TOEFL eligibility: who can take it, and what you need
TOEFL iBT has no academic eligibility criteria — no minimum qualification, no percentage, no nationality restriction. ETS is explicit that there is no passing or failing score: each institution sets its own requirement. What the test does demand is identification that matches your registration exactly.
Identification
In India the passport is the identification ETS accepts. Three rules decide whether you sit the test:
- The passport must be valid and original — no photocopies, no expired documents.
- The name on your registration must match the passport exactly, including the order of given and family names.
- For the Home Edition, the same ID is checked on camera before the test begins.
A name mismatch is discovered at check-in and the test is forfeited. If your passport spells your name differently from your school records, register with the passport spelling.
Age
There is no upper age limit. ETS does not set a formal minimum, but the test assumes an academic register — the content is drawn from university settings — so it is not a sensible instrument for a much younger candidate. Test takers under 18 should check the parental consent requirements for their testing option before booking.
How many times you can take it
There is no limit on attempts. Universities read the score you send, and your report also carries MyBest scores — ETS's superscore, combining your best section scores across valid test dates within the two-year window.
Whether a university accepts MyBest is the university's decision, and plenty do not. Never plan a retake strategy around MyBest without written confirmation from the programme.
Which institutions accept it
More than 13,500 institutions in over 160 countries accept TOEFL scores. It remains the most widely preferred test in the United States, which is the main reason to choose it over IELTS or PTE if the US is your destination.
TOEFL iBT eligibility — FAQs
4 questions
There is no academic eligibility requirement, no minimum qualification and no nationality restriction. You need a valid original passport, registered with your name spelled exactly as it appears on it.
No. ETS sets no passing or failing score — each institution sets its own requirement, so the number that matters is the one on your programme's page.
There is no limit. Your report also includes MyBest scores, which combine your best section scores across valid test dates, though not every university accepts them.
A valid original passport, and the name on your registration must match it exactly.
Sources
Checked on 25 September 2026 against the official pages below. Fees and formats change — the official page is always the final word.
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