How long are TOEFL scores valid, and when to retake

A TOEFL iBT score is valid for two years from the day you sat the test. ETS puts it plainly: "ETS will not report or send scores after 2 years." That rule did not change with the 2026 update to the 1–6 scale, and it applies to TOEFL iBT Australia too. The harder question is not the two years themselves but which date each university or visa counts from, and whether your score will still be valid on that date.

This guide covers what happens when a score expires, how universities and Australian visas apply their own time limits, a worked example with dates, and how to decide whether to retake. ETS rules below are from the ETS TOEFL iBT score pages, and visa rules are from the Home Affairs English language pages, as of November 2026.

What does "valid for two years" mean?

The two years start on your test date, not the date your scores arrive. If you sat the test on 14 March 2026, your scores can be reported until 14 March 2028.

Within those two years you can:

• send score reports to universities, agencies and other recipients;
• have the score included in your MyBest scores;
• request extra official score reports.

After two years, ETS stops reporting the score. A PDF or printout you downloaded earlier doesn't extend it. Universities check TOEFL results through ETS, so a copy of an expired report won't be accepted.

Your test fee includes up to four free official score reports, as long as you choose the recipients in your ETS account by 10 pm on your test day. After that, each extra report costs a fee.

Do universities accept a score until the last day?

Not always. The ETS two-year limit is the maximum. Each institution sets its own rule, and the date they count to varies:

• Date of application. The score must be under two years old when you submit your application.
• Date of course start. The score must still be valid when the course begins, which can be six to nine months after you apply.
• A shorter window. Some programs, often in health and teaching, want a result from the last 12 or 18 months.

Read the English requirements page of each course, and look for words like "taken within" or "valid at the time of". If the page doesn't say, ask the admissions office and keep the reply.

How long is a TOEFL score valid for an Australian visa?

Home Affairs sets its own windows, separate from ETS:

• Student visa (subclass 500): the test must be taken in the two years before you lodge your application. If you lodge without the results and provide them later, the two years count back from the decision date. Our student visa guide covers the scores and exemptions.
• Competent and Proficient English (most skilled visas): Home Affairs accepts results from "the 3 years before your visa application, depending on the visa subclass".
• Other visas: some subclasses use a shorter window. Check the page for your visa before you rely on an older result.

There is a catch with the three-year rule. Home Affairs may allow three years, but ETS only reports scores for two. A TOEFL result that is two and a half years old may sit inside the visa window but be impossible to send or verify through ETS. If you have a TOEFL result older than two years, get advice from a registered migration agent before you lodge with it.

Also check the version. For a visa, the result must come from TOEFL iBT Australia, which keeps the older 0–120 format; you select "Taking TOEFL for Australia" when you register. Results not registered under this pathway are not eligible for Australian visa purposes, and the updated 1–6 test is not accepted for visas. See TOEFL for Australian visas for the minimum scores.

A worked example

Priya sat the TOEFL iBT Australia on 20 June 2025 and scored 92. She wants to start a Master's degree in Melbourne in February 2027 and apply for a student visa.

Priya is fine, but two details could change that. If her university wants a score that is valid when the course begins, a July 2027 start would fail. And if she had lodged her visa without the results and sent them later, the two years would count back from the decision date. A slow decision in July 2027 would put her test outside the window.

The lesson: when your score is more than about 15 months old, write down every deadline in the process and check each one against the expiry date.

When should you retake?

Retake when one of these is true:

1. The score will expire before a deadline you can't move. Work backwards: allow time to prepare, sit the test, receive scores, and submit.
2. A section is below a minimum. Many universities and all visas have section minimums, and a strong overall score doesn't fix a low Writing score.
3. You have the wrong version. A score from the updated 1–6 test can't be used for an Australian visa. If you need a visa as well, you need TOEFL iBT Australia.
4. Your new course has a stricter rule. A postgraduate health or teaching program may want higher scores or a more recent test than your first offer did.

Don't retake just because the score is old if every place you're applying to will still accept it. And don't retake without changing how you prepare; the same preparation usually gives the same result.

Timing a retake

ETS has no limit on how many times you can take TOEFL iBT, but you can't test more than once in any three-day period. Scores usually reach your ETS account about three days after a test, and TOEFL iBT Australia scores take about four to eight days.

A realistic timeline for a retake:

So start at least two months before the deadline that matters. If your score is close to expiring, book the test date first and plan your preparation around it.

Two more ETS rules help you plan:

• Score review. You can request a review of Speaking and/or Writing within 30 days of the test, for a fee, but not if you have already sent the scores to an institution.
• Cancelled scores. If you cancel your scores on test day, you can reinstate them within 60 days for a fee.

Common mistakes

Counting from the score date. The two years start on the test date. The few days waiting for results don't add time.

Assuming a printout is enough. Institutions verify through ETS, and ETS stops reporting after two years.

Using the three-year visa window for TOEFL. It may apply to the visa, but your TOEFL score can't be reported after two years.

Booking a retake too late. Test dates close to application deadlines can be hard to get. Leave room for a second attempt if you need it.

Retaking the wrong version. For an Australian visa, register for TOEFL iBT Australia and select "Taking TOEFL for Australia".

Checklist: is your score still usable?

• Your test date is less than two years ago, and will still be on the last date that matters.
• You know whether each university counts to the application date or the course start date.
• For a visa, the test is TOEFL iBT Australia and within the window for your subclass.
• Every section meets the minimum, not just the overall score.
• If you need a retake, you have at least two months before the deadline.

If you're deciding whether to retake, start with the free practice sections on the AIL TOEFL iBT® style practice site, which give estimated scores in all four skills, or sit a full timed practice test; our practice test guide explains how to review one. You can create a free account here. AIL is also an ETS authorised TOEFL iBT test centre in Melbourne, if you're booking the real test.

These practice tests are written by AIL teachers. TOEFL and TOEFL iBT are registered trademarks of ETS, and AIL's practice materials are not endorsed or approved by ETS.