English Language Proficiency Exam Waiver Policy
Can I apply for an English Language Proficiency Exam waiver (TOEFL / IELTS / Duolingo)?
In order to succeed academically at Georgetown, students must be able to excel in courses that are reading and writing intensive. We require applicants to have either English as their native language or demonstrate a high level of English language proficiency on either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Duolingo English Test.
Under certain conditions, after an application for admission has been submitted, applicants may be eligible for a waiver of the language testing requirement in the GU-Qatar admissions process (TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo). Please see the conditions below. Applicants must receive and retain explicit, written notification of the waiver directly from the GU-Qatar Office of Admissions.
The Office of Admissions may also automatically notify applicants of language testing requirements via the online application system. In such cases, the status of pending language testing results will be updated to “Waived”. In such cases, applicants may consider that “explicit, written notification”.
WAIVER based on testing performance
The English language proficiency examination requirement will be waived if you earn a score of 620 or higher on the Evidenced Based Reading and Writing section of the SAT. Similarly, the language test requirement may be waived if you have achieved a score of 26 or higher on both the English and Reading sections of the ACT.
WAIVER based on native language status
English is considered your native language if it is the only official language of your home country and the primary language spoken in your home. If English is not your native language, evidence of proficiency in its use will be considered in the review of your application for admission, along with your academic and professional credentials. In some instances, the language testing requirement may be waived when the following three conditions are met (all three conditions must be met):
- Applicants who are native English speakers
- Applicants for whom English is their primary language and the language spoken at home
- Applicants who have completed their studies in English
The Office of Admissions reserves the right to deny requests for waiver based on a thorough review of the request and application materials.
All waiver requests must receive approval from the Assistant Dean of Admissions and Strategic Enrollment Management. Applicants must receive and retain explicit, written notification of the waiver directly from the GU-Qatar Office of Admissions.
Please do not request a waiver until you have submitted an online application to GU-Qatar. If requesting a waiver based on standardized test scores, please submit scores in advance of — or with — your waiver request. While the Office of Admissions will endeavor to identify all applicants who qualify for a waiver automatically, applicants are responsible for ensuring that application requirements are met through the online application system.
To request a language testing waiver based on the acceptable criteria, please write to sfsqadmissions@georgetown.edu