FAQs
Standardized Test Scores
My GRE and/or TOEFL score(s) will expire soon. How do I know if the scores are still valid?
GRE scores expire five years from the test date. TOEFL scores expire two
years from the test date. Expired test scores will not be accepted.
Who is required to take the TOEFL?
All applicants who earned their undergraduate degree in a country in
which English is not the official and spoken language must take the
TOEFL test.
What are the minimum GRE and TOEFL scores?
There are no minimum test score requirements. However, the average GRE scores for the entering class of Fall 2009 were
Verbal: 523 Quantitative: 774 Analytical Writing: 3.6
The average Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score for Fall 2007 is 619 (paper-based), 269 (computer-based), and 104 (internet-based or IBT).
Do I need to take a GRE subject test?
If you are a doctoral applicant (MS leading to PhD, PhD, Eng.Sc.D.)
applying to the Applied Physics program you are required to submit the
official GRE Physics test score.
If you are a doctoral applicant to the Computer Science program you must submit the GRE Computer Science test score. The Mathematics or Physics Subject exams are acceptable alternatives if the student's major field of undergraduate study was not computer science.
I have entered my scores in the “test scores” section and
or uploaded copies of my scores onto the online application. Do I still
need to get an official score report sent to Columbia University?
Yes. Although copies or self-reported scores can be used for review
purposes, admission may not be granted without official test scores.
Send official scores from ETS to our institutional code 2111.
I earned my Bachelor’s degree in another country, but I
have a Master’s degree that was completed in the U.S. I am very fluent
in the English language, and/or I have resided in the US for many
years. Do I still need to take the TOEFL test?
Yes, all applicants who earned their undergraduate degree in a country
in which English is not the official and spoken language must take the
TOEFL test.
I took another English language test, such as IELTS; can I use this test in place of the TOEFL requirement?
No, only the TOEFL test will be accepted.
I am a current graduate student and I took the TOEFL when I
first applied and it is now expired. I want to apply to another program
or degree do I need to take the test again?
No. As a current student you are required to take the English
Proficiency Test (EPT) at Columbia University and pass it at the level
required for your degree. If you are admitted to a higher level degree,
such as from M.S. to Ph.D. the score required to pass the EPT will be
higher.