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TOEFL 2026 guide

When do TOEFL 2026 scores come out?

ETS's stated windows, exactly as published — release timing, how to check, and what to do when the date passes and nothing shows.

From ETS's official pages and the 2025–2026 Information Bulletin, checked 16 September 2026

Quick answer

For TOEFL tests taken on or after 21 January 2026, scores are posted to your ETS account approximately 3 days after the test.

ETS 2025–2026 Information Bulletin, verbatim: "For TOEFL iBT tests taken on or after Jan 21, 2026 your scores are posted to your ETS account approximately 3 days after you take the test." ETS emails you when they are posted; the downloadable PDF score report is ready 24–48 hours after that. Institutions receive scores later (table below).

TOEFL 2026 score release timeline at a glance

Every number below is ETS's own. If you remember one thing: "approximately 3 days". ETS says "approximately", and does not say whether it means business days or calendar days. If a deadline depends on it, leave more room than 3 days.

StepETS's stated timeSource
Immediately after the testThe screen shows the date you can expect official scores, and unofficial Reading and Listening scores. Unofficial scores can differ from the official ones because of the statistical analysis done afterwards.Information Bulletin 2025–2026, "Unofficial scores"
Official scores posted to your ETS accountApproximately 3 days after the test (tests taken on or after 21 January 2026). ETS emails you when they are posted.Information Bulletin 2025–2026, "Score report posting and mailing"; ets.org "Getting Your TOEFL iBT Scores"
PDF score report download24–48 hours after scores appear in your account (another ETS page says "1 day after")ets.org "Getting Your TOEFL iBT Scores"; "TOEFL iBT Score Breakdown"
Paper score report (if requested)Mailed 11–15 days after the test date, or sooner depending on how you took the testets.org "Getting Your TOEFL iBT Scores"
Score validity2 years from the test date. ETS will not report or send scores after 2 years.ets.org FAQ "Scores and Score Reports"

Why older sources say "4–8 days"

The ETS Bulletin keeps a separate line for TOEFL iBT tests taken before 21 January 2026 and for TOEFL iBT Australia: "about 4–8 days". The 4–8 days you see in search results and older forum threads is that pre-2026 figure. If you took the revised 2026 test, the figure is approximately 3 days; ETS's November 2025 update notice puts it as "Scores delivered within 72 hours or less".

How to check your TOEFL scores

Scores do not arrive by post or text first. Your ETS account is the source of record.

  1. 1

    Note the expected date shown at the end of the test

    ETS displays the date you can expect official scores on the final screen. That date, not a rule of thumb, is your reference for deciding whether scores are late.

  2. 2

    Log in to your ETS account

    Sign in to the ETS account you registered with on ets.org. Scores are listed by test date alongside your MyBest scores. ETS also emails you when they are posted, but the email can lag or land in spam, so check the account directly.

  3. 3

    Download the PDF a day or two later

    The downloadable PDF score report is ready 24–48 hours after the scores appear in your account. ETS recommends downloading and printing it because scores are only valid for 2 years.

  4. 4

    Check score-sending status in the same account

    ETS sends scores automatically to up to 4 institutions you designated before the test. You can add, delete or change recipients free until 10pm local test-centre time the day before the test; after that each report costs a fee.

The date has passed and there are no scores

First establish whether the scores are actually late. ETS's figure is approximately 3 days and it says nothing about weekends or holidays. If the date shown at the end of your test has not passed yet, you are in the normal window. If it has, work through the steps below.

1. Re-check the account and your email, including spam

Log in to your ETS account directly and look at how the test-date entry is displayed. The most common case is scores that are posted while the notification email never arrived.

2. Contact ETS customer service

ETS TOEFL customer service is available 24/7. US: +1-609-771-7100 (toll free 1-877-863-3546); Korea: 1-609-994-5598 or toll free 00308-321-0495; email via the form on the ETS contact page. ETS asks you to have ready: name, address including country, date of birth, email address, test date and registration number.

3. If the status is a hold — what ETS's policy says

Under "Holding/canceling scores" in the ETS Bulletin, if ETS has information it considers sufficient to indicate activity that affects score validity, it may hold your scores for investigation, and while they are held you cannot send score reports to any institution until the investigation is complete. If a test centre did not comply with administration regulations, some or all scores from that administration may be held or cancelled. The Bulletin also states that frequent, inappropriate reuse of shared testing devices and common testing locations may result in score delay and/or cancellation.

ETS does not publish how long a hold investigation takes, and this page does not invent a number. If a hold is confirmed, ask customer service for a case reference and an expected timeline, and go to step 4 immediately.

4. If a deadline is at stake, tell the university first

While scores are held, score sending is blocked. If a deadline is close, inform the admissions office of your situation (test date, ETS enquiry) before ETS answers, and ask whether the submission deadline can be extended.

5. Scores arrived but look wrong — score review

You can request a paid review of your Speaking and/or Writing section in your ETS account up to 30 days after the test date. You cannot request one if you have already sent scores to an institution. If the original score is confirmed you are notified by email within 3 weeks; a review can move scores up or down, and the revised scores become official.

MyBest scores on the 1–6 scale

Your ETS score report shows both the scores from that test date and your MyBest scores. The ETS Bulletin defines them as your best scores for each section combined from all your valid TOEFL iBT scores from the last 2 years. From 21 January 2026, score reports use a 1–6 scale in half-point steps, and the overall score is the average of the four sections rounded to the nearest half band (ETS's example: an average of 5.125 gives 5, an average of 5.25 gives 5.5). For a two-year transition, a comparable 0–120 score is printed alongside.

Two things ETS does not decide for you. First, whether MyBest is accepted is up to each institution — ETS's FAQ only says to check with the institutions where you are applying. Second, the ETS pages we checked do not state how a test taken before 21 January 2026 (0–120) and one taken after (1–6) combine into one MyBest. If you have both, go by what your actual score report shows and, if in doubt, show the report itself to the admissions office.

When do institutions receive scores?

The moment scores appear in your account and the moment a university receives them are different. These are ETS's stated times by delivery method, from its institutions page.

ETS Data Manager (institution looks scores up)
4–8 business days (11–12 business days for the Paper Edition)
Server-to-server feed
8–10 business days (11–16 business days for the Paper Edition)
Postal score report
11–13 business days plus mailing time; includes MyBest scores, mailed twice a week
Express score report (extra order)
Usually 2–5 business days after scores are confirmed or the additional report is ordered

Working backwards: subtract at least two weeks from the university deadline to get your last safe test date. Planning around the account posting (about 3 days) alone leaves the institution copy late.

Frequently asked questions

Exactly how many days after the test do 2026 TOEFL scores come out?
ETS states that scores are posted to your ETS account approximately 3 days after the test for tests taken on or after 21 January 2026. ETS says "approximately"; the exact expected date is shown on screen at the end of your test.
It has been more than 3 days and nothing shows. What should I do?
Log in to your ETS account directly, check your spam folder, and if there is still nothing contact ETS customer service (24/7; US +1-609-771-7100, Korea 1-609-994-5598) with your name, date of birth, test date and registration number ready. If the scores are on hold, score sending is blocked until the investigation ends, so tell the universities you are applying to as well.
Do weekends or public holidays make it later?
ETS only says "approximately 3 days" and does not state whether that means business days or how weekends and holidays are handled. If a deadline is tight, use the expected date from the end-of-test screen rather than the 3-day figure, and leave room.
When and where do I see my MyBest scores?
There is no separate wait: they appear on the same score report next to your test-date scores. MyBest combines your best section scores from all valid tests in the last 2 years, and whether it is accepted varies by institution.
Why can't I download the PDF score report straight away?
ETS says the PDF score report is ready 24–48 hours after scores appear in your account. If you need a PDF for a university, allow up to about 5 days from the test date.
Is there anything useful to do while waiting?
If you need to decide quickly whether to retake, work out the gap between the university's requirement and your likely score now. LingoLeap's 2026-format mock test gives an immediate band estimate on the 1–6 scale; it does not replace the official score.

Sources (checked 16 September 2026)

  • ETS, 2025–2026 TOEFL iBT Information Bulletin — "Score report posting and mailing", "Unofficial scores", "Score reviews", "Holding/canceling scores" (ets.org, PDF)
  • ETS, "Getting Your TOEFL iBT Scores" — ets.org/toefl/test-takers/ibt/scores/get-scores.html
  • ETS, "TOEFL iBT Score Breakdown – What Your Scores Mean" — ets.org/toefl/test-takers/ibt/scores/understand-scores.html
  • ETS, FAQ "Scores and Score Reports" — ets.org/toefl/test-takers/ibt/faq/score-reports.html
  • ETS, "TOEFL iBT Score Reporting" (for institutions) — ets.org/toefl/institutions/ibt/report-scores.html
  • ETS, "TOEFL iBT Score Scale 1 to 6" — ets.org/toefl/institutions/ibt/score-scale-update.html
  • ETS, "TOEFL Program Contact Information for Test Takers" — ets.org/contact/testing-programs/toefl/test-takers.html
  • ETS TOEFL Access Help, "TOEFL iBT Updates Coming January 2026" (19 November 2025)

These figures are ETS's published ones and ETS can change them without notice. When planning around a deadline, re-check the ETS pages directly.

Three days of waiting is enough time to plan the next attempt

Take a 2026-format mock test for an immediate 1–6 band estimate and decide early whether a retake is needed.

Start a free mock test
Understand the 2026 score scale (1–6)