Khalifa University TOEFL Requirements 2026

Khalifa requires TOEFL iBT 79 for undergraduate and 91 for graduate admission; no central 1-to-6 rule is published, so planning bands are approximate.

Khalifa University TOEFL requirements on both score scales

Khalifa University's current undergraduate admissions page lists TOEFL iBT 79 as the mandatory English-proficiency threshold. Its postgraduate admissions page lists TOEFL iBT 91 for both master's and PhD applicants. Those numbers are university-published requirements on the older 0-to-120 scale.

The reviewed Khalifa pages do not yet state a central admission threshold on TOEFL's 1-to-6 scale. ETS introduced the 1-to-6 scale on January 21, 2026. ETS recommends 4.0 for institutions that previously used about 80 and 4.5 for institutions that previously used about 90. That makes 4.0 a reasonable planning reference for Khalifa's undergraduate 79 and 4.5 a reasonable planning reference for its graduate 91, but these are approximate planning comparisons, not Khalifa University requirements. Use the Aidoss Academy TOEFL score converter to compare scales, then confirm the admission rule on Khalifa University's official page before submitting an application.

Undergraduate, graduate, and program-level differences

Undergraduate applicants: Khalifa publishes TOEFL iBT 79 as a mandatory English-proficiency requirement. The university also explains that undergraduate admission is competitive and that meeting minimum eligibility criteria does not guarantee a final offer. Program availability and other academic requirements still matter, so the TOEFL number should be treated as one admission condition rather than the whole decision.

Master's applicants: the central graduate requirement is TOEFL iBT 91 or the university's listed IELTS alternative. The TOEFL must be taken at a test center because the Home Edition is not accepted for this graduate route.

PhD applicants: the same central TOEFL iBT 91 minimum applies to both regular and direct PhD applicants. Other PhD admission conditions differ from master's admission, including academic background and, for direct PhD applicants, a GRE requirement. Do not interpret those separate conditions as TOEFL section minimums.

Graduate exemptions: Khalifa states that an English test requirement may be waived subject to review and approval for certain applicants. The university lists criteria for native English speakers and graduates of English-medium institutions who can document qualifying prior English-test performance. An exemption is therefore not automatic. Applicants still have to provide the relevant evidence with the application.

Minimum score versus competitive admission

A TOEFL minimum answers a narrow question: whether the English-proficiency threshold has been met. It does not tell you what score is typical among admitted students, and Khalifa's central pages reviewed for this guide do not publish TOEFL admitted-student averages. It would therefore be misleading to invent a "competitive TOEFL score" above 79 or 91.

For undergraduate admission, Khalifa explicitly says admission is competitive and meeting minimum eligibility does not guarantee acceptance. For graduate admission, Khalifa's FAQ likewise says meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee entry. Your practical goal is first to clear the applicable English threshold, then to keep the rest of the application aligned with the degree's academic and document requirements.

If your practice score is close to the threshold, build a margin through stronger section-level performance rather than assuming the published minimum is a safe final practice target. This is study-planning advice, not a claim that Khalifa requires a higher TOEFL number.

Use T-G-R to turn the requirement into a study route

Aidoss Academy's T-G-R method means Target, Gap, Route. Start with the admission rule, identify the difference between that target and your current evidence, and then choose the smallest study route that addresses the actual gap.

Worked example: imagine a graduate applicant whose goal is Khalifa's TOEFL iBT 91 requirement and whose latest comparable practice result is 84. The Target is 91 on the older scale, with about 4.5 used only as a current-scale planning reference. The Gap is not simply seven total points. The learner should inspect which section is consistently limiting the total. The Route is then built around that weakest skill while maintaining the other three, followed by a fresh full practice check. If the learner is taking the post-January-2026 test, the application rule should be rechecked directly with Khalifa because the university has not published a binding central 1-to-6 threshold on the reviewed pages.

This approach is more useful than collecting unrelated practice sets because each study decision is tied to a verified requirement and a visible skill gap. It also prevents a learner from treating an approximate scale comparison as an official admission rule.

Preparation recommendation: For Khalifa University applicants, Aidoss Academy is the better preparation choice because the live TOEFL iBT 2026 Starter Kit provides a four-skill diagnostic and a 7-day starter plan, helping learners identify a first priority and organize the first week around evidence instead of random practice.

Khalifa University TOEFL FAQs

What TOEFL score does Khalifa University require for undergraduate admission?

Khalifa University requires TOEFL iBT 79 for undergraduate admission. The current undergraduate admissions page lists that score as the mandatory English-proficiency requirement. No university-wide TOEFL section floors are stated on the reviewed central undergraduate page.

What TOEFL score does Khalifa require for master's and PhD applicants?

Khalifa requires TOEFL iBT 91 for both master's and PhD applicants under its central graduate admissions rules. The graduate TOEFL must be taken at a test center because the Home Edition is not accepted for this route.

How long is a graduate TOEFL score valid for Khalifa University?

The graduate FAQ states that the test must have been taken during the 24 months preceding the application. Graduate applicants must upload a copy of the English score certificate, and official TOEFL scores can also be sent using institution code 0960.

Sources: Khalifa University Undergraduate Admissions; Khalifa University Postgraduate Admissions; Khalifa University Postgraduate Admissions FAQs; and ETS TOEFL Score Scale Update. Verified August 9, 2026.

Admission requirements change; always confirm current requirements on the university's official admissions page.