sending TOEFL results to uni

So I will be reapplying to uni sometime very soon. i took a toefl test may 31st in 2014, however i have just realized that they are only valid for two years...

i guess i will need to take it again. the question is, what date do unis need this qualification by? im totally freaking out that i wont get my results in time... it takes several weeks to get your results..is the date for sending this the same as the A level results date, which is late august, isnt it???

and also, when do i need to request these qualifications to be sent to a uni? after i have had offers and accepted an offer? i honestly for the life of me cannot remember how i did any of this back in 2014??

if i sent off my ucas application at the end of this month and requested the copy to be sent to unis right after i applied, then they might still send the reports to the uni i guess, since i made a request before may 31st, when my report is still valid... is this ok to do, send unis my TOEFL report even though i havent received an offer yet?

i really dont want to have to retake this test as its really expensive and i cant afford it in the next few weeks..

another thing i am considering is whether i should just send unis my paper copy of my TOEFL report which will be expired by a few weeks by the time they give me a uni offer. would they be too fussed about it being expired?


what should i do?

Different unis will have different policies. Some will want you to resit the TOEFL but others might not mind so much, especially if you can provide proof of your current standard - have you been doing anything related to English? Working, studying, teaching etc?

If you do need to re-sit then you need to send proof of the qualification by August 31st.

Add your existing TOEFL results to the qualification section nonetheless. We do request applicants to retake TOEFL/IELTS tests if they were obtained more than 3 or 4 years ago, but if you've been in education in the UK or employed in the UK in the meantime, it should be fine.

If the university doesn't deem it acceptable they will just stick a condition on your offer requesting you to take a test, which you'll have until the end of August to obtain, but definitely try with your existing results first before you book another test.

I would also advise you to enquire if the university does internal English Language tests. I wouldn't typically recommend these as it's just a way for universities to capitalise on applicants with offers conditional on IELTS/TOEFL/ETC who haven't obtained them yet. But if you want a cheaper alternative and a short term solution, this would be the one - not all universities do this but its worth asking if they plan to offer such tests in the summer.

The thing about those is that, although it's probably to a decent standard, it's not really recognised by any other university or institution except the one you take it at, and is often only valid as a substitute to applicants with missing English Language qualifications for that year's intake. For example University of X won't accept and English Language test from University of Y, you'd need to meet their own requirements.