Language Certificates for the Exchange Program with the U.S. and Canada

'Test of English as a Foreign Language' (TOEFL)

All applicants to the exchange program must take the TOEFL test. There are two different versions of the TOEFL, the standard internet-based TOEFL (iBT) test, and the institutional TOEFL, which is less expensive but not accepted by all partner universities. Both tests are offered by the Educational Testing Service ETS (www.ets.org).

Internet-based TOEFL (iBT)

The iBT tests language skills in the areas of "listening", "reading", "speaking" and "writing". There are numerous test centers in Germany and also two test centers here in Tübingen (Fremdsprachenzentrum and Zentrum für Datenverarbeitung). Registration is via http://www.ets.org/toefl/.

The easiest way to pay the test fees of currently $265 is with a credit card. Individual test dates will be assigned.

It is recommended to make an appointment as early as possible, otherwise you may have to accept longer travel times if the test appointments in Tübingen are already taken. The test results are not available until 4-8 weeks after the test appointment; in individual cases it may take considerably longer.

We recommend that you have the test result sent directly to the International Office using the Institutional Code B519.

As a result, you will receive a score. The maximum score for the Internet-Based TOEFL (IBT) is 120. All scores,

between 100 and 120 can be considered excellent and will not cause any problems with regard to admission to an American or Canadian university;
between 79 and 99 (or higher) are good to very good;
between 61 and 78 are very problematic and the test usually has to be repeated;
below 61 are not sufficient. Admission to a North American university is then not possible.

Of course, you can repeat the TOEFL as often as you like. The test fee must then be paid anew each time.

Institutional TOEFL

We have agreed with some of our American and Canadian partners that the Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT) does not necessarily have to be submitted as proof of sufficient English language skills (see list of partner universities where this is noted). However, we would like to point out that in exceptional cases the information can change at short notice. Alternatively, the so-called "Institutional TOEFL" can be taken, which is administered by the German-American Institute (d.a.i.) Tübingen.

The fees for the Institutional TOEFL are currently 79 € (d.a.i. members 69 €). The d.a.i. also offers regular preparation courses for the Institutional TOEFL. More information about registration and current information can be found on the website: http://www.dai-tuebingen.de.

A maximum score of 677 can be achieved on the Institutional TOEFL.

Tabular comparison of the different scoring systems between Internet-based and Institutional TOEFL (score as for paper-based test)

Since it is not clear at the time of application which university you will be placed at, you can proceed as follows:

Option 1	Option 2
1. You register for the iBT. The result is usually available about six weeks later. The result must be received by the Department of International Affairs by Aug. 1! (An online printout is sufficient to meet the deadline). An extension of the deadline until September 15 is only possible in justified exceptional cases.	1. You will take the "Institutional TOEFL" at the d.a.i. Tübingen. The test fee must be paid at the time of registration and is non-refundable in case of non-participation. The result will be available approximately 10 days after the test date.
2. The iBT score is sufficient for pretty much all placements if you score at least 79 points.	2. You wait for your placement. You will receive the corresponding letter by mid-November at the latest.
	3. Depending on your placement, the Institutional TOEFL score will then be sufficient or you will be asked to still register for the Internet-Based TOEFL.

Option 1

Option 2

1. You register for the iBT. The result is usually available about six weeks later. The result must be received by the Department of International Affairs by Aug. 1!
(An online printout is sufficient to meet the deadline).

An extension of the deadline until September 15 is only possible in justified exceptional cases.

1. You will take the "Institutional TOEFL" at the d.a.i. Tübingen. The test fee must be paid at the time of registration and is non-refundable in case of non-participation. The result will be available approximately 10 days after the test date.

2. The iBT score is sufficient for pretty much all placements if you score at least 79 points.

2. You wait for your placement.
You will receive the corresponding letter by mid-November at the latest.

3. Depending on your placement, the Institutional TOEFL score will then be sufficient or you will be asked to still register for the Internet-Based TOEFL.

You can see from the list of partner universities whether the Institutional (Inst.) or the Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT) is required for placement.
Attention: these requirements may change at any time in exceptional cases.