TOEIC® Score Validity Calculator
A TOEIC score is valid for two years. Enter your test date to see the exact date it expires, how many days are left, and when to book a retake so you never have a gap.
Nothing is stored, the date stays in your browser. Validity is counted as exactly two years from the test date.
How long is a TOEIC score valid?
TOEIC Listening & Reading, Speaking & Writing and Bridge scores are valid for two years from the test date. This is the standard window ETS (the maker of the test) and the IIBC (which runs the TOEIC in Japan) use, and it is the period most employers, universities and public programs will accept.
The reasoning is simple: language ability changes with use, so a result from more than two years ago is no longer treated as a reliable signal of your current level. That is why almost every application form asks for the test date, not just the score.
Does the score literally disappear?
No, your result is not deleted. What changes is that after two years the score can no longer be reported or validated, and the official certificate can no longer be reissued. Whether an organisation still accepts an older score for screening is not set by the IIBC; it is up to each employer or school (IIBC FAQ). For a job application, a university admission or a promotion requirement, assume the score may be treated as expired once it passes the two-year mark, and check the requirement.
What the 2-year window means in practice
The same two years applies everywhere, but how it affects you depends on what you are using the score for. Here is what each situation looks like.
Counted from the test date. A test on 15 June 2026 is valid until 15 June 2028. This is the same for Listening & Reading, Speaking & Writing and Bridge.
Most companies in Japan and Korea require a score from the last two years, and many ask for a score from within one year for competitive roles. Check the posting.
Used for admission, English-requirement waivers, credit and graduation. Programs usually want a recent score, often within two years, sometimes one.
In Japan the IIBC reissues the Official Score Certificate (公式認定証) for tests within two years; in Korea the score report can be reissued within two years. After that, no reissue.
Book your retake two to three months before expiry so the new certificate arrives before the old score lapses, and before any application deadline.
A digital certificate carries the same test date, and organisations judge it by that date. A stored screenshot of an old score will not satisfy a requirement for a current, verifiable result.
When should I retake the TOEIC?
The safest rule is to retake two to three months before your score expires, or before your next application deadline, whichever comes first. Two things make the early buffer worth it:
1. The certificate takes time. After the test, official results and the certificate take a few weeks to be available. If you wait until the last week, you may have a gap where you cannot prove a valid score.
2. You may need to review. If it has been two years, your level may have moved, up or down. Take a timed free full-length mock first: if you are still at your target, book the test; if not, give yourself a few weeks to drill your weakest part before spending money on the real exam.
| Your situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Score expires in > 6 months, no deadline | No rush. Keep the score; retake later if your level changes. |
| Score expires in 2–3 months | Book a retake now. Take a mock this week to confirm your level. |
| Application deadline before expiry | Make sure your score is still valid on the deadline date, not just today. |
| Score already expired | Retake. Whether a score over two years old is accepted depends on the organisation, so check the requirement. |
Validity across the TOEIC test family
Listening & Reading, Speaking & Writing and TOEIC Bridge share the same two-year validity. The difference is only what each one measures, not how long it lasts.
| Test | Score scale | Valid for |
|---|---|---|
| Listening & Reading | 10–990 | 2 years |
| Speaking & Writing | 0–200 each | 2 years |
| TOEIC Bridge | 15–50 per section | 2 years |
Not sure what your number is worth? Use the score converter to turn answers into an estimated 10–990 score, or see what your score means for jobs and study.
Keep a current score, practise before you retake
The best way to walk into a retake confident is to take a timed mock in the current official format and see your estimated score first. Every kind of test here has a free version, so you can start today:
How to calculate your TOEIC expiry date
The calculator at the top does this instantly, but the method is simple enough to check by hand for any score you hold.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1. Find the test date | Use the test administration date printed on your score certificate, not the day results were released or the certificate was issued. |
| 2. Add two years | Keep the same month and day, and add two to the year. That gives your exact expiry date. |
| 3. Include the last day | Your score is accepted up to and including that date. From the following day it is treated as expired. |
| 4. Set a retake-by date | Subtract about three months from the expiry date so a new certificate can arrive before the old score lapses. |
| 5. Check the deadline | The score must still be valid on the application or enrolment date, not only on the day you apply. |
Worked example. A test taken on 12 April 2026 is valid until 12 April 2028, so you would aim to retake by around 12 January 2028. If a job deadline falls on 1 March 2028, the score is still inside its two years and will be accepted.
Test date, results date or certificate date: which one counts?
The two years is always counted from the day you sat the test. This catches people out because three different dates appear on TOEIC paperwork, and only one of them starts the clock.
| Date on your paperwork | What it is | Starts the 2-year clock? |
|---|---|---|
| Test date | The day you actually took the test. | Yes. This is the only date that counts. |
| Results date | The day your scores were released online, usually a few weeks later. | No. |
| Certificate date | The day the Official Score Certificate was printed or reissued. | No. |
So a score can already be several weeks into its two years by the time the certificate is in your hands. Always read the test date, and enter that date in the calculator above.
Why exactly two years?
ETS, the maker of the TOEIC, sets the two-year window on purpose, and its published reasoning has four parts.
Language skills improve or fade depending on whether you keep using English, so a result from more than two years ago may no longer match your current level.
A time limit stops an employer or school from over-estimating a candidate whose English has slipped since the test day.
It also protects you: if your English has improved a lot, an old, lower score is not held against you indefinitely.
ETS bases the policy on its own research into how proficiency scores hold up over time, and notes that nearly all academic and professional bodies treat language results as having an expiry date.
In short, a TOEIC score is a snapshot of your ability on one day, not a permanent qualification.
How TOEIC validity compares with other English tests
If you hold, or are choosing between, other English tests, it helps to know they do not all expire the same way.
| Test | Valid for | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
| TOEIC (all types) | 2 years | Test date |
| TOEFL iBT | 2 years | Test date |
| IELTS | 2 years | Test date |
| Eiken (英検) | No fixed expiry on the grade; a 2-year window often applies for study abroad and admissions | Grade awarded |
| JLPT | No expiry; some employers still prefer a recent result | Result issued |
The pattern is clear: proficiency snapshots like the TOEIC, TOEFL and IELTS expire, while achievement grades like Eiken and the JLPT do not, though many institutions still ask for a recent result. See how the tests line up in TOEIC vs TOEFL, TOEIC or JLPT and TOEIC to Eiken.
Common mistakes with TOEIC score validity
A few avoidable mistakes cost people a valid score at the worst possible moment. Watch for these.
Starting the two years from your results day or certificate day. The clock starts on the earlier test date, so check that first.
A score that is valid when you apply but expires before the selection or enrolment date. Confirm it is valid on the deadline itself.
A saved image of an expired score proves nothing. Employers and schools verify a current, official result.
In Japan the physical certificate is not mailed abroad. For overseas applications, request the Digital Official Score Certificate instead.
Some competitive employers and programs ask for a score from within one year. Read the exact requirement before you rely on the full window.
Booking only after the score lapses leaves a gap with no valid score. Retake two to three months early to stay covered.
TOEIC validity, straight answers
What people ask most about how long a TOEIC score lasts.