All international applicants who are nonnative speakers of English should provide evidence of their level of English proficiency prior to beginning academic work at an institution where English is the language of instruction. TOEFL scores are frequently required for the following categories of applicants:

- Individuals from countries in which English is one of the official languages, but not necessarily the first language of the majority of the population or the language of instruction at all levels of schooling. Such countries may include, but are not limited to, the British Commonwealth countries and US territories and possessions. 

- Persons from countries where English is not the native language, even though there may be schools or universities in which English is the language of instruction.

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 Englishspeaking countries (e.g., the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand), provided they have spent a specified minimum period of time in successful full-time study (generally two years) with English as the language of instruction. 

- Nonnative speakers who have taken the TOEFL test within the past two years and who have successfully pursued academic work in an Englishspeaking country for a specified minimum period of time (generally two years) with English as the language of instruction.

- Transfer students from other institutions in the United States or Canada after favorable evaluation of previous academic course work and course load and length of time at the previous institution.