Is my TOEFL score from six months ago still valid for admission?

Six months in is actually the easy case; the more useful question is what happens as you approach the two-year mark, since that is where universities start applying their own extra rules on top of the ETS standard.

The ETS Standard You Are Working With

ETS states TOEFL iBT scores remain valid for 2 years from the exact test date, and it will not report scores older than that window regardless of what a university might otherwise be willing to accept. A score from six months ago sits comfortably inside this period, with roughly a year and a half of validity still ahead of it.

Why University-Level Rules Still Matter

• Each programme sets its own minimum score and, in some cases, its own rules on which test formats it accepts.
• Your score must stay valid through the point the university actually uses it, not just when you submit your application.
• Some scholarship or professional-body requirements can layer additional recency rules on top of the standard admissions check.

What This Means For Timing A Retake

If your six-month-old score already meets your target programme's minimum, there is no reason to retake it purely on age grounds. Where it becomes relevant is if your intake is delayed or you are applying broadly across several intake cycles; check that your score will still be inside the 2-year window when your chosen university actually processes your application, not only when you first submit it.

This Information Is Also Available On

Educational Testing Service TOEFL iBT score validity guidance

My Advice

Confirm your target university's specific TOEFL minimum and intake date before assuming a six-month-old score is automatically sufficient, since validity and sufficiency are two separate checks. If you are applying to multiple countries or intakes spread across more than a year, map your score's two-year expiry against your latest possible application date rather than your earliest one.