TOEFL

It is a common published floor, not a class median. Stanford GSB lists 100 on the 0–120 iBT for tests before 21 January 2026 and 5.0 on the newer 1–6 format after that date. Some programs sit higher (Harvard Business School has published 109). A 105 with a weak Speaking section can still miss a school that prints skill floors.

Format	Scale	MBA use	Source / date
Classic iBT total	0–120 (sections 0–30)	Number most MBA pages still quote	ETS
Updated reporting (from 21 Jan 2026)	1–6 plus 0–120 estimate	Stanford GSB 5.0 example	ETS / Stanford
Validity	2 years from test date	Usually must be live on the deadline	ETS

From 21 January 2026, official reports carry both a 1–6 score and a comparable 0–120 estimate. Do not convert in a spreadsheet and self-report only the number you prefer. MyBest scores mix best sections across sittings; some MBA programs accept them, others want one date. Scores post in the ETS account about three days after the test. ETS will not report a TOEFL after two years.

Example: you sit TOEFL on 1 September with a 99. Round 1 closes 10 September. A retake will not post in time. Move the school to Round 2 or send IELTS if that school accepts it and you already hold a 7.0.

Often no, but the exemption is the school’s, not ETS’s. Many MBA programs waive English testing after a degree taught in English; some still want TOEFL or IELTS if the institution sits outside a short country list. Read each program’s English-proficiency page rather than a forum summary from last cycle.

Two years from the test date, per ETS. MBA offices commonly require validity on the application deadline. Stanford GSB states the test must be taken before you submit and must still be valid on that deadline. Sitting the exam the day after the round closes does not rescue the file.

Yes, if each school accepts the test you send. ETS publishes a comparison table (TOEFL 94 ≈ IELTS 7.0; 102 ≈ 7.5; 110 ≈ 8.0). That table is for readers. Do not type a converted band into the other test’s field.