Proficiency Exams
Most applicants whose native language is not English are required to take an English Language Proficiency test. We currently accept TOEFL iBT (including TOEFL iBT Home Edition),TOEFL Essentials, IELTS Academic (including IELTS Online), Duolingo English Test, and select Cambridge English Scale tests (C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency). Scores from tests taken at home/online, when administered by the test provider following standard procedures, are accepted. Scores based on multiple test administrations (sometimes called “superscores”), such as TOEFL MyBest scores and the IELTS One Score Retake, are also accepted.
Applicants may submit unofficial scores while applying for admission. However, admitted students are required to submit official scores in order to enroll at University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. If applicable, you must submit TOEFL MyBest scores and the IELTS One Score Retake. Official scores should be sent directly to Graduate Division Student Services. The Educational Testing Service (ETS) code for University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa is 4867. Test scores cannot be more than two years old.
| Test | Graduate Division Required Minimum Scores | Required Minimum Scores for Graduate Teaching Assistantship applicants | Required Minimum Scores for ELI Placement Test Exemption |
| TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language) | Overall score of 61 TOEFL iBT (scores may vary for each graduate program). | Overall score of 100 with subtest scores of 25 for Listening and 25 for Speaking | Overall score of 100 |
| TOEFL Essentials | Overall score of 7.0 | Overall score of 10.5 with subtest scores of 11 for Listening and 10 for Speaking | Overall score of 10.5 |
| IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing System) | Overall score of 6.00 | Overall score of 7.0 with subtest scores of 7.0 for Listening and 7.5 for Speaking | Overall score of 7.0 |
| Duolingo English Test | Overall score of 95 | Overall score of 135 with a Conversation score of 125 | Overall score of 135 |
| Cambridge English Scale (CES) (C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency exams only) | Overall score of 161 | Overall score of 185 with a Listening score of 180 and Speaking score of 180 | Overall score of 185 |
Exemption Eligibility
Applicants are exempt from the English proficiency exams if they are native speakers of English or have received within the last five years a bachelor’s degree or advanced degree from an accredited/recognized college or university in the English Language Proficiency Exempt Countries.
English Language Proficiency Exempt Countries
Australia
Barbados
Botswana
Canada (except Quebec)
Ghana
Guyana
Ireland
Jamaica
Kenya
Liberia
Lesotho
Malawi
Malta
Namibia
New Zealand
Nigeria
Sierra Leone
Singapore
South Africa
Swaziland
Tanzania
the Bahamas
the United Kingdom
the United States of America
Trinidad and Tobago
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe