TOEIC and engineering degrees:
what the CTI actually requires

What does the CTI require in English for an engineering degree?

The Commission des titres d’ingénieur accredits engineering programs. Its 2026 framework, approved in February 2026, sets CEFR B2 in all skills in section D.3.1.e, with a possible exception allowing B1 English for continuing education. It recommends C1 for all engineers across four activities: listening and reading comprehension, spoken and written interaction, spoken and written production, and mediation.

The same paragraph specifies how this level is assessed: an internal assessment using professional-skills scenarios, and an external assessment using a test recognized in professional or academic settings. The validation deadline cannot exceed three years after completing the coursework; a school may set a shorter deadline. The 2025 framework also provides for B2, the B1 exception in continuing education, and both assessments.

Other pathways have their own wording, shown in the table.

Which test and score does the CTI require?

None. The language sections of the 2025 and 2026 frameworks prescribe neither the TOEIC nor 785. The FAQ includes the TOEIC among the keywords for its English question, without making it mandatory. The fact sheet says the CTI “does not prescribe the choice of test or certification,” which must appear in the school’s academic regulations. It defines external assessment as assessment by an organization outside the school, with examiners separate from the instructors.

The same fact sheet leaves the rest to the school: it defines the required level, conditions, and maximum deadline after completing the coursework, and “may be more demanding” than the CTI criteria. Subject to the stated exceptions, B2 is the CTI minimum; the school sets the test and its threshold.

The appendix to the 2026 References and Guidelines lists a Languages fact sheet. The version reviewed here is dated March 21, 2022; the 2026 text governs the rule itself.

What TOEIC scores do schools publish?

Four engineering schools are listed here, each with its own rule. This is not a representative sample: it does not show that all schools set the same score. The figures in the table come from the cited pages; none has been converted or inferred.

Why do two schools publish different scores?

Because each school chooses its test and threshold. INSA Lyon’s admissions FAQ requires 815 on the TOEIC for the degree. The Electrical Engineering department page, like the FAQ, was reviewed on October 15, 2026, and says above 785. This discrepancy calls for checking the regulations that apply to your cohort. INSA’s 2025 CTI submission lists TOEIC, Linguaskill, and Duolingo at B2 level.

Polytech Nice Sophia explicitly links the CTI’s B2 requirement to 785/990 on the TOEIC. That figure appears on the school’s page; the CTI framework does not prescribe it.

Does the TOEIC correspond to B2, and under what conditions?

ETS, the test publisher, provides a CEFR mapping by section: at least 400 in Listening and 385 in Reading for B2, and 275 in each for B1. ETS’s mapping guide explains that the level shown for the total is estimated by adding the two section minimums, and recommends reviewing Listening and Reading separately. The schools’ scores of 785 or 815 are totals out of 990 that they chose. A total of 785 may conceal a section below ETS’s minimum: check your score report section by section.

Another difference appears between two documents, not within one: the CTI requires B2 “in all skills” and describes four communication activities, while TOEIC Listening and Reading measures listening and reading. The CTI does not say how a school covers the remaining skills beyond combining an internal assessment with the external test. The article comparing Listening and Reading with four-skill tests can help you check what your application requires.

According to ETS, a TOEIC score is valid for two years from the test date. That is separate from degree validation: Polytech Orléans says B2 remains validated beyond two years if the test was taken during enrollment at an approved center. Check your school’s rule before scheduling a session; the CTI’s three-year deadline after completing the coursework is a maximum.

What happens if the level has not been validated by the end of your studies?

The 2022 fact sheet addresses students who fail to graduate because their English level has not been validated: the academic regulations delegate authority to the director to issue a provisional degree certificate as soon as the student provides the missing certification, without waiting for the next examination board. The applicable deadline is set by the school, up to a maximum of three years.

For disabilities, the same fact sheet says the examination board may waive the usual level requirement in certain recognized situations, with an internal assessment if no external test is accessible.

• Check your school’s academic regulations for the accepted test, score, deadline, and remediation options.
• Check the exact test name and format before booking a session.
• Compare your score’s validity period with your school’s deadline.