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English Language Examination Policy

Applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit an English competency exam. Students may submit one of the following exams:

TOEFL: composite score of 100 or higher
IELTS: composite score of 7 or higher
Cambridge: C1 score of 185 or higher OR C2 Proficiency

Johns Hopkins SAIS will only accept scores directly from the testing service. Please arrange for all standardized test scores to be sent in advance of the application deadline. TOEFL and IELTS scores are valid for two years.

Regardless of your citizenship, if English is not your native language (or in the case of bilingual students, your dominant language is not English), the following must be true of your undergraduate degree in order to request a TOEFL/IELTS waiver:

The entire duration of your undergraduate degree program was at an accredited institution where English is the language of instruction, and;
The accredited institution is located in a country where English is an official language

Please note that if your undergraduate degree does not meet the conditions noted above, and you hold only a graduate degree granted by an accredited institution in a country where English is the language of instruction, even if you have worked in an English-speaking country for many years, you are required to submit scores from an English competency exam. This policy is firm.

If you wish to petition the Office of Admissions for an exemption to our English language policy, please submit a statement describing the reasons why you believe one is warranted to [email protected]. Note, however, that exemptions are rarely granted.

Please note that Johns Hopkins SAIS prefers electronic score submissions. Should you have any additional questions regarding your IELTS scores, please contact us at [email protected].

TOEFL

The Johns Hopkins SAIS TOEFL code is 5610-0000, or 5610.
It is sufficient to select an institution code when sending your official scores. You do not need to designate department or program codes and you may leave them blank (0000). If you are required to enter a department or program code you may use the code “99” (Undecided).
For more information on how to submit the TOEFL, please click here.

IELTS

When prompted, please select ‘Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies’. In order for IELTS scores to be considered ‘Official’ by Johns Hopkins SAIS, the scores must be sent directly from IELTS.

Cambridge

If you have taken one the Cambridge exams and you would like to share your result, you can do so through the Candidate Results page on their website. For instructions on how to submit your Cambridge exam results, please click here.

Candidates who are admitted with the following test scores will be required to complete the English Pre-Term program at Johns Hopkins SAIS before beginning their degree program:

TOEFL: composite score less than 105
IELTS: writing or speaking score below 7
Cambridge English: C1 sub score below 185