English Language Proficiency

All international graduate students must meet minimum English language proficiency standards. To achieve admission to a graduate or professional program at Texas A&M University, international applicants are required to attain English Language Proficiency (ELP) Verification. For eligibility to hold a graduate assistantship with instructional or curricular support responsibilities, international graduate students must achieve ELP Certification.

Eligibility for admission to Texas A&M University requires that international applicants must attain ELP Verification. This is attainable by achieving a minimum required score on an acceptable standardized examination, or citizenship with an English-speaking country that is exempt from the Verification requirement.

What is the Difference between Verification and Certification?

ELP Verification is required for admission to the university and for course registration.

ELP Certification is required for an international graduate student to be eligible for hire in any other role classified as a teaching position.

Who Must Obtain ELP Verification?

All international students are required to submit proof of English language proficiency to be eligible for admissions and registration. For guidelines on which applicants are considered international students, visit the International Graduate page on the Office of Admissions website.

Test Scores Accepted by Texas A&M For English Language Proficiency Verification

The following global standardized tests are acceptable to obtain ELP Verification:

• a TOEFL score of at least 80 on TOEFL iBT (550 paper-based) or
• 8.5 on TOEFL Essentials;
• an IELTS score of at least 6.0;
• a GRE Verbal Reasoning score of at least 146 (400 on the old scale);
• a GMAT Verbal Score of at least 22

Note: Some colleges/schools or departments may establish testing standards that exceed the University's minimum score for admission to their programs. Contact the program to which you are seeking admission for information.

How to Submit Test Scores for English Language Verification

Test scores must be sent directly from the testing agency to be considered official.

To report TOEFL scores:

• Use code 6003 for reporting TOEFL scores to the Texas A&M University (GraduateCAS).
• Use code B887 for reporting TOEFL for engineering programs (EngineeringCAS).
• Use code B888 for reporting TOEFL for business programs (BusinessCAS).

 To report IELTS scores:

• Texas A&M University only accepts scores submitted electronically by the IELTS test center. No paper Test Report Forms will be accepted. Please contact the test center where you took the IELTS test and request that your test scores be sent electronically to Texas A&M University (College Station and Galveston).

Please note: there may be multiple instances of Texas A&M University.

Tests should be taken at least eight weeks prior to the appropriate application deadline to ensure timely receipt and processing of results.

For more information about which tests Texas A&M accepts for English language verification or how to submit scores, visit the International Graduate page on the Office of Admissions website.

How Long Are My Test Scores Valid?

Scores from TOEFL and IELTS administered more than two years before submission of the admissions application are not eligible for use in attaining ELP Verification.

ELP Waivers for Admissions

Under extenuating circumstances, an international graduate student may not be able to meet the ELP Requirement necessary to complete the admissions process. In this case, the academic unit may request an English Language Proficiency Waiver for Admission. Approval of the request will allow for completion of the admissions process, but does not provide Verification for the purposes of registration. While the waiver will allow admission to the university, the student will still be required to attain ELP Verification through means described above or below in order to register for courses.

Requests must be submitted in the form of a memorandum

• from and signed by the College/School Dean, Department Head, or interdisciplinary degree Program Chair;
• routed through the appropriate College/School Graduate Operations Committee Dean; and
• addressed to the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional School.

The memo must include explanation as to why the student does not currently meet the ELP requirement (expired standardized test scores, pending conferral of a bachelor's or master's degree, etc.) and how the student will attain ELP Verification following admission to the university (retake of a standardized English language exam, receipt of a bachelor's or master's degree, etc.).

These memoranda must be submitted to ELPCompliance@tamu.edu for timely review. Upon approval, the Graduate and Professional School will submit the request to the Office of Admissions.

Eligibility for registration at Texas A&M University requires that international applicants must attain ELP Verification. This is attainable by achieving a minimum required score on an acceptable standardized examination (as explained above), Alternative Verification (completed by the student's admitting academic unit), or citizenship with an English-speaking country that is exempt from the Verification requirement.

Alternative Verification

Alternative Verification may be acquired following the admissions process from the Graduate and Professional School via request submitted by colleges/schools, departments, or interdisciplinary degree programs. Alternative Verification indicates that an international applicant meets the ELP Requirement through means other than the acceptable standardized test scores.

An international graduate student may qualify for Alternative Verification by a bachelor's degree (with less than four years of coursework) or holding a Master's degree from an accredited academic institution located in the United States. If an international graduate student holds a bachelor's degree after completion of all four years at an accredited academic institution located within the United States, the Graduate and Professional School recommends submission of the Alternative Certification Form (see below). 

International graduate students who hold citizenship with an English-speaking country listed on the Office of Admissions' International Graduate page will automatically receive ELP Verification (see below).

The form must include the student's name and UIN, and must be signed by an academic unit's authorized faculty approver. Alternative Verification Requests must be submitted by colleges/schools, departments, or interdisciplinary degree programs to ELPCompliance@tamu.edu. The Graduate and Professional School will determine whether to grant Alternative Verification Requests on a case-by-case.

Which Countries' Citizens are Exempt from the English Language Proficiency Verification Requirement?

The Office of Admissions will exempt applicants who are citizens of certain English-speaking countries from the English proficiency requirement for admission and will consider these students as Verified. The Office of Admissions’  International Graduate webpage maintains a complete list of countries whose citizens are exempt.

Some funding offers from Texas A&M include graduate assistantships with teaching responsibilities. For eligibility to hold a graduate assistantship with instructional or curricular support responsibilities – such as Graduate Assistant Teaching (GAT), Graduate Assistant Lecturing (GAL), etc. – Texas State law and Texas A&M University requires international graduate students to achieve English Language Proficiency Certification. The Division of Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness (HROE) at Texas A&M requires prospective or current international students hired for assistantships that carry teaching responsibilities to provide proof of English Language Proficiency Eligibility (Level 1 Certification), Conditional Eligibility (Level 2) for one semester only, or Verification (Level 3) with Emergency Deferral for one semester only before the date of hire. 

What is the Difference between Certification and Verification?

ELP Certification is required for an international graduate student to be eligible for hire as a Graduate Assistant Teacher (GAT), Graduate Assistant Lecturer (GAL), or any other role classified as a teaching position.

ELP Verification is required for admission to the university and registration in courses. International graduate students who are Verified only are ineligible for hire in any role classified as a teaching position.

Who Must Obtain ELP Certification?

International students who want to teach in positions with teaching curricular support duties (GAT, GAL, etc.) are required by the State of Texas to obtain ELP Eligibility (Certified or Conditional).

When Must ELP Eligibility be Attained?

ELP Eligibility (Certified or Conditional) must be demonstrated prior to the date of hire.

How Can I Obtain ELP Eligibility before Enrollment?

Students may obtain ELP Level 1 Certification by achieving requisite scores on a global standardized test or by Alternative Certification.

I Have Already Been Enrolled and Want to Hold a Graduate Assistant Teaching Position, but I Don't Have Level 1 Certification. How Can I Meet the ELP Requirement for Teachings?

International graduate students who wish to serve in graduate assistant teaching positions and did not meet the Certification requirement prior to enrollment can certify by passing a global standardized test or the English Language Proficiency Exam (ELPE) offered by Testing Services on the Texas A&M campus.

What Test Scores Do I Need to Attain ELP Certification?

Satisfaction of ELP Requirement in relation to a teaching position is rated on a scale of 1-3.

A student who receives a Level 1 certifying score is Eligible for teaching assignments.

Those with a Level 2 rating are Conditionally Eligible for teaching assignments. They may teach for one semester only and must simultaneously enroll in the Texas A&M University Center for Teaching Excellence English Language Proficiency (CTE-ELP) Program. The student must achieve a Level 1 certifying score on the ELPE or a global standardized test before the hiring date for the next semester.

Students at Level 3 (Verified only) are Ineligible for teaching assignments. They should participate in spoken language training (such as those offered by CTE-ELP or other independent English language instruction providers) to assist them in meeting English Language Proficiency requirements. They will remain ineligible until they achieve a Level 1 or 2 score on the oral skills assessment of the ELPE or a global standardized test, or receive an approved Emergency Deferral of ELP Certification from the employing academic unit. 

Who Qualifies for ELP Alternative Certification?

Alternative Certification may be acquired from the Graduate and Professional School via request submitted by colleges/schools, departments, or interdisciplinary degree programs. Alternative Certification indicates that an international student meets the English Language Proficiency standard required to hold a teaching position through means other than the acceptable testing scores and confers Level 1 (Eligible) status.

An international graduate student completing all years of a bachelor's degree from an accredited academic institution located in the United States qualifies for Alternative Certification. International graduate students holding a master's degree or a bachelor's degree with less than four years of coursework at an accredited academic institution located within the United States are ineligible for Level 1 Certification.

Students who are citizens of certain English-speaking countries will also be considered for Alternative Certification. The Office of Admissions’  International Graduate webpage maintains a complete list of countries whose citizens are exempt.

The form must include the student's name and UIN, and must be signed by an academic unit's authorized faculty approver. Alternative Certification requests must be submitted by colleges/schools, departments, or interdisciplinary degree programs to ELPCompliance@tamu.edu. The Graduate and Professional School will determine whether to grant Alternative Certification Requests on a case-by-case basis.

Can Level 2 (Conditionally Eligible) Students Hold Graduate Teaching Positions?

International graduate students at Level 2 are considered Conditionally Eligible and may receive employment for one semester only. During the semester of conditional eligibility, the student must participate in the CTE-ELP Program. The student must achieve Level 1 Certification by the end of the semester of employment, before the hiring date for the next semester.

If the student has not achieved Level 1 Certification before the hiring date for the next semester, the employing unit will have the opportunity to move the employee to a Graduate Assistant Non-Teaching (GANT), Graduate Assistant Researcher (GAR), or another non-teaching role. For those students who do not meet the ELP requirement and are not transferred to a non-teaching position, the Graduate and Professional School will recommend termination to be processed by the Division of Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness (HROE). The student will be ineligible for rehire until Level 1 Certification has been achieved.

Can Level 3 (Verified Only) Students Hold Graduate Teaching Positions?

International students at Level 3 (Verified only) are Ineligible for hire in a GAT, GAL, etc. position. Students who wish to be considered for future employment should participate in spoken language training (such as that provided by CTE-ELP).

Emergency Deferral of ELP Certification for Level 3 (Verified Only) Students

Under extenuating circumstances, an academic unit may need to hire an international graduate student in a teaching-related role who has not achieved ELP Level 1 Certification or Level 2 Conditional Eligibility. In such cases, academic units may initiate requests for Emergency Deferral of the ELP Certification Requirement. Approval will provide the international graduate student with a one-time, one-semester-only deferral of the ELP Requirement for employment in a teaching position. Emergency Deferrals may not extend beyond the single semester requested, and both the student and academic unit must fulfill requirements (described below) during the season of employment.

To receive approval:

• the academic unit must provide justification as to the necessity for hire of a Level 3 Ineligible student;
• the academic unit must assign a faculty member to supervise the student during the semester of Emergency Deferral; and
• the student must participate in the CTE-ELP Program during the period of Emergency Deferral.

The level of justification must be very high for approval of an Emergency Deferral. The following are acceptable justifications:

• A previously assigned graduate assistant is no longer able to teach an assigned course.
• An unanticipated student enrollment increase requires the academic unit to create additional course sections.
• Other unexpected circumstances necessitate the academic unit to hire a Level 3 Ineligible International graduate student for a teaching position.

The academic unit must provide information to support the justification and include any relevant documentation with the Emergency Deferral Request Form.

Please note: inability to schedule a TOEFL, IELTS, or an ELP Exam is no longer considered as an acceptable justification. 

The academic unit must also assign a faculty member to conduct periodic reviews – including observations – of the student’s teaching performance during the first month of the semester with appropriate actions if the student’s performance is deemed unacceptable.

During the semester of Emergency Deferral, the student must participate in the CTE-ELP Program. An intake assessment must be scheduled with CTE before submission of the Emergency Deferral Request Form, and a copy of the confirmation must be included with the request.

Emergency Deferral Requests must be submitted by colleges/schools, departments, or interdisciplinary degree programs. The Graduate and Professional School will determine on a case-by-case basis whether to grant Emergency Deferral.

If the student has not achieved Level 1 Certification before the hiring date for the next semester, the employing unit will have the opportunity to move the employee to a Graduate Assistant Non-Teaching (GANT), Graduate Assistant Researcher (GAR), or another non-teaching role. For those students who do not meet the ELP requirement and are not transferred to a non-teaching position, the Graduate and Professional School will recommend termination to be processed by HROE. The student will be ineligible for rehire until Level 1 Certification has been achieved.

The form must include the student's name and UIN, and indicate the semester for which the Emergency Deferral will be applied. It must be signed the faculty member assigned to supervise the student during the semester of emergency Deferral, by an academic unit's authorized faculty approver, and the appropriate college/school Graduate Operations Committee Dean. Emergency Deferral Requests must be submitted by colleges/schools, departments, or interdisciplinary degree programs to ELPCompliance@tamu.edu. The Graduate and Professional School will determine whether to grant Alternative Certification Requests on a case-by-case basis.

If the student has not achieved Level 1 Certification before the hiring date for the next semester, the employing unit will have the opportunity to move the employee to a Graduate Assistant Non-Teaching (GANT), Graduate Assistant Researcher (GAR), or another non-teaching role. For those students who do not meet the ELP Requirement and are not transferred to a non-teaching position, the Graduate and Professional School will recommend termination to be processed by HROE. The student will be ineligible for rehire until Level 1 Certification has been achieved.

Contact:    English Language Proficiency Compliance Office, Graduate and Professional School

Email:        ELPCompliance@tamu.edu

Phone:      979-845-3631

Departments may request Alternative Verification, Alternate Certification, and Emergency Deferral of Certification with appropriate justification.