Testing is required, with a route for schools outside the US
Dartmouth says standardised testing is a required element of its application, and that students at schools outside the United States may meet it in one of five ways.
Undergraduate · Dartmouth
Dartmouth testing: when A-level or IB results meet the requirement
Dartmouth says standardised testing is a required element of its undergraduate application, but that a student at a school outside the United States may meet the requirement in one of five ways. Two of them are predicted or final A-level results and predicted or final IB Diploma results, submitted by the school. It is not the same as the rules at Stanford, Brown, Columbia or any other university. Dartmouth's page carries no entry-year label, so everything here is evidence for the previous cycle, not a confirmed 2028 requirement.
Official information · read 31 October 2026, no entry-year label
What Dartmouth says about testing for schools outside the United States
Taken from Dartmouth Admissions' Testing Guidelines page, read on 31 October 2026. The page carries no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Dartmouth's page for the 2028-entry details.
A-levels: predicted or final scores
Applicants may submit final or predicted A-level scores from Cambridge, Pearson or UK-based providers. Predictions must come from a school official, and applicants are encouraged to submit at least three A-levels.
IB Diploma: predicted or final scores
Applicants may submit final or predicted IB Diploma scores on the 1-7 scale, with Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge predictions where the school offers them. Predictions come from a school official.
Final results come before enrolment
Final A-level scores must be official certificates from the testing agency, and final IB scores must come through the IBO score reporting system, in both cases prior to enrolment.
National exam predictions do not count
For the equivalent national exam route, Dartmouth says predicted scores will not satisfy the requirement. That sentence concerns national exams, not A-levels or the IB.
Official sources
Read on 31 October 2026 on Dartmouth Admissions' Testing Guidelines page, which describes 2027 entry. The page carries no entry-year label. The answers behind the page's frequently asked questions, Dartmouth's English proficiency FAQ, deadlines, application components other than testing, and financial aid were not read and are not described. No score or deadline is stated.
The requirement
Testing is required, and the routes depend on where you attend school
Dartmouth says standardised testing is a required element of its undergraduate application, and explains that it reactivated the requirement beginning with applicants to the Class of 2029. It says testing, together with the secondary school report and recommendations, helps it understand academic preparation, and that contextualised testing will be one factor, but never the primary factor, among the many elements of an application. Students who attend or attended high school within the United States submit the SAT or ACT. Students at schools outside the United States may meet the requirement in one of five ways, a distinction Dartmouth says acknowledges unequal access to American standardised testing around the world.
The five routes
The options for a school outside the United States
The five routes Dartmouth lists are: SAT or ACT results; results of three Advanced Placement exams; predicted or final International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme results; predicted or final British A-level results; and final results from an equivalent standardised national exam. School-based exams will not satisfy the national exam route, and predicted national exam scores will not satisfy it either. If a student will not receive national exam results until after February, they must choose a different route. This guide does not rank the routes or say that any improves the chance of admission.
A-levels
What the A-level route asks for
Under the A-level route, applicants submit final or predicted scores for A-level exams from Cambridge, Pearson or UK-based A-level providers. Predictions must be submitted by a school official and cannot be self-reported by an applicant. Final scores must be submitted prior to enrolment and must be official certificates from the testing agency. Applicants are encouraged to submit at least three A-level exams. The page does not say how it treats an applicant who sits fewer, or which A-level subjects count more, so do not assume either.
The IB Diploma
What the IB route asks for
Under the IB route, applicants submit final or predicted scores for Diploma Programme courses using the 1-7 scale. Schools that offer predictions for the Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge should include them in their submission. Predictions must be submitted by a school official and cannot be self-reported by an applicant, and final scores must be submitted through the IBO score reporting system prior to enrolment. As with the A-level route, the page does not say how individual scores are weighed, so this guide does not either.
Language and the rest of the file
English, and what this page does not cover
Dartmouth says that if your first language is not English and your curriculum has not been delivered in English for at least two years, you must submit an English proficiency exam score. This page covers testing only. It does not set out Dartmouth's other application components, deadlines or financial aid, which were not read for this guide. Avandy is an independent adviser: it has no partnership with Dartmouth, it does not submit materials on a student's behalf, and it does not write, edit or rewrite any essay or recommendation.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit to a route
This is Avandy's own framework, not Dartmouth's.
Can your school submit predictions in the form Dartmouth asks for?
A school official must submit them. Ask who will do it and when.
When will your final results be official?
Final A-level certificates or IBO scores must arrive before enrolment. Plan around your own exam calendar.
Is another route better for you?
The SAT, ACT and AP routes exist. Weigh the workload honestly, because the page does not rank them.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Dartmouth's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Dartmouth's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The five routes, the A-level and IB submission rules, the school-official requirement and the English proficiency statement: read 31 October 2026 with no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Dartmouth has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, other application components, the FAQ answers and financial aid: not stated here
This guide has not read them. Check Dartmouth for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Ask your school whether and how it will submit predictions, decide which route fits your exam calendar, and read Dartmouth's testing page again for your year.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Dartmouth College or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays or recommendations, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Dartmouth. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Does Dartmouth require the SAT or ACT?
Dartmouth says standardised testing is required. Students at schools outside the United States may meet it in one of five ways, which include predicted or final A-level or IB Diploma results.
Can I use predicted A-level grades?
Dartmouth says applicants may submit final or predicted A-level scores. Predictions must come from a school official and cannot be self-reported.
Can I use predicted IB scores?
Dartmouth says applicants may submit final or predicted IB Diploma scores on the 1-7 scale, including Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge predictions where the school offers them.
When must final results arrive?
Dartmouth says final A-level scores and final IB scores must be submitted prior to enrolment, through the testing agency's official certificates or the IBO score reporting system.
Is this the same as Stanford or Harvard?
No. Each university sets its own testing rules, and nothing on Dartmouth's page applies to them. Read each university's own page.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Dartmouth's wording with no entry-year label. Check Dartmouth's testing page again when Dartmouth publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Dartmouth
Tell us about the student's curriculum, which testing route their school can support and how to plan it alongside their exams, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.