Cambridge, Massachusetts, US
Harvard University: English test requirements
Harvard College does not require an English test for first-year or transfer applicants, though scores may be sent. The graduate school of arts and sciences sets a firm TOEFL or IELTS minimum and individual programmes may ask for more. SAT or ACT is required for first-year entry. Harvard Business School names no minimum score but discourages low ones.
Checked on 31 Oct 2026 against the university's own pages. Universities change their requirements, and some courses ask for more. Always confirm on the university's page before you book a test or apply.
IELTS
UG Not on the list
PG 7
MBA 7.5
TOEFL iBT
UG Not on the list
PG 5
MBA 5 / 109
PTE Academic
UG Not on the list
PG Not on the list
MBA 75
Duolingo English Test
UG Not on the list
PG Not on the list
MBA 145
Undergraduate (Harvard College)
Harvard College does not set English scores. First-year and transfer applicants are not required to take an English proficiency exam, but may submit scores for review. Exams such as TOEFL, IELTS and Duolingo cannot be used to meet the SAT or ACT requirement. The Visiting Undergraduate Students programme requires TOEFL or IELTS.
| Test | Overall | Each part | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS | – | Not on the listNo exam is required; the page names IELTS only as an optional exam. | |
| TOEFL | – | Not on the listNo exam is required; the page names TOEFL only as an optional exam. No score is printed. | |
| PTE Academic | – | Not on the list | |
| Duolingo English Test | – | Not on the listNo exam is required; the page names Duolingo only as an optional exam. |
“First-year and transfer applicants are not required to take an English proficiency exam, but you may submit scores if you wish to do so.”
Harvard College: international applicants (English language proficiency)
Graduate (Harvard Griffin GSAS)
This is the rule of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Other Harvard graduate and professional schools (business, law, medicine, public health, education, design and others) set their own rules, and some GSAS degree programmes require higher scores. Non-native speakers can show English in one of three ways, including an undergraduate degree from an institution where English is the primary language of instruction, or the TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic minimums shown. A master's or other graduate degree does not count. Scores are valid for two years; for fall 2027 entry, tests no earlier than 5 January 2025.
| Test | Overall | Each part | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic (including online) | 7 | Speaking 6.5 | Accepted |
| TOEFL iBT (including home edition) | 5 (95 for tests taken before 21 January 2026) | Speaking 4.5 (23 for tests taken before 21 January 2026) | AcceptedMyBest score reports are not accepted. |
| PTE Academic | – | Not on the listNot named; the page says alternate language tests are not accepted as proof of English proficiency. | |
| Duolingo English Test | – | Not on the listNot named; the page says alternate language tests are not accepted as proof of English proficiency. |
“Harvard Griffin GSAS accepts scores from TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic.”
Harvard Griffin GSAS: English proficiency
Harvard Business School MBA
A test is required from applicants who did not attend an undergraduate institution where English was the only language of instruction. HBS has no minimum score to apply but its admissions board discourages applicants below the scores shown. A graduate degree taught in English makes a test recommended rather than required.
| Test | Overall | Each part | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS | 7.5recommended | AcceptedScores below 7.5 are discouraged. | |
| TOEFL | 5 (new 1 - 6 scale) / 109 (traditional 0 - 120 scale)recommended | AcceptedScores below these figures are discouraged. | |
| Pearson Test of English (PTE) | 75recommended | AcceptedScores below 75 are discouraged. | |
| Duolingo English Test | 145recommended | AcceptedScores below 145 are discouraged. |
“HBS does not have a minimum test score requirement to apply.”
Harvard Business School MBA: international applicants
Admissions tests
SAT / ACT · First-year applicants
Required
Harvard requires the SAT or ACT. In exceptional cases, when neither is accessible, AP, IB, GCSE or A-level results or national leaving exams can meet the requirement. English proficiency exams cannot. The page gives no start date for the requirement.
“Harvard requires the SAT or ACT to meet its standardized testing requirement.”
GMAT / GRE · Harvard Business School MBA
Required
GRE or GMAT is required with no minimum score and no preference between tests. The FAQ says HBS does not give test waivers for any applicant under any circumstances.
“we do not provide test waivers for any applicant under any circumstances”
The page says these are not accepted
- TOEFL MyBest (GSAS)
- A master's or other graduate degree as proof of English (GSAS)
“Not on the list” means the test does not appear on the university page we checked. It does not mean the test is refused: the course page or the admissions office may still accept it, so ask them.
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