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NEW English Proficiency Verification Option for International Visitors

NEW English Proficiency Verification Option

As most of you are aware, anyone coming to ISU as a J-1 exchange visitor, whether as a “visiting scholar” or an international employee, is required by the US Department of State to provide objective documentation of their English proficiency.  Existing options for programs at ISU have, since Jan 2021, included:

  • English3 Interview Results (within the last 2 years, minimum 3.0)
  • TOEFL iBT Score Report (within the last 2 years, minimum 40)
  • IELTS Test Results (within the last 2 years, minimum 5.0)
  • Proof of degree completion from a school where the language of instruction was English
  • English is the only official language of the scholar’s country of citizenship (some e-forms have shown this option as “English is the scholar’s native language”)

International Students and Scholars Office has now added the option of providing a Duolingo English Test result.  The Duolingo results must be less than 2 years old, with a score of 70 or above.  You can read more about the test here.  Duolingo tests a scholar’s English proficiency in four skill areas:

  1. Literacy : ability to read and write
  2. Comprehension: ability to read and listen
  3. Conversation: ability to listen and speak
  4. Production: ability to write and speak

The Duolingo English Test can be taken online from a computer with a camera. The candidate should plan to take the test in a quiet, well-lit room and allow approximately 1 hour to complete the process. Certified results are available within 2 days and can be shared instantly with Iowa State University’s ISSO Scholar Unit if the scholar chooses to send results within Duolingo to  Iowa State University – ISSO J-1 Visiting Scholars (Nonstudents only). 

Please note that Admissions (both Undergrad and Grad) also have ISU accounts with Duolingo, so scholars should NOT select any of the following accounts:

  • Iowa State University - Ivy College of Business Graduate Programs (Graduate) NO
  • Iowa State University - Graduate Programs (Graduate) NO
  • Iowa State University - Undergraduate (Undergraduate) NO