
Advantages of taking the TOEFL or IELTS

Neither the TOEFL nor the IELTS exam is necessary for admission to Academic Transitions (AT) at the University of Delaware. However, the English Language Institute highly recommends that students submit a TOEFL or IELTS score when they apply for AT because there are several important benefits.
Students who submit an exam score when they apply for the ELI will know the following information before they leave their home country:
- Whether they will begin the ELI directly in Academic Transitions, or whether they will need to begin the program in Pre-Academic Transitions (Pre-AT); and
- How long they will need to study at the ELI.
Important things to know:
- All students are required to take the ELI placement exam when they arrive at the ELI (even if they submit an exam score in advance). This will not change your placement. We use this test to determine whether you may need extra support with specific English skills.
Students who submit an exam score when they apply for the ELI will have the best chance of being placed in one of the ELI’s premium housing options.
The ELI uses TOEFL or IELTS scores to help place students in a housing option where they will have the best experience for their level.
Students who do not submit a TOEFL or IELTS score before the deadline established by the ELI Housing Team may not be placed in priority housing.
We cannot guarantee premium housing placement for students who do not submit their scores in time; as a result, we recommend that students submit their TOEFL or IELTS score at the time that they apply for admission to the university.
For more information about housing options and deadlines, contact eli-housing@udel.edu.
Students who submit an exam score when they apply for the ELI will know the following information before they leave their home country:
- Whether they will begin the ELI directly in Academic Transitions, or whether they will need to begin the program in Pre-Academic Transitions (Pre-AT); and
- How long they will need to study at the ELI.
Important things to know:
- All students are required to take the ELI placement exam when they arrive at the ELI (even if they submit an exam score in advance). This will not change your placement. We use this test to determine whether you may need extra support with specific English skills.
Students who submit an exam score when they apply for the ELI will have the best chance of being placed in one of the ELI’s premium housing options.
The ELI uses TOEFL or IELTS scores to help place students in a housing option where they will have the best experience for their level.
Students who do not submit a TOEFL or IELTS score before the deadline established by the ELI Housing Team may not be placed in priority housing.
We cannot guarantee premium housing placement for students who do not submit their scores in time; as a result, we recommend that students submit their TOEFL or IELTS score at the time that they apply for admission to the university.
For more information about housing options and deadlines, contact eli-housing@udel.edu.
How to submit TOEFL or IELts Scores
In order to obtain a pathway-level I-20 Form, students must submit official exam scores to the University of Delaware (school code: 5811).
How to I order an official test score?
The University of Delaware school code is 5811.
Will the English Language Institute still accept my unofficial test score?
Unofficial test scores will no longer be accepted for the purposes of issuing a pathway-level I-20 Form.
What happens if I do not submit an official TOEFL or IELTS score?
If you do not submit an official TOEFL or IELTS score, it will not hurt your admission status.
You will simply be given a “language training” I-20 Form instead of a pathway-level I-20 Form. The language training I-20 Form will also include a comment about your conditional admission to UD.
Remember, all students are required to go through the ELI’s placement process during their first few days in our program.
If you have any questions, contact CAPadmissions@udel.edu or call +1-302-831-2674 to speak with an admissions counselor.