Overview

Most U.S. colleges require non-native English speakers to demonstrate English proficiency, typically through the TOEFL, IELTS, or, increasingly, the Duolingo English Test — three tests that differ in format, cost, availability, and which schools accept them.

This guide covers how these three tests differ, how to decide which to take, and how to prepare effectively. See our study in the USA guide for how this testing requirement fits into the broader international application process.

Why this matters

Not every school accepts every English proficiency test, and score requirements vary meaningfully by institution — choosing the wrong test for your target schools, or under-preparing relative to your target schools' specific score requirements, can mean a costly, time-consuming retake close to an application deadline. Because these tests also serve as a genuine measure of the academic English skills you'll actually need once enrolled, treating preparation as real skill-building rather than a box to check tends to pay off well beyond the application itself.

Where this fits in your timeline

International applicants generally need to start meaningfully earlier than domestic applicants, since visa processing, financial documentation, and English proficiency testing all add lead time on top of standard admissions and financial aid steps. Many of the guides in this group are sequenced — study and school selection, then admission, then the F-1 visa process, then pre-departure logistics, then arrival — and are worth reading roughly in that order if you're starting from the beginning.

Step by step

1. Confirm which tests your target schools accept

Check each target school's specific admissions requirements — most accept the TOEFL and IELTS, and an increasing number now also accept the Duolingo English Test, but this varies by institution, so confirm directly rather than assuming universal acceptance.

2. Understand how the three tests differ in format

The TOEFL is primarily computer-based and U.S.-academic-context-focused; the IELTS offers both computer-based and paper-based formats and is widely used for immigration purposes globally as well as academic admissions; the Duolingo English Test is a shorter, fully online, adaptive test that can often be completed and scored much faster than the other two.

3. Compare cost and availability in your specific location

Test costs and available testing center locations and dates vary — the Duolingo English Test, being fully online, is generally the most accessible option in areas with limited testing center availability.

4. Find each target school's specific minimum score requirement

Score requirements vary meaningfully by school and, sometimes, by specific program within a school — confirm the exact minimum (and, ideally, a competitive target above the minimum) for each of your target schools individually.

5. Take a practice test to gauge your starting point

Each test offers official practice materials — take a full practice test early in your preparation to identify your current level and specific areas needing the most improvement.

6. Build a structured study plan targeting your weaker sections

Effective preparation targets your specific weaker skills (often speaking or writing for many test-takers) rather than generic overall practice — use official practice materials as your primary resource.

7. Practice under realistic timed conditions

All three tests are timed, and practicing under realistic time pressure (not just untimed practice questions) is essential preparation, since time management is often as challenging as the content itself for test-takers.

8. Register with enough lead time before your application deadline

Account for scheduling availability, the test date itself, and score processing and reporting time when planning your test date relative to your application deadlines — build in buffer time for a possible retake if needed.

9. Understand how superscoring or multiple attempts are handled, if relevant

Some schools consider your best score from a single sitting only; others may consider your best individual section scores across multiple sittings — confirm your specific target schools' policy if you're planning more than one attempt.

10. Request official score reports sent directly to your target schools

Confirm the process for sending official scores directly to each target school (rather than only providing a screenshot or informal record), since schools generally require the official, verified score report as part of a complete application.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Taking a test not accepted by one or more of your target schools.
  • Not confirming each target school's specific minimum score requirement before testing.
  • Skipping a practice test and starting preparation without a clear sense of your current level.
  • Practicing only untimed questions instead of full-length, timed practice tests.
  • Registering too close to your application deadline, leaving no buffer for a possible retake.
  • Not confirming how official score reports need to be sent to each target school.
  • Relying solely on generic study apps without any full-length, official-format practice test.

Quick-reference checklist

Copy this into your own notes or spreadsheet and check items off as you go:

  • Confirm which English proficiency tests your target schools accept.
  • Compare TOEFL, IELTS, and Duolingo English Test format, cost, and availability.
  • Find each target school's specific minimum score requirement.
  • Take a full practice test to establish your starting point.
  • Build a study plan targeting your specific weaker sections.
  • Practice consistently under realistic timed conditions.
  • Register with enough lead time for a possible retake before deadlines.
  • Confirm the process for sending official scores to each target school.

Adapting this to your specific school

The steps above describe english proficiency test guide in general terms that apply across most U.S. institutions, but the specifics can shift depending on the type of school involved. Public and private institutions sometimes handle the same process through different offices or forms; community colleges frequently have a more streamlined (and sometimes less standardized) version of processes that four-year universities run through a dedicated office; and highly selective private institutions sometimes layer additional requirements — an extra essay, an alumni interview, a supplemental scholarship application — on top of the general process described here. Larger public university systems can also differ campus by campus even within the same system, so confirm you're looking at the specific campus's process rather than a general system-wide description that may not apply exactly to your target campus. If you're working through this at more than one school simultaneously, keep a school-by-school checklist rather than assuming a single unified process applies identically everywhere, since missing a school-specific variation is one of the more common and avoidable ways students lose time in the process described above. It's also worth revisiting this checklist periodically rather than only once at the start, since a school's specific requirements can be updated between when you first research them and when you actually need to act on them.

How much time to budget

How much time english proficiency test guide actually takes varies by your specific situation, but it's worth budgeting more time than feels strictly necessary on a first pass — most of the steps above involve at least one dependency on someone or something outside your direct control (a recommender's schedule, a government agency's processing time, a school office's response time, a required document from a third party), and those dependencies are consistently where delays actually happen, more often than the parts of the process fully within your own control. Build a personal timeline with your own target dates for each step above, set several days to a week earlier than the true external deadline wherever a step depends on someone else, and revisit that personal timeline periodically rather than only once at the start — a plan that accounts realistically for this kind of dependency-driven delay is meaningfully more reliable than one that assumes every step will go exactly as scheduled on the first attempt.

Where to find current, authoritative information

English Proficiency Test Guide involves specific details — dollar figures, deadlines, forms, and eligibility rules — that change from year to year even though the underlying process and sequence of steps described above stay fairly consistent. For international students-related questions specifically, the most reliable single starting point is often the relevant office directly (a school's financial aid office, registrar, international student services office, or admissions office, depending on the topic), since general guidance describes typical practice while your specific school's or agency's current policy governs your actual situation. Where a step above points to a specific external source — studentaid.gov, the U.S. Department of Education's accreditation database, a visa-related government site, or a specific school's own published policy — treat that source as the more current authority for exact numbers and deadlines, and treat this guide as a reliable map of the underlying mechanics and sequence, which changes far less often than the specific figures within it.

This guide is part of our "International students" group of guides — see the full guides index for the complete list organized by stage. Related reading:

Study in the USA · SAT and ACT Guide · International Student Checklist

Frequently asked questions

Is the Duolingo English Test as widely accepted as the TOEFL or IELTS?

Acceptance has grown significantly in recent years, but it's still not universal — confirm directly with each specific target school rather than assuming acceptance.

Can I retake these tests if I'm not satisfied with my score?

Yes, all three allow retakes, generally with a required waiting period between attempts — check each specific test's current retake policy and any limits on how many attempts you can make in a given period.

Do I need to take an English proficiency test if English is my native language?

Generally no, or you may be eligible for a waiver — check each specific school's policy, since waiver criteria (which countries or educational backgrounds qualify) vary by institution.

How long are TOEFL, IELTS, and Duolingo scores valid?

Most schools consider scores valid for two years from the test date — confirm this with your specific target schools, since a small number may have different validity windows.

Which test is generally considered easier?

There's no universally "easier" test — each has a different format and skill emphasis, and individual test-takers often perform differently across them; a practice test of each is the most reliable way to determine which format suits you best.

Can I use TOEFL or IELTS scores for both admissions and visa purposes?

English proficiency test scores are generally used for admissions purposes; visa eligibility itself doesn't have a separate English proficiency requirement, though your academic readiness (partly reflected in your test score) is one factor consular officers may consider.

Does taking one of these tests improve my actual English skills, or just my score?

A well-structured, genuine study plan (rather than narrow test-taking tricks alone) tends to improve underlying language skills as a byproduct, which also benefits you academically once enrolled — approach preparation as genuine skill-building where possible, not purely score optimization.

How do I know this guide still reflects current rules?

Check the date on any specific dollar figure, deadline, or published requirement mentioned above against the official source it links to. Rules like these are set independently by government agencies, accreditors, and individual schools, and they can change from one academic year to the next, sometimes with little advance notice, so a guide written and reviewed at one point in time is a starting reference rather than a permanent, unchanging answer.