I’m often asked how long it takes for TOEFL paper score reports to arrive. Some people ask this question after they’ve been waiting for a long time.
There is no way to answer this question. Sometimes it takes a very long time. Sometimes the paper score report never comes.
Basically, unless you pay for “express shipping” ETS just shoves your score report into an envelope that it gives to the regular US Postal Service,* who then hands the envelope off to your local postal service. That means the score report could arrive in a few weeks… or longer. Or not at all. It mostly depends on how reliable your local postal service is, because that’s who will deliver it to your address. I’ve lived in countries where the local postal service is completely unreliable and mail never reached me.
Needless to say, there is no tracking when you opt for free shipping. ETS has no idea where your score report is after they give it to the US Postal Service.**
If you really need a paper score report, you should definitely pay for express shipping at checkout. I think the fee for that is $15 if you pay before taking the test, and $40 if you pay after taking the test. That way the report is sent via a courier and tracking is usually provided.
*If you live in East Asia they might use Korea Post.
**The US Postal Service is in shambles right now.
