When Do TOEIC Link Results Arrive? — Online Preliminary, Official PDF, and the Resume-Ready Timeline

Three release stages — preliminary / PDF / paper

TOEIC Link results release in three stages. Stage 1 — preliminary score appears in MyETS (the test-taker portal) within 0–2 business days of the test. It shows the four module scores (0–25 each) and CEFR bands (Pre-A1 through C1) for Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing — useful for self-assessment and planning a next sitting.

Stage 2 — official score report PDF is downloadable in MyETS within 5–7 business days. This is the canonical document for resumes, university credit, and employer submission — it carries the ETS watermark and a QR code for third-party verification. Stage 3 — paper copy is mailed only if you opted in at registration (about ¥1,000 surcharge), arriving in 14–21 days at a Japan address.

In practice, the PDF (Stage 2) is the day "results arrived" — the preliminary is for direction-checking, the paper copy is largely a keepsake.

• Stage 1 (Preliminary): 0–2 business days / MyETS online / 4 modules + CEFR
• Stage 2 (Official PDF): 5–7 business days / MyETS download / resume-ready format
• Stage 3 (Paper Copy): 14–21 days / opt-in only / mailed to a JP address
• Preliminary and PDF scores match by default (only diverge after rare ETS re-rating)
• Use the PDF (Stage 2) for resumes, employer submission, university credit
• The paper copy is rarely required in practice; PDF suffices for most uses

Arrival timing by test day — observed pattern

Because business-day counting drives the schedule, a Friday or Saturday sitting pushes the preliminary into Monday and the PDF into the following week. A Mon–Thu sitting typically produces a preliminary in 1–2 days and a PDF the same week or early the next.

Case 1 (Tuesday sitting, 2025-09) — preliminary Wed 18:00, PDF Mon afternoon. Case 2 (Saturday, 2025-12) — preliminary Tue AM, PDF the following Thu. Case 3 (Thursday, 2026-02) — preliminary Fri 22:00, PDF the following Mon. Case 4 (Sunday, 2026-04) — preliminary Tue PM, PDF the following Fri. The observed median across four sittings is 6 business days from test to PDF — comfortably within the 5–7 official window.

Holiday weeks add delay. Golden Week (April 29–May 5) typically extends the PDF by +3–5 business days, and the New Year break (Dec 29–Jan 3) by up to +10 because ETS US headquarters is also paused.

• Mon–Thu sitting: preliminary in 1–2 days, PDF same week / early next
• Fri–Sun sitting: preliminary the next business day, PDF later in the next week
• Observed median: 6 business days from sitting to PDF
• Golden Week impact: +3–5 business days on the PDF
• New Year break impact: up to +10 business days on the PDF
• Preliminary delays usually trace to test-center batch timing (up to 24-hour spread between centers)

Five things to check when results are slow

(1) MyETS account email matches the registration email. If you registered with one email and log in to MyETS with another, the results stay tied to the registration account — log in with the email you used at registration. (2) Preliminary missing after 48 hours? Test-center batch timing varies by up to 24 hours; if it is still not there 48 hours after the sitting, contact ETS support.

(3) PDF missing? Check email. ETS sends a notification when the PDF is published — check spam and promotional folders. (4) Paper copy not arriving? Confirm your registered mailing address in MyETS (Profile Settings); if it is wrong, international mail can bounce. Update before the PDF release if possible. (5) Score reporting is a separate service. Direct delivery of scores to a university or employer (Score Reporting Service) is a paid add-on (about ¥2,000 per recipient) and is independent of the PDF download.

• (1) Verify MyETS login email = registration email
• (2) Preliminary missing: contact support after 48 hours
• (3) PDF missing: check spam / promotional folders for the ETS notification
• (4) Paper copy missing: confirm address in MyETS Profile Settings
• (5) Score Reporting: separate paid service for direct delivery to schools / employers
• Support: ETS Japan helpdesk, weekdays 10:00–17:00 JST

Three things to do once results arrive

(1) Update your resume / CV. Once the PDF arrives, list it as "TOEIC Link CEFR B2 (April 2026)" — module name + CEFR band + month earned. You can include the numeric scores (e.g., L 22 / R 19 / S 17 / W 18) but the CEFR band is the internationally readable one. Templates: [TOEIC Link resume listing guide](/resources/blog/toeic-link-resume-how-to-list).

(2) Diagnose the weakest module and plan the next sitting. If three modules are at B2 and one at B1, the overall band reads as B1 — the next sitting should focus on lifting the weakest module. Band-by-band changes are detailed in [Speaking strategy](/resources/blog/toeic-link-speaking-strategy) and [Writing strategy](/resources/blog/toeic-link-writing-strategy).

(3) Plan the validity window and re-sit cadence. TOEIC Link scores have no formal expiry, but employers and universities typically require a score earned within the past 2 years. For job applications and grad-school submission, sitting within 2 years of the target submission date is the practical safe zone — and within 6 months is even safer for premium roles where score "freshness" is sometimes flagged.

• Resume: module + CEFR + month, CEFR band first
• Diagnose: focus the next sitting on the lowest module to lift the overall band
• Validity: officially indefinite, practical 2 years, premium 6 months
• Re-sit cadence: book the next test 2–3 months out as soon as the PDF arrives
• Score Reporting: paid direct delivery to schools / employers (~¥2,000 each)
• PDF re-download: unlimited from MyETS as long as the account is active

Standard timeline from sitting to result delivery

* Business days follow the ETS US headquarters calendar. Golden Week and the New Year break can extend Step 2 by up to +10 business days. Median across four sittings (2025-09 / 2025-12 / 2026-02 / 2026-04) is 6 business days for Step 2.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related articles

• TOEIC Link registration guideEnd-to-end registration flow, test-center selection, day-of checklist — including the paper-copy opt-in.
• How to list TOEIC Link on a resumeResume formats once the PDF arrives — Japanese resume + English CV templates.
• TOEIC Link CEFR score meaningWhat each CEFR band on the score report actually represents and what someone at that level can do.
• TOEIC Link Speaking strategyTargeted prep when Speaking is the weakest module on the score report.
• TOEIC Link Writing strategyTargeted prep when Writing is the weakest module — 5-axis rubric and band-by-band lifts.