English Proficiency Requirement
English is the official language of the American Public University System. Other than foreign language courses, all classroom requirements are to be completed by the student in English without the use of any translation. To ensure that students have the opportunity to succeed in our courses, students who are not U.S. citizens may be asked to provide verification of English proficiency in order to enroll for academic credit in any of our courses.
APUS accepts a variety of English proficiency exams; test results are accepted from an approved vendor list that is managed by our admissions team and approved by the Vice President of Admissions. These examinations are reviewed yearly to ensure that these tests and the acceptable scores meet APUS criteria and the list may change occasionally based on approval by the Vice President of Admissions. International students will be blocked from registration, or dropped from any initial registration, if it is determined that English proficiency is required to complete the admissions record.
Exemptions
- U.S Military: Students who are active duty, reserve status, guard status, or retired U.S. military are exempt from this testing requirement.
- Previous U.S. Degrees:
- For undergraduate, masters & graduate certificate programs, students who have earned an associate or higher degree from an accredited U.S. institution or who have completed an English composition course with a grade of B- or higher at an accredited U.S. institution.
- For doctoral programs, students who have earned a bachelor’s or higher degree in residence at an institutional accredited institution in the U.S. or who have transcripts from at least 12 semester hours of graduate coursework with a GPA of 3.0 (out of 4.0) in residence at a regionally accredited institution in the U.S.
- Readmissions: Any international students who are currently disenrolled but requesting readmission to APUS will be required to fulfill this admission requirement unless they already successfully completed an APUS course in the past with a grade of C or higher.
- U.S. High School Graduates: Students who can supply an official transcript of graduation from a U.S. high school whose diploma is recognized by the State Board of Education or students who hold a U.S. GED certificate.
- Citizenship: Students who are citizens of certain countries, where English is the official language of instruction, may be exempt from this testing requirement. Please contact your admissions representative or review our English Proficiency Requirements to verify if you would be covered by this exemption.
Submitting Test Results
To have an official TOEFL Score Report mailed directly to our university, the APUS code number 5315 must be supplied to ETS. Students may also send their own scanned copy of their TOEFL, IELTS, or other acceptable test results to [email protected] or fax to 304-724-3788. Examples of acceptable scores for common English proficiency tests are provided below. If you have questions about a particular test or score not listed, please contact [email protected].
Minimum Test Scores Accepted
| Accepted Tests | Undergraduate Accepted Score | Graduate Accepted Score |
|---|---|---|
| ACT English (must be less than 5 years old) | 18 | 21 |
| SAT Verbal (must be less than 5 years old) | 450 | 480 |
| WAEC (formerly the GCE) (No timeframe) | English C4 or higher | English B2 or higher |
English Proficiency Tests
(must be less than 2 years old)
| Accepted Tests | Undergraduate Accepted Score | Graduate Accepted Score |
|---|---|---|
Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBT Version
| 520 with TWE of 4.0 Reading 21 / Writing 23 | 550 with TWE of 4.5 Reading 24 / Writing 27 |
| Duolingo | 100 | 105 |
International English Language Testing System (IELTS)-Academic Version | Reading 6.0 / Writing 6.0 | Reading 6.5 / Writing 6.5 |
Review the TOEFL and IELTS websites for more information.
Spanish Language Programs - Spanish Proficiency Requirement
In APUS’s Spanish language programs, Spanish is the language of instruction. All classroom requirements are to be completed by the student in Spanish without the use of any translation. To ensure that students have the opportunity to succeed in our courses, students who are not citizens of countries where Spanish is the official language of instruction may be asked to provide verification of Spanish proficiency in order to enroll for academic credit in any of our courses.
APUS accepts a variety of Spanish proficiency exams including DELE (Diplomas de Espanol como Lengua Extranjere), Siele (Servicio International de Evaluacion de la Lengua Espanola), CELU (Certificado de Espanol Lengua y Uso), TELC Spanish (The European Language Certificates), and GCSE Spanish (General Certificate of Secondary Education). APUS also accepts ALTA Language Services (reading and writing only). Test results are accepted from an approved vendor list that is managed by our admissions team and approved by the Vice President of Enrollment Management. These examinations are reviewed yearly to ensure that these tests and the acceptable sources meet APUS criteria, and the list may change occasionally based on approval by the Vice President of Enrollment Management. Student will be blocked from registration, or dropped from any initial registration, if it is determined that Spanish proficiency is required to complete the admissions record.
Exemptions
Previous Degrees:
For undergraduate, masters & graduate certificate programs, students who have earned an associate or higher degree from an institution based in a country where Spanish is the language of instruction, accredited or approved by national standards or the applicable Ministry of Education. A credential evaluation may be required to ascertain U.S. equivalency.
Citizenship:
Students who are citizens of certain countries, where Spanish is the only official language, may be exempt from this testing requirement. Students who are citizens of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, Uruguay, and Venezuela are currently exempt, as well as United States citizens who earned a high school equivalency in Puerto Rico. Students with questions should contact their admissions representative.
Readmissions:
Any student seeking to enroll in Spanish programs who are currently disenrolled but requesting readmission to APUS will be required to fulfill this admission requirement unless they already successfully completed a Spanish APUS course in the past with a grade of C or higher.
High School Graduates:
Students who can supply an official transcript of graduation from a high school based in a country where Spanish is the language of instruction, accredited or approved by national standards or the applicable Ministry of Education. A credential evaluation may be required to ascertain U.S. equivalency.
Submitting Test Results:
Students may also send their own scanned copy of their DELE, SIELE, CELU, or other acceptable test results to [email protected] or fax to 304-724-3788. In general, APUS requires a minimum level of B2 for undergraduate courses and a minimum level of C1 for graduate courses, based upon the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Examples of acceptable scores for common Spanish proficiency tests are provided below. If applicants have questions about a particular test or score not listed, please contact [email protected].
Minimum Test Scores Accepted
| Test | Undergraduate Minimum | Graduate Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| DELE | 60 (30 points in each section) at level B2 | 60 (30 points in each section) at level C1 |
| SIELE* | B2 | C1 |
| CELU* | B2 | C1 |
| TELC* | B2 | C1 |
*Based upon the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages levels. Each exam's scoring will be converted or correspond to one of these levels. .
Fri: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET
Sat: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET
Sun: Closed
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