TOEFL iBT
ETS (USA)
University admission (USA, Canada, UK, Australia)
Standardised Test Score Notarisation
Most universities and visa offices verify scores directly with the test provider. See when a certified copy or translation is still requested, and what to prepare.
Short answer: how recipients accept test scores
Start with the test provider’s own channel — send TOEFL/GRE scores from ETS, or select recipient institutions in the IELTS system — because many recipients verify scores there and may not accept a certified copy. Use notarised copies or translations only when the recipient’s written requirements ask for them, such as some professional bodies or visa files. Check the recipient’s current requirements before ordering.
Distinguish three score-delivery methods before certifying a copy
Provider delivery
The applicant orders delivery through the test provider using a recipient code or online account, preserving the issuer-to-recipient verification trail.
Digital sharing
The recipient verifies through a portal or verification link, so follow that workflow rather than printing a screenshot.
Certified copy
Use only when the checklist accepts a copy and names an authorised certifier. Review the original or official file before certification.
IELTS Academic
British Council / IDP / Cambridge
University admission and skilled migration
IELTS General Training
British Council / IDP
Immigration, work, secondary education
IELTS for UK Visas & Immigration
IDP / British Council
UK Visa & Immigration (SELT-approved)
PTE Academic
Pearson
Australia/NZ/UK study and skilled visa
Duolingo English Test
Duolingo
Online university admission where the institution accepts the test
OET — Occupational English Test
Cambridge Boxhill
Healthcare licensing (AHPRA, NMC, GMC, MCNZ)
GRE General
ETS
Graduate school admission worldwide
GMAT Focus Edition
GMAC
MBA and business graduate admission
SAT
College Board
US/global undergraduate admission
Score validity and retrospective checks
Most language scores carry a validity window set by the recipient — many institutions accept IELTS or TOEFL results taken within a stated period before filing. Some providers also stop sending older scores once they expire in their own system, so check both the recipient’s validity rule and the provider’s resend policy before planning.
If a score has expired or the provider no longer resends it, certifying a copy of an old report may not help, because many recipients verify directly with the provider. The remaining options are retaking the test or asking the recipient whether alternative evidence is acceptable.
When a certified copy is genuinely required
- Obtain the recipient’s checklist in writing, confirming that a certified copy is accepted and who counts as an authorised certifier — some bodies publish their own list.
- Prepare the original score report or the official file from the provider. A Thai notary certifies that the copy matches the original presented; the notary does not verify the scores with the provider.
- If the document will be used abroad, check whether Department of Consular Affairs and embassy legalisation follows. The Apostille applies to Thailand from 28 February 2027; until then the consular route applies.
Questions applicants ask before certifying a score report
If the university holds a recipient account in the test provider’s system, always deliver through that system. Printing a score report and certifying the copy is not a substitute in many cases, because the recipient wants data transmitted directly by the provider. Certified copies are a fallback only where the recipient’s written checklist names them.
Some recipients, such as professional bodies or visa offices, ask for a certified copy alongside direct delivery. In that case prepare the original score report, your passport and the body’s list of authorised certifiers, then book a document review with our staff before any certification wording is drafted.
The name on the score report must match the passport exactly. If you tested under a former name or a different spelling, contact the test provider to correct it or issue a confirmation first — certifying a copy cannot resolve a name mismatch.
For documents heading to a country that requires legalisation, confirm the sequence with the recipient. Generally the signature is notarised first, then the document proceeds to the Department of Consular Affairs and the embassy where required. The Apostille applies to Thailand from 28 February 2027.
Timing test scores within an overseas application file
Scores are often the last item applicants arrange, for fear of expiry before filing — but ordering delivery too late carries its own risk. Some providers take several working days to dispatch results, and recipients usually count the arrival date against their own deadline, not the test date. Plan backwards from the recipient’s calendar: confirm how long the provider needs, whether electronic delivery is available for that institution, and whether the recipient begins processing only once every item, including the score, has arrived.
Where a certified copy is also required, book a document review with our staff and bring the original report together with your passport. Preparing everything in one visit lets the certification and any translation finish in a single round, without returning later to correct the certification wording. If the recipient has prescribed specific wording for the certification, bring that text as well so the certificate matches what the receiving office expects to see.
Common mistakes when using test scores with overseas institutions
Sending scores through a channel the recipient does not accept. Each provider has institution codes and dedicated electronic delivery; a self-printed report usually does not count. Confirm the destination’s institution code on its admissions page before ordering delivery every time.
A name on the score report that does not match the passport. Even one letter can break the recipient’s matching system. If a mismatch is found, have the provider correct it before sending, because corrections after dispatch usually take far longer.
Misreading score validity. Validity is set by the recipient, not the provider — some count from the test date, others from the enrolment date. Read the recipient’s own definition of an acceptable score age rather than relying on the provider’s general statement.
Assuming a certified copy is a shortcut. Copy certification helps only where the recipient explicitly lists it. Where the recipient verifies directly with the provider, a certified copy is a supporting document, not a substitute — ordering it first and asking later wastes both time and money.
When a recipient asks for a certified copy of a score report
Where the recipient explicitly accepts a certified copy of the score report, bring the original report printed from the provider’s system. The notary compares the copy against the original and certifies it. If the report exists only online, ask the recipient first whether a portal printout is acceptable before booking.
Some institutions want the certified copy together with a translation. If the report is in English and the recipient is a Thai authority, a signed Thai translation may be required. Preparing both in one visit completes the file.
Keep the provider’s delivery evidence as well. A score-send order number or confirmation email helps you prove dispatch to the recipient when a result has not arrived as expected.
Our role with test scores
We are not a test provider and cannot send scores on a provider’s behalf. What we do is certify copies of score reports where the recipient accepts that format, translate reports or supporting documents when required, and read the recipient’s checklist with you to identify which steps are genuinely needed. The decision to accept a score always rests with the receiving institution. Sending the recipient’s requirements together with your documents from the start lets us recommend the most direct route and avoids spending on steps the recipient never asked for.
Verify with the test provider
Requirements vary by provider and recipient. Use the test provider’s official score-delivery page together with the institution’s application instructions.
Most test scores are verified online, not on paper
IELTS, TOEFL, GRE, GMAT and similar tests send scores to institutions directly or through an online verification service. Many universities therefore ignore a notarised printout. Check what the receiving body accepts before paying for certification.
Notarised or translated score reports are useful when an embassy, a Thai government office or an employer asks for a paper copy, or when a Thai-language result such as a national exam must be presented abroad.
Validity periods
Many English-language test results are treated as valid for two years from the test date, and some offices count to the date of application, others to the date of arrival. A certified copy does not extend the validity of the score.
Matching names and identity numbers
The name on the score report must match the passport used to apply. If the test was taken with an old passport, bring both so the certificate can note the link between the two passport numbers.
When a translation is needed
English-language score reports rarely need translating for English-speaking destinations. Translation matters for Thai-language results, such as national university entrance or professional licensing exams, or when a destination works in another language — for example Germany, Japan or China.
Scores for professional registration
Nursing, medical and engineering bodies abroad often set their own minimum scores per section, not just an overall band, and some accept only specific test versions such as the Academic module. Confirm the version and section minimums before booking a test, then certify the report only if the body asks for a paper copy.
Lost or expired score reports
If the original report is lost, most test providers let you download a new copy or send an official score report to an institution from your online account. Once a result has passed its validity period, certification cannot revive it; the only route is to retake the test.
Official sources to check before you submit
Rules change. Read these official pages together with the recipient’s own request, then send both to our staff for a document check and quotation.