This document outlines important information about the processing of TOEFL, IELTs, Duolingo English Test, and GRE test scores for Graduate Admissions.
Official test score reports connect to an application after the application has been submitted and the applicant has been assigned a Campus ID. Official test score reports take 2-3 weeks to be processed once received by the Graduate School. If an applicant submitted an application in our system in a previous term, an official test score report may show up earlier. If an applicant sent their test scores before they submitted their application, it can impact our ability to match their scores to their application causing a longer delay in matching scores to the application.
Programs can recommend international students for admission who do not have official English proficiency test scores in Applicant Review. If an applicant is recommended for admission without proof of English proficiency, the Admissions Office will assign a G35 - EnglishProficiencyTestRequired code to the application and send a message to the applicant that official test scores are needed. The Office of Admissions will not process the application until an official test report of an English proficiency exam (e.g. TOEFL) is submitted.
The Graduate School’s Requirements for Admissions web page and the FAQ section of the Admissions web page are the best student-facing resources about official test scores. Applicants’ most common questions and concerns can be addressed with these resources.
Much of our test score and application matching is done manually, and processing official test scores can take an especially long time during our busy season (November - February) when we are processing thousands of test scores and applications. Each type of test is received and processed differently, as described in greater detail in the panels below along with troubleshooting tips for missing or mismatched test scores.
TOEFL
TOEFL score reports are uploaded weekly by the undergraduate Office of Admissions and Recruitment. Once uploaded, an automated matching process is run on the TOEFL score reports, where one of three outcomes can occur:
- If a test report matches an existing student record in SIS, the scores will be attached to that person’s application in SIS. The next application system overnight upload will add the scores to a person’s record in our application system.
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If a test report does not match an existing record in SIS, a new record is created in SIS. If an application is submitted at a later date and matches an existing test report, the person’s application will be attached to that record in SIS, and that score report will be added to a person’s record in our application system at the next application system overnight upload.
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If a test report matches with several student records in SIS, it is put into a suspended state. The Graduate School Office of Admissions must manually review these scores and either match the test report to an existing student record in SIS, or if a match does not exist create a new student record in SIS for the test report. Processing suspended scores is a tedious process that takes a lot of time and effort, especially during the busy months of November - March. It is not uncommon for our office to manually process hundreds of test reports each week.
If it has been more than 3 weeks since an applicant’s test scores were sent and more than 3 weeks since the applicant submitted their application, you can direct them to reach out to admissions@grad.wisc.edu with as much of the following information as possible to check on the status of their test scores:
Personal Info
Test Info
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Appointment number (16 digits)
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PDF of test report
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Date of the test
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Date the scores were sent
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Receipts or email confirmations
IELTS
IELTS scores reports are uploaded by the Graduate School Office of Admissions. Much like the TOEFL process described above, IELTS score reports go through a mostly automated matching and suspend process when uploaded.
If it has been more than 3 weeks since an applicant’s test scores were sent and more than 3 weeks since the applicant submitted their application, you can direct them to reach out to admissions@grad.wisc.edu with as much of the following information as possible to check in on the status of their test scores:
Personal Info
Test Info
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TRF number (18 digits)
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PDF of test report
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Date of the test
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Date the scores were sent
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Delivery method (e.g., mail)
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Receipts or email confirmations
Duolingo English Test (starting Spring 2025 admit term)
The Graduate School began accepting Duolingo English Test scores in January 2024 for Spring 2025* admit term.
Starting Spring 2025 admit term, applicants will be able to report a Duolingo English Test score in the application, and any submitted official Duolingo English Test results will be made available in the applicant's Slate application profile.
Duolingo English Test scores reports are uploaded by the Graduate School Office of Admissions. Much like the TOEFL process described above, Duolingo English Test score reports go through a mostly automated matching and suspend process when uploaded.
If it has been more than 3 weeks since an applicant’s test scores were sent and more than 3 weeks since the applicant submitted their application, you can direct them to reach out to admissions@grad.wisc.edu with as much of the following information as possible to check in on the status of their test scores:
Personal Info
Test Info
*Please note that for admitting terms Summer 2024 and Fall 2024, an applicant cannot self-report a Duolingo English Test score in their application.
GRE
GRE score reports are uploaded by the Graduate School Office of Admissions. Much like the TOEFL process described above, GRE score reports go through a mostly automated matching and suspend process when uploaded.
If it has been more than 3 weeks since an applicant’s test scores were sent and more than 3 weeks since the applicant submitted their application, you can direct them to reach out to admissions@grad.wisc.edu with as much of the following information as possible to check in on the status of their test scores:
Personal Info
Test Info
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Registration number (7 digits)
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PDF of test report
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Date of the test
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Date the scores were sent
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Receipts or email confirmations
Finding Unmatched Test Scores in SIS
Due to the automated matching process for test scores, there is a chance that official test scores may not get matched to an applicant (e.g., if there is a name or birth date discrepancy between the submitted application and the submitted test score). If an applicant is certain that they sent their test scores to the Graduate School and you anticipate there may have been a matching issue, you can search for any test scores received and processed in SIS following the directions below:
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Log into SIS
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Navigate to the Student Records WorkCenter tile (If you don’t have the tile, you can navigate from the SIS menu: Menu > UW Madison Applications > Registrars Office WorkCenters > Student Records WorkCenter)
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In the left menu of links, under Student Academic Information select Placement Test Scores
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Input the student info you have and then select Search. If multiple records show up, use other identifying information, such as birth date, to figure out the exact applicant record.
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If official test scores exist for the student, the scores will appear. If no test score results appear, the scores have not been reported to us, or the scores were reported to us but did not match the student’s record in SIS (e.g., their name or birth date do not match).
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If you discover a potential issue, please contact us at admissionstaff@grad.wisc.edu. Please include the following information:
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Description of the issue
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Applicant first and last name as it appears in Applicant Review or Slate
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Applicant first and last name as it appears on the student’s score report
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Applicant’s Campus ID
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If applicable, the Campus ID of any other record that may be involved
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If available, additional information about the test (e.g., PDF of the score report or the registration/appointment number)
