Berkeley Law requires Official Score Reports of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) before admitting an applicant whose primary language is not English. We do not accept the Cambridge English Assessment or Duolingo English Test.
Applicants whose primary language is English should submit a waiver request as instructed below; Berkeley Law will not assume English proficiency for any applicant.
TOEFL
The minimum score required is 100 on the internet-based TOEFL (iBT) taken at a test center or through the Home Edition, or 600 on the iBT Paper Edition. There is no subscore requirement. Information about test dates and registration procedures is available at most universities and US consulates and on the TOEFL website.
To have your TOEFL score report sent to LSAC’s LLM CAS, provide ETS with their institution code: 8395
MyBest TOEFL Scores will be accepted, but please note that these scores are not reported to Berkeley Law automatically. To submit your MyBest score for consideration, download a copy of your latest score report from ETS and email it to llm@law.berkeley.edu as an attachment with the subject “MyBest TOEFL Score”. Note that all test scores included in the MyBest Score must have been sent to LSAC and verifiable through the LLM CAS report.
IELTS
The minimum score required is 7 on a 9 point scale (overall score) on the IELTS Academic Test, taken at a test center or through IELTS Online. There is no subscore requirement. Information about test dates and registration procedures is available on the IELTS website.
To have your IELTS score sent to LSAC’s LLM CAS, you must request that your official score report be sent for electronic download using the IELTS system to Law School Admission Council LLM/JD Credential Assembly Svc.
TOEFL and IELTS scores that are more than two years old at the time of application cannot be considered; applicants must retake the test to submit a more recent score. Applicants should register for the test in time to ensure that the score report will be issued by the application deadline.
Go to LSAC’s website for more information on submitting a TOEFL or IELTS score report to LSAC’s LLM CAS.
English Language Requirement Waiver Requests
You may request an English Language Requirement Waiver if any of the following criteria apply:
- You have attended a US university for full-time study for a minimum of one academic year with a 3.0/B average or higher, OR
- You have attended a foreign university for full-time study as part of a degree program for a minimum of two years in which the sole language of instruction is English, OR
- You are a native English speaker.
To request a waiver via our online application, check the “Yes” button for Question 1 under English Requirement and choose the appropriate reason from the drop down options. If your waiver is based on education in English, you must submit official academic records through LSAC to verify your eligibility. We do not waive the English Language Requirement based on work experience in English. Please do not contact the LL.M. Admissions Office in advance of applying if you meet the criteria above; requesting the waiver through the application will suffice.