Who should take TOEFL?

Any student whose native language is not English, and any student whose family does not speak English at home. This includes students who have been in U.S. high schools for 1 to 4 years as well as students who are U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents.In addition, many government agencies, scholarship programs, and licensing/certification agencies use TOEFL scores to evaluate English proficiency.

Nonnative English speakers at the 11th-grade level or above should take the TOEFL test to provide evidence of their English proficiency before beginning academic work. The test content is considered too difficult for students below 11th grade.
Many institutions report that they frequently do not require TOEFL test scores of certain kinds of international applicants. These include

• nonnative speakers who hold degrees or diplomas from postsecondary institutions in English-speaking countries (e.g., the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand)
• nonnative speakers who have successfully completed at least a two-year course of study in which English was the language of instruction
• transfer students from institutions in the United States or Canada whose academic course work was favorably evaluated in relation to its demands and duration.
• nonnative speakers who have taken the TOEFL test within the past two years
• nonnative speakers who have successfully pursued academic work at schools where English was the language of instruction in an English-speaking country for a specified period, generally two years.

Students should contact their prospective institutions directly concerning their specific admission requirements.