Why ETS suggests 2-year validity policy for TOEFL, TOEIC scores

John M. Norris / Courtesy of ETS

By John M. Norris

ETS, the creator of the TOEFL iBT test, recommends a two-year period of validity between the time language proficiency scores are obtained and the point at which decisions related to the scores are made.

This policy is based on ETS's ethical commitment to facilitating high-quality and accurate decision-making, and it is in keeping with industry standards as well as the score validity policies of other major English-language test providers and test score users. The policy is also based on research into how foreign language abilities develop or erode over time.

A test score, like a TOEFL iBT or TOEIC score, represents a language learner's proficiency at the time the test was taken. Decisions made on the basis of scores from any English-language test are fairer, and more trustworthy, the closer they are obtained to the point at which decisions are made.

The reality is that second or foreign language proficiency can change considerably within a period of a few years or even a shorter amount of time.

For example, a short but intensive study abroad experience can lead to rapid development of language proficiency, especially the ability to listen and speak spontaneously. It is also possible for language proficiency to decrease, a phenomenon known as language attrition.

Many decades of research suggest that key aspects of language proficiency, like the ability to recall vocabulary words or to speak fluently, are susceptible to decline over extended periods within which the language is not studied or actively used.

In fact, a period of more than two years has been observed repeatedly as the onset of noticeable degrees of second language attrition.

It is because of this reality ― the fact that language proficiency can develop or decline dynamically ― that ETS believes a language test provider should not claim that their English-language test scores can be used beyond a specific point after the test administration.

A two-year limit on score validity helps decision-makers avoid over-estimation of learners' English abilities while also encouraging the accurate assessment of test takers whose abilities have increased after a meaningful period of development.

John M. Norris is the principal research scientist at ETS Japan.