UC English Proficiency: TOEFL, IELTS and Duolingo

UC English Proficiency: TOEFL, IELTS and Duolingo

The University of California's minimum scores are TOEFL iBT 4.5 on the scale used since January 2026 (80 on the old scale), IELTS 6.5 and Duolingo English Test 115. You must take the test by December of your final year of secondary school. You need one only if you had less than 3 years of instruction in English.

Our view: those numbers are eligibility floors, not targets. UCLA says it looks for TOEFL 5 with every sub-score at 5, IELTS 7.5 and Duolingo 135. UC San Diego lists IELTS 7. And UC does not accept a TOEFL MyBest score or an IELTS One Skill Retake. If you are also drafting PIQs in a second language, a free review of your UC PIQs checks each answer against its question.

Every UC, Berkeley, UCLA and UC San Diego page quoted below was checked on October 30, 2026, for fall 2027 first-year entry. Testing rules changed in January 2026, so ignore any guide that quotes only the 120-point TOEFL scale.

Do you need an English test at all?

UC's first-year English proficiency page:

If all of your high school/secondary school education was completed in English, you are considered proficient and do not need to satisfy this requirement.

However, if you've completed all or some high school or secondary school in a country and school where English was not the language of instruction, you will be required to demonstrate English proficiency if you have had less than 3 years of instruction in English.

Berkeley's international requirements page adds two lines that catch people out: "Students who have 3+ years of Language of Instruction (LOI) in English will also satisfy English Proficiency. Students with a mixed Language of Instruction will not fulfill the requirement." It also says: "Make sure to select the correct Language of Instruction for each school attended."

UC's pages describe no waiver request. You meet the requirement either through your language of instruction or through one of the scores below.

UC minimums, every route

UC's international English proficiency page lists the routes and says "you must complete one of these exams by December of your final year of high school/secondary school."

Read the SAT row with care. UC adds that "the digital SAT Reading and Writing section score has not been approved to meet English language proficiency." The Writing and Language score belongs to the older paper SAT. By our reading, a student who has taken only the digital SAT cannot use the SAT route.

The PTE Academic does not appear on UC's list.

What the selective campuses list

UC's page warns: "A UC campus may require a score higher than the minimum for admission selection. And, some campuses may request an interview to determine English skills during the application review process." Three campuses publish their own numbers.

UCLA's international applicants page says: "We look for competitive English proficiency scores, including a TOEFL iBT score of 5 or higher (with sub-scores of 5 or higher) on the revised scale (effective January 21, 2026), or above 100 (with sub-scores above 24) on the previous 120-point scale, as well as 7.5 or above on the IELTS or 135 or higher on the Duolingo English Test (DET)." UC San Diego's requirements page lists TOEFL "4.5 or better (Internet-based test) or 83 or higher (internet-based tests completed prior to January 2026)", IELTS 7 and DET 115.

Note the old-scale TOEFL numbers: 80 for UC, 83 for UC San Diego, 90 for Berkeley. On the new scale, all three print 4.5.

Our view: if UCLA is on your list, aim for UCLA's numbers from the start. UC itself says "your score may be a factor in whether or not we're able to admit you." The countercase: if UCLA is not on your list and you already clear every number for your campuses, a retake costs weeks you could spend on four PIQs that every campus reads. At that point, the writing is the better use of your time.

MyBest, One Skill Retake and single sittings

UC's rule:

UC does not accept IELTS One Skill Retake or MyBest TOEFL; only the highest composite score from a single sitting is allowed.

So if your best reading score came from your March sitting and your best listening score from May, UC combines neither. It takes your best single sitting. By our reading, the same applies to UCLA's sub-scores: all four must reach 5 in the sitting you report. Graduate programs handle this differently; our post on TOEFL MyBest scores in graduate admissions covers that side.

Reporting your scores

• Self-report first. UC: "Self-report your English proficiency scores in the UC application. If you are offered admission, send your scores after admission only to the campus where you intend to enroll. Scores must still be valid (not expired) when you submit them to the campus."
• You can update after submitting. UCLA: "TOEFL, IELTS, and DET scores can be updated post-submission directly through the UC Application website." Berkeley: "Applicants can submit updated exam scores through ApplyUC."
• Sending works differently by test. UCLA: "You may send your TOEFL scores to one UC campus, and all campuses you apply to will receive them. Conversely, IELTS and DET results must be sent to each campus you apply to." It adds: "Be sure to include your UC Application ID when sending DET scores."
• Validity. Berkeley: scores "must be valid for 2 years from enrollment date to be considered acceptable."
• Interviews do not replace a score. Berkeley accepts optional materials from a third-party interview service but says those interviews "can not replace a required English Language Proficiency Exam Score."
• After admission. UCLA "may also require you to take UCLA's English-as-a-Second-Language Placement Examination (ESLPE) immediately before the term in which you enter."

Test-free does not mean English-test-free

UC "will not consider SAT or ACT test scores when making admissions decisions," per its filling-out page. That rule is about admission. English proficiency is a separate requirement, and it still applies. UCLA's FAQ goes further: "As UCLA is test-free, we do not encourage using SAT or ACT scores to demonstrate English proficiency." It recommends TOEFL, IELTS or DET instead.

A test plan by campus list

1. Count your years of English instruction. Three or more years, all taught in English: no test. Select the correct language of instruction for each school in the application.
2. UCLA on your list: target TOEFL 5 with every sub-score at 5, IELTS 7.5 or Duolingo 135.
3. UC San Diego but not UCLA, and you prefer IELTS: target 7.
4. Everywhere else: UC's minimum, 4.5, 6.5 or 115.
5. Book a sitting that finishes by December 2026. That is UC's "by December of your final year."
6. Self-report it, and update the score in the UC application if you retake. UCLA wants it "no later than January"; Berkeley, by January 31.
7. Keep it valid through enrollment. Berkeley counts two years from your enrollment date.

Questions about UC English proficiency

Does UC accept the Duolingo English Test?

Yes. UC's minimum is 115. UCLA looks for 135.

What TOEFL score does UCLA require?

UC's minimum, 4.5, meets the UC requirement. UCLA says it looks for 5 or higher with sub-scores of 5 or higher on the revised scale.

Does UC accept TOEFL MyBest scores?

No. UC accepts "only the highest composite score from a single sitting."

Is UC test-blind for international students?

For the SAT and ACT, yes: UC does not consider them for admission. English proficiency is a separate requirement for students with less than three years of instruction in English.

When is the last date to take the test?

UC says by December of your final year of secondary school. Berkeley and UCLA accept self-reported scores until January.

Get a free review of your UC PIQ

Get a free Quick Review of your UC PIQ against GradPilot's UC PIQ What Makes You Stand Out rubric. It reads whether your answer makes one clear point in plain words and backs it with your own experience. If learning in English was itself the barrier you worked through, use the UC PIQ Opportunity and Challenge rubric for PIQ 4.

More guides for international UC applicants:

• UC PIQs for international students: what UC readers need explained.
• How to enter international grades in the UC application: grade scales, exams and self-reporting.
• TOEFL and Duolingo requirements at US colleges: beyond UC.
• All Common App and UC essay guides.

Sources

Retrieved October 30, 2026.

• University of California, English language proficiency (international applicants): every UC minimum, MyBest and One Skill Retake rule, December deadline, campus-higher-score note, reporting.
• University of California, English language proficiency (first-year requirements): the less-than-3-years rule.
• University of California, Filling out the application: SAT/ACT not considered.
• UC Berkeley Admissions, Requirements for International Students: minimums, LOI rules, January 31, validity, interview note.
• UCLA Undergraduate Admission, International Applicants: competitive scores, reporting, ESLPE, SAT/ACT FAQ.
• UC San Diego Admissions, First-Year Application Requirements: TOEFL, IELTS and DET minimums.