Sending TOEFL® scores to German universities: uni-assist and direct applications

Start with the programme page

Germany has no single national rule for English test scores. Each university, and often each degree programme, sets its own requirements: which tests it accepts, what minimum score it wants, and how the score has to reach it. uni-assist says the same: official information about applications is available on the universities' own websites.

So before anything else, find the admissions or "language requirements" page of the exact programme you are applying to, and keep it open while you read this guide. Where this guide and the programme page differ, the programme page wins.

Two ways to apply

German universities generally take international applications in one of two ways. The programme page tells you which one applies.

	Through uni-assist	Directly to the university
Where you apply	Your My assist account at uni-assist, which checks your documents for the university	The university's own application portal
How your TOEFL® score usually arrives	You upload your score report in My assist	As the university specifies: an upload, an official report sent by ETS, or both
Who sets the minimum score	The university	The university

Some universities use uni-assist for some programmes and their own portal for others, so check each programme separately.

Applying through uni-assist

uni-assist describes its application as fully digital: you upload the required documents in the "My documents" area of your My assist account. A few points from uni-assist's own pages are worth knowing:

• Uploads are scans of official documents. uni-assist asks for scans, saved as PDF files, of your official certificates.
• TOEFL score reports can be verified online. uni-assist says it can verify your TOEFL Test Taker Score Report online.
• The university decides the minimum. uni-assist notes that there are three types of TOEFL and that universities set a minimum score for each.
• Not every TOEFL is accepted. uni-assist says many universities do not accept the TOEFL ITP, which is an institutional test, not the TOEFL iBT.
• Two years. uni-assist says TOEFL results remain valid for two years. ETS says the same for TOEFL iBT scores, counted from the test date.
• Apply early. uni-assist recommends submitting your online application as early as possible, ideally at least eight weeks before the deadline, because processing starts only once you submit.

Some university pages also ask you to send your TOEFL score from ETS to uni-assist using a specific institution code. If the programme or university page gives such a code, use exactly the one it gives. If it gives none, follow the uni-assist instructions for that programme, or ask the university's international office.

If you studied in English

uni-assist lists ways to show English was your language of instruction, such as a confirmation from your university or a link to its official web page. It adds that only a few universities accept this instead of a test. Check before you rely on it.

Applying directly

When you apply through a university's own portal, the programme page normally says one of the following:

• Upload a copy of your score report in the portal.
• Have ETS send an official score report to the university, using the university's TOEFL institution code. The code is usually on the admissions page. You can also look the institution up through ETS's institution search.
• Both: upload now, official report to follow before a set date.

If the page is unclear about whether an upload is enough, email the admissions office before your deadline, not after.

What programme pages usually ask for

Use this as a checklist when you read a programme's language requirements:

Question	Why it matters
Which tests are accepted?	Some list the TOEFL iBT only. Others name the Home Edition or exclude certain versions.
Which scale is the minimum on?	1–6 band, old 0–120 total, or a CEFR level such as B2 or C1.
Is there a section minimum?	Some programmes set a minimum for Writing or Speaking as well as the overall score.
Are MyBest scores accepted?	ETS advises checking this with each institution.
How must the score arrive?	Upload, official ETS report, or both.
By when?	Some want the score by the application deadline, others by enrolment.
How old can the score be?	Usually tied to the two-year validity, but check.

Old scores and new scores

Many German programme pages were written before the 2026 change and still list a minimum on the 0–120 scale. For two years after 21 January 2026, ETS score reports also show a comparable 0–120 score next to the 1–6 bands. That helps, but do not assume. If the page gives only an old score, ask the admissions office which band they will accept. Our guide to the band scale has ETS's conversion table.

Sending scores from ETS

These rules come from ETS's page on sending TOEFL iBT scores:

• Four free reports. Your test fee includes up to four free score reports to recipients you choose before the test. You can add or remove recipients in your ETS account until 10 p.m. (local test centre time) on the day before your test.
• Additional reports cost extra. After that, you order more reports through your ETS account. ETS's page lists the fee per institution. Check the current amount there before you order.
• A trade-off. If you choose any institution to receive your scores, you cannot request a score review of your Writing or Speaking sections.
• Delivery takes time. ETS lists delivery times starting from about four business days for electronic delivery, and longer for post. Leave a margin before your deadline.

Free reports or wait?

If you already know your programmes and are confident of your score, choosing them before the test saves money. If you might want a score review, or you are not sure yet where you will apply, it can make sense to wait and pay for reports later. For a uni-assist application where you upload your own score report, an official report sent by ETS may not be needed at all. The programme page tells you.

A short timeline

1. Now: list your programmes and save each one's language requirement page.
2. Before booking: check accepted test versions, the scale, section minimums and the deadline.
3. Before test day: decide your free score recipients, if any.
4. After scores: upload your score report in My assist or the university portal, or order official reports.
5. At least eight weeks before the deadline: submit through uni-assist, as uni-assist recommends.

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