Carnegie Mellon University is extending our test-optional policy through Fall 2024, removing the SAT/ACT standardized testing requirement for all first-year applicants.

Pursuant to this policy, students who are unable to take either the SAT or ACT or choose not to submit their standardized test scores will be considered equally for admission along with those who submit scores. While we encourage those who have been able to take the SAT or ACT to submit their scores, we also recognize that candidates who do submit scores may not have been able to take the SAT or ACT more than once as planned.

We'll continue to review and evaluate our process to make a determination regarding future standardized testing requirements for admission to Carnegie Mellon.

Carnegie Mellon is committed to a holistic approach to admission. No single grade, factor, score or activity guarantees or disqualifies any candidate’s admission to Carnegie Mellon. We treat every applicant as an individual, taking great care to make our admission decisions fairly, thoroughly and in context. We’re interested in students who can succeed at Carnegie Mellon while taking full advantage of all the university offers.

Carnegie Mellon is extending our test-optional policy, removing the SAT/ACT standardized testing requirement for all Fall 2023 first-year applicants. Please see the information above for more details.

We prefer that all testing is completed by November 1 for Early Decision 1 applicants and by January 3 for Early Decision 2, Regular Decision and Early Admission applicants.

We believe that college admission testing in the 9th and 10th grades adds to the anxiety of a process that students won’t encounter for several years. As a result, we encourage students to submit 11th or 12th grade SAT or ACT scores (tests taken the summer after 10th grade are appropriate). While earlier tests may measure knowledge at the time they are taken, that level of knowledge gradually evolves and doesn’t fully represent the knowledge students bring to college first-year courses. Should students present tests taken two or more years in advance of their first-year experience, we'd take the timing of the test results into consideration. The greater the amount of time prior to students' first year of college, the less we can rely on the test results as a fair representation of their knowledge entering Carnegie Mellon.

Carnegie Mellon accepts either official electronic score results or a student's official score report verified and forwarded to the Office of Admission directly by their school counselor.

The Carnegie Mellon SAT code is 2074 and the ACT code is 3534.

We require the TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge or Duolingo English Test from all nonnative English speakers.* If English isn't one of your first languages, you must submit official results from one of the following options:

IELTS (or IELTS Online): We require at least a 7.5 overall band score on the Academic Examination and give consideration to those with subscores of 7.5 and above.

TOEFL iBT or iBT Home Edition: We require at least a 102 overall score and give consideration to those with subscores of 25 and above.

TOEFL Essentials: We require at least an 11 overall band score and give consideration to those with subscores of 11 and above.

Cambridge English Assessment: For 2023 applicants and beyond, Carnegie Mellon accepts the Cambridge English Assessment. We require at least a 191 overall score and give consideration to those with subscores of 191 and above.

Duolingo English Test: We require at least a 135 overall and give consideration to those with the following subscores and above:

• Literacy: 135
• Conversation: 130
• Comprehension: 145
• Production: 113

Scores should be no more than two years old at the time of application, and we prefer that you submit all English proficiency test results from the past two years.  

Should you take the TOEFL more than once, we'll use the set of TOEFL scores corresponding with your highest overall score. We don't use TOEFL MyBest scores, which ‘superscore’ subsection results from more than one test administration of the TOEFL. 

Please plan on taking the TOEFL or IELTS no later than December of your senior year. Make sure that the name you use for test registration is identical to the way your name is listed on your passport and in your admissions application.

*The TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo English Test will continue to be required for nonnative English speakers for fall 2023.