send expired test scores. Please contact ETS if there are questions about the validity of your TOEFL scores. The University will not accept expired, self-reported, partial, or copies of test scores.
For more information contact Educational Testing Service (ETS) at 609-771-7100 or 877-863-3456, or via the web.
IELTS is administered jointly by the British Council, IDP Education Australia, and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL). The Graduate School accepts the IELTS Academic test and has not set a recommended minimum score for the IELTS. However, each department may set its own recommendation. Please check with the department to which you are applying.
Please send you IELTS scores electronically through e-delivery (no institution code is required). The address, for identification purpose only, is One Clio Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544. Please do not have tests mailed to the Graduate School. Furthermore, note that Princeton does not verify Test Report Forms (TRF’s).
IELTS scores expire two years after the original test date. For questions about the validity of the IELTS scores, please contact the test administrator.
If the name you entered on the test report is different than the name on your application, your test scores may not match. If you only have one name, please enter it in the last name field and a period (.) in the first name field. If there is a name discrepancy, or if you believe you are experiencing problems due to differing names, please contact the Graduate School at gsadmit@princeton.edu.
Duolingo administers DET which is entirely computer-based and can be taken from any location with an internet connection.
English language proficiency tests are a Graduate School requirement and although the Graduate School does not have a minimum score requirement to submit an application, please check with the department to which you wish to apply to see if they do. If multiple score reports are sent to us, we consider the highest score from each section of score reports which we have received.
DET scores expire after two years from the original test date. Please contact Duolingo if there are questions about the validity of the DET scores.
For GRE or TOEFL, the institution code for Princeton is 2672 and no department code is required. Graduate Admission will receive all score reports with this code regardless of whether a department code is selected or not.