If English is not the primary language of instruction at your school, you must submit test scores that demonstrate your English language proficiency.
At Occidental, success depends on more than just strong grades—it requires clear communication, thoughtful writing, and active participation in small, discussion-based classes. As a writing-intensive institution, we expect all students to have a high level of English proficiency from the moment they arrive.
Occidental does not offer remedial English or ESOL coursework, so international applicants must demonstrate the ability to engage fully in academic life in English.
Required English Proficiency Tests
If English is not the primary language of instruction at your school, you must submit one of the tests listed below.
Occidental accepts the following tests to demonstrate English language ability:
- iBT – minimum score: 100
- – minimum score: 7.0
- (DET) – minimum score: 130
Note: We do not accept TOEFL iTP, TOEFL Home Edition, or TOEFL Essentials. Only the TOEFL iBT is accepted.
These are minimum scores; most competitive applicants score well above these thresholds. Official scores must be sent directly from the testing agency or submitted by your school counselor. We do not accept self-reported scores.
Requesting an Exemption from English Testing
You may be exempt from taking an English language proficiency test if:
- your native or first language is English, or
- you attended a high school where English is the primary language of instruction for more than three years
All exemption requests are reviewed individually. If you believe you qualify, please complete this exemption request form. We will contact you by email with next steps.
Optional English Language Supplement
In addition to submitting English language proficiency test scores, Occidental strongly encourages international students to submit English language supplements in the form of third-party interviews. These supplements help us understand your spoken English and give you the opportunity to share your personality and story beyond test scores.
and are organizations that will conduct unscripted video interviews and assist with short writing samples for our applicants. Both organizations provide a recording of the interview and a copy of the writing sample to us for our review.
The Vericant and InitialView interview submission deadlines are:
- Early Decision 1: November 15
- Early Decision 2: January 10
- Regular Decision: January 10
Learn more at and .