The short answer
| Test | Validity | What kind of rule it is |
|---|---|---|
| TOEFL | 2 years from the test date | A hard cut-off. ETS will not report or send your scores after two years. |
| IELTS | 2 years, recommended | A recommendation. The IELTS partners advise a two-year maximum; the receiving organisation decides. |
| Duolingo English Test | Typically 2 years | Confirm with the institution you are applying to. |
The middle row is the one worth reading twice.
TOEFL: an actual expiry
TOEFL scores are valid for two years from the test date, and after that ETS will not send them. That is the mechanism, and it is what makes this a genuine expiry: it does not matter whether a university would be willing to accept a three-year-old TOEFL score, because there is no way for them to receive it.
Within the two years, you can order additional score reports through your ETS account whenever you need them.
IELTS: a recommendation, not an expiry
The IELTS partners recommend that a result be treated as demonstrating your English for a maximum of two years. The reasoning is straightforward and honest: second-language ability is subject to attrition, and a result from three years ago may simply no longer describe you.
But notice what that is. It is guidance to institutions, not a switch that turns your Test Report Form off. Two things follow, and both are practically useful:
- Organisations may choose to accept results for longer. Some do. This is their decision, not the test's, so the only way to find out is to ask them.
- An older result may be accepted with evidence. The published guidance is that a Test Report Form more than two years old should only be accepted if it comes with proof that you have actively maintained, or tried to improve, your English — study, work in English, a course, time spent in an English-speaking environment.
One limit worth knowing: IELTS will verify Test Report Forms older than two years, but it is their policy not to investigate a TRF that is more than three years old. So the practical ceiling on an old IELTS result is around three years, even where an institution is willing.
So do you need to retake?
Work through it in this order — it takes ten minutes and it sometimes saves a test fee and six weeks of study.
- When is your deadline, and how old will the score be on that date? Not today's age — its age when they read it.
- TOEFL, over two years? You are retaking. There is no route around a score that cannot be sent.
- IELTS, just over two years? Ask the institution directly, and mention how you have kept your English up. They may accept it.
- Is the score high enough anyway? If it was borderline, the validity question is academic — you would have been retaking regardless.
- Has your English actually changed? If you have spent two years using English daily, a retake may well score higher, which changes the calculation from a chore into an opportunity.
And the underlying point behind the two-year rule is real, even where it is only a recommendation: English you do not use, you lose. A score from three years ago genuinely may not describe you any more — and if that is true, the retake was going to be necessary whatever the rules said.
Frequently asked questions
How long are TOEFL scores valid?
Two years from the test date, and it is a hard cut-off: ETS will not report or send your scores after that point. It does not matter whether an institution would be willing to accept an older score, because there is no way for them to receive it. Within the two years you can order additional score reports whenever you need them.
Do IELTS scores expire after two years?
Not exactly — the two-year limit is a recommendation to institutions rather than an expiry. The IELTS partners advise treating a result as valid for a maximum of two years, based on research into second-language attrition, but organisations may choose to accept results for longer, and the published guidance says an older Test Report Form should be accepted if it comes with proof that you have actively maintained or tried to improve your English.
Can I use an IELTS score that is more than two years old?
Sometimes, and it is worth asking before you pay for a retake. The receiving organisation decides, and the guidance allows for an older result accompanied by evidence that you have kept your English up — study, work in English, or time in an English-speaking environment. Note that IELTS will not investigate a Test Report Form more than three years old, so around three years is the practical ceiling.
How long is a Duolingo English Test score valid?
Typically two years, but confirm with the institution you are applying to, since acceptance policies vary and are set by them rather than by the test.
Should I retake my English test if my score is about to expire?
Work from your deadline rather than from today, and check how old the score will be when they read it. If it is TOEFL and over two years, you are retaking. If it is IELTS and just over, ask the institution first. And ask yourself whether your English has changed: if you have used it daily for two years, a retake may well score higher, which turns the whole thing from a chore into an opportunity.