What IELTS score do you need for UC Davis?

TOEFL and IELTS scores expire after two years, and older scores are not accepted; Duolingo validity is not stated by UC Davis. IELTS Indicator is accepted, but TOEFL MyBest and IELTS One Skill Retake are not. UC Davis strongly recommends TOEFL or IELTS, and applicants admitted on Duolingo alone must take its Test of Oral English Proficiency. Programs may set stricter requirements.

You are exempt with a bachelor's, master's or doctorate from a US institution teaching only in English, or from a foreign university listed in the IAU World Higher Education Database (WHED) with English as the sole language of instruction. No other documents, such as letters or certificates, are accepted. Indian students qualify only if their university's WHED listing shows English alone. See English language examinations.

First-year applicants schooled where English is not the language of instruction can use IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 4.5 (80 before January 2026), Duolingo 115, AP or IB English, ACT English Language Arts 24 or SAT Writing and Language 31. A campus may require more. Transfers need a C or higher in two English composition courses, and Davis may strongly recommend or require more testing for admitted transfers. See UC English proficiency.

The US F-1 student visa sets no English test score of its own. What counts is the requirement UC Davis sets for admission, which leads to your Form I-20. For the wider picture of studying in the US with each test, see IELTS for the USA and PTE for the USA.

Requirements change between admission cycles. Check the UC Davis English language examinations page again before you book a test, and check your own program page, which can set a higher bar.