Can I use the sealed TOEFL score report I receive from ETS as an official score report?

Question

ETS sends a score report to me after each TOEFL exam in a sealed envelope. And since I already have online access to my scores, I would like to know if I can use the sealed score report as an official score report, would it be considered official by universities? Or only test scores sent by ETS directly to the university are considered official.

Answer 1

Most colleges and universities require that TOEFL scores be sent directly from ETS. For example, the University of Washington currently has this policy stated on its website: "...scores must be sent directly from the testing agency to the UW."

However, I'm sure some institutions are more lenient, so I would ask the admissions office of wherever you're applying (and/or read through their policies on their website).