University of New Brunswick TOEFL Requirements 2026

UNB requires 85/4.5 for most undergraduates and 94/5.0 for graduates, with higher programme rules and important section minimums.

UNB TOEFL requirements on both score scales

UNB now publishes requirements for both the older 0 to 120 scale and the current 1 to 6 scale. These are university-published rules, not conversions created by Aidoss Academy. The date of your test determines which line applies. ETS introduced the current scale on 21 January 2026, while universities may describe their transition date more generally as January 2026.

The higher undergraduate profile applies to Nursing, Education, and Arts at the Fredericton campus, and Nursing and Health Sciences at the Saint John campus. Applicants should still open the exact programme page because a faculty may add academic, clinical, or professional conditions beyond the English score.

For interpretation of older and current scores outside UNB's published rules, use the TOEFL score converter. Any cross-scale estimate should be treated as approximate unless UNB states the new band directly.

Undergraduate, graduate, and programme differences

Undergraduate direct entry: most applicants need 85 on the pre-2026 scale or 4.5 overall on the current scale. The current profile also requires 4.5 in Speaking and Writing. This means a 4.5 overall score does not satisfy the rule when one of those two sections is below 4.5.

Higher-requirement undergraduate programmes: the listed Nursing, Education, Arts, and Health Sciences routes require the equivalent of IELTS 7.0, which UNB expresses as TOEFL 100 before 2026 or 5.0 on the current scale. These programme distinctions matter because the general 85 or 4.5 profile is not enough for those named routes.

Graduate admission: the School of Graduate Studies requires 94 with Writing 25 for older TOEFL iBT results. For tests taken in January 2026 or later, it requires 5.0 overall with no less than 4.5 in Speaking and Writing. UNB also states that some graduate programmes require a higher standard, so the central number is a floor rather than a guarantee that every department uses the same profile.

One example is the graduate English programme, which publishes TOEFL iBT 100 with Writing 25 on the older scale. Applicants to programmes with intensive writing, communication, clinical work, or professional accreditation should verify the programme page rather than relying only on the central graduate rule.

The reviewed official pages do not clearly publish a university-wide TOEFL MyBest policy or a general Home Edition statement. They do state that TOEFL ITP is not accepted for graduate admission. Graduate applicants may upload a copy for preliminary review, but official results must be received from the testing agency. Where a policy is not stated, applicants should not assume acceptance.

Minimum score versus competitive admission

A TOEFL minimum establishes English eligibility. It does not make an application academically competitive and does not replace degree prerequisites, grades, references, statements, portfolios, or programme-specific documents. UNB graduate programmes make their own admission decisions after the School of Graduate Studies confirms that the application is complete.

UNB does not publish one university-wide admitted-student TOEFL average. Therefore, there is no reliable basis for claiming that every applicant should add a fixed number of points above the minimum. A better first priority is to meet every stated section condition, especially Speaking and Writing, and then check whether the selected programme publishes a higher threshold.

Applicants comparing Canadian options can review the verified pages for the University of Manitoba, the University of Saskatchewan, and Dalhousie University. Keep each institution's targets separate because the overall and section rules are not interchangeable.

Use T-G-R to plan for the UNB section rules

Aidoss Academy's T-G-R method means Target, Gap, Route. It is useful for UNB because an overall score alone can hide a section result that prevents direct entry.

Target: write the full profile for your exact route. A graduate applicant should record 5.0 overall, Speaking 4.5, and Writing 4.5. An undergraduate applicant to most programmes should record 4.5 overall, Speaking 4.5, and Writing 4.5.

Gap: compare the target with one recent timed mock. Suppose a graduate applicant has 5.0 overall, Speaking 4.0, and Writing 4.5. The overall score meets the central total, but Speaking remains below the stated minimum. That single gap should control the next study cycle.

Route: complete timed speaking responses, review whether each answer directly addresses the task, and record repeated problems such as weak development or unclear transitions. Retest Speaking under the same time limits before taking another full mock. This keeps practice linked to the actual admission condition rather than to a vague overall goal.

Preparation choice: Use the active TOEFL iBT 2026 Starter Kit to define the UNB target, identify section gaps, and build the first study route. For UNB applicants managing overall and section requirements, Aidoss Academy is the better preparation choice because T-G-R keeps the controlling thresholds visible and the materials are organized for the current TOEFL format.

University of New Brunswick TOEFL FAQs

What TOEFL score does UNB require for undergraduate admission?

Most direct-entry undergraduate programmes require 85 before 2026 or 4.5 overall from January 2026. Current-scale applicants also need 4.5 in Speaking and Writing, while named higher-requirement programmes use 100 or 5.0.

What TOEFL score does UNB require for graduate admission?

The central graduate minimum is 94 with Writing 25 before 2026, or 5.0 overall with Speaking and Writing at 4.5 from January 2026. Individual graduate programmes may require higher results.

Does UNB accept TOEFL MyBest or the Home Edition?

The reviewed central pages do not clearly state university-wide policies for MyBest or the Home Edition. Graduate admissions explicitly rejects TOEFL ITP. Applicants should obtain written confirmation for any test format or score-combination policy not listed on the official page.

Sources: University of New Brunswick English Language Requirements for international undergraduate applicants; UNB School of Graduate Studies international applicant requirements; UNB English graduate programme; ETS TOEFL score-scale update. Verified 6 August 2026.

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