As of October 2026, the short answer is this: a TOEIC score is valid for two years from the test date. Once that period ends, the official score report can no longer be issued and organizations can no longer verify the score with the test administrator. If you are applying for public-sector jobs in Korea, there is one important workaround: registering the score in the national civil service recruitment system before it expires lets you keep using it until December 31 of the year in which five years have passed since you obtained it. Miss the expiry date by a single day, though, and that option is gone.
This guide explains what actually stops working after two years, how to find your expiry date, how Korea's score pre-registration works, and what to check before you send a score to an employer. It is based on the published guidance of ETS, YBM (the TOEIC administrator in Korea) and Korea's Ministry of Personnel Management.
What the two-year TOEIC validity actually means
ETS, which develops the test, says on its Korean-language score page that TOEIC scores are valid for two years and that score reports from public testing sessions are available for two years from the test date. Your result does not vanish from history, but the period during which it can be officially confirmed comes to an end.
The practical consequences are spelled out in the YBM customer FAQ. Score reports are only issued for scores within the two-year window, whether you request them in person, print them online, or order them by post or courier. Score authenticity checks, which company HR teams use to confirm that an applicant's certificate is genuine, are also limited to scores from the last two years. Even admission confirmation printouts and registration history are only available for two years.
In other words, an old paper certificate in your drawer is not much use after the deadline, because an employer has no way to confirm it. That is why most job postings ask for a score that is still valid.
The same logic applies to the combined score report that brings together TOEIC Listening and Reading with TOEIC Speaking or Writing results. YBM states that if any section on a combined report passes its two-year validity, the whole report can no longer be used. Each section's validity is printed on the report alongside a unique issue number that organizations can check.
How to work out your expiry date
The clock starts on the test date, not on the day the results are published. A test taken in October 2024, for example, reaches the two-year mark in October 2026. The most reliable way to confirm the exact date is the score lookup page or the report itself, rather than mental arithmetic.
A simple routine helps:
- List every language score you hold. TOEIC, TOEIC Speaking, TEPS and OPIc each run on their own validity clock.
- Mark the two-year date for each one and separate any that have already expired, since those can no longer be reissued or registered.
- If there is any chance you will apply to a Korean public institution, pre-register valid scores now. Registering costs you nothing if you never use it, but an expired score cannot be rescued.
- Reissue any paper reports you might need while the score is still valid. A reissued copy does not extend the validity of the score itself.
If you believe a score does not reflect your ability, note a separate deadline: ETS says on its TOEIC score report page that a score review request must reach your local ETS Preferred Network office within one month of the test date.
Korea's score pre-registration for public-sector jobs
Korea's national civil service recruitment system publishes a pre-registration guide for language scores. The idea is straightforward: register a score before the test administrator's validity period ends, and it remains usable for recruitment during a longer recognition period. That period runs until December 31 of the year in which five years have passed since the score was obtained. A score obtained in 2024 would therefore be recognized until December 31, 2029.
For English, the tests listed as applicable to civil service selection are TOEIC, TOEFL, TEPS, G-TELP, FLEX and TOSEL. OPIc, TOEIC Speaking, G-TELP Speaking, TEPS Speaking and IELTS can be registered under a separate category, so confirm whether a particular exam accepts them. Tests with no expiry, or whose scores remain searchable after expiry, are not covered.
Key conditions to keep in mind:
- Registration fails once the administrator's own validity has passed, because the score can no longer be looked up. Do not leave it until the final days.
- Only regular public test sessions count. Scores from special sessions organized by government bodies, companies or schools are not accepted.
- TOEFL, IELTS, the new HSK, TOEIC taken in Japan and TOSEL require individual verification. Only scores with at least 15 days of validity left on the registration date can be submitted. Registrations made from the 1st to the 15th of a month show a result after the end of that month; those made from the 16th onward show a result after the 15th of the following month.
- Recognition can differ between institutions. National civil service exams follow the annual recruitment plan announcement, while other bodies set their own rules in each notice.
The system's call center is 1800-6634, open on weekdays from 09:00 to 18:00 Korean time.
Reissuing TOEIC score reports in Korea
While a score is valid, you can order as many copies as you need. YBM charges 1,500 won per copy with no limit. You can print a report yourself after logging in, but YBM does not send reports by fax or email or convert them to PDF, as a safeguard against forgery. Alternatively, visit a TOEIC Plaza in Seoul or one of the regional centers in Busan, Daejeon, Daegu and Gwangju with your ID and collect a copy the same day. Opening hours are 09:30 to 17:00 on weekdays, with a lunch break. A family member collecting on your behalf needs an official document proving the relationship, their own ID and your ID.
Scores from institutional sessions are handled differently: individuals cannot request reissues, which must go through the organization's HR or training contact.
Checking validity before you apply for a job
Private employers set their own rules, so read the wording of each posting carefully. Many specify a reference date, such as a score that is valid on the application deadline. Some ask for an original report again at the interview stage, so plan around the whole hiring timeline rather than just the first submission.
TOEIC scores from public sessions are portable across countries, but YBM notes that some Korean companies and military or government bodies only accept scores from tests taken in Korea. If you plan to submit an overseas score, confirm with the employer first.
Before you apply, run through a quick checklist:
- Have you recorded the test date and two-year expiry for each score?
- If public-sector work is possible, have you pre-registered valid scores?
- Is the score valid on the reference date named in the job posting?
- Have you reissued any paper reports you may need?
- If the score came from a company-arranged session, has the employer confirmed it is accepted?
