How TOEFL Is Scored: Understanding the 1–6 Band Scale
What the new TOEFL band scores mean, how they map to the old 0–120 scale and CEFR levels, how each section is graded, and what score you actually need.
Since January 2026, a TOEFL score report looks different. Instead of a single number out of 120, the headline figure is a band between 1.0 and 6.0. Many universities still list their requirements the old way, so understanding both scales, and how they relate, saves a lot of confusion when you compare your result with an admission page.
The new scale at a glance
Each of the four sections receives a band from 1.0 to 6.0 in half-point steps. Your overall score is reported on the same scale. The bands were designed to line up with the Common European Framework (CEFR), the six-level system that IELTS, Cambridge, and many European universities already use.
| Band | CEFR | Roughly equivalent to (old 0–120 total) | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0 | C2 | 118–120 | Near-native command |
| 5.0–5.5 | C1 | ~95–117 | Ready for any English-medium program |
| 4.0–4.5 | B2 | ~72–94 | Ready for most programs, some may ask for support |
| 3.0–3.5 | B1 | ~42–71 | Functional; usually below university cutoffs |
| 2.0–2.5 | A2 | ~20–41 | Basic everyday English |
| 1.0–1.5 | A1 | ~0–19 | Beginner |
The old total is not gone yet. Score reports issued from 2026 through 2028 show both the band and the familiar 0–120 total, so you can quote whichever number an institution asks for. After 2028 the band becomes the only official scale.
How each section is graded
The four sections are scored in different ways, and it helps to know which is which.
Reading and Listening are scored automatically. Every question is right or wrong, and your raw count is converted to a band using a table that accounts for the difficulty of the module you received. Because these sections are adaptive, the conversion is not a simple percentage. Two people with the same number of correct answers can receive different bands if one of them was routed to the harder second module.
The important consequence: the easier second module has a ceiling. If your first-module performance sends you to the easier path, the highest band you can reach in that section is capped, regardless of how well you do afterward. Effort on the first module is never wasted.
Speaking is scored by a combination of ETS's automated speech engine and human raters, against three criteria:
- Delivery — pronunciation, pace, intonation, fluency
- Language use — grammar and vocabulary range and accuracy
- Topic development — a clear answer with reasons and examples
Listen and Repeat is judged mostly on delivery. Take an Interview responses are judged on all three.
Writing uses the same hybrid model. Build a Sentence items are automatically marked right or wrong. The email and the academic discussion post are rated on task completion, organization, vocabulary, and grammar. If the automated score and the human score disagree, a second human rater reviews the response.
What score do you need?
There is no universal cutoff; each program sets its own. Some general patterns:
- Undergraduate admission at English-medium universities commonly asks for the old 80–90 range, which is roughly band 4.5.
- Competitive graduate programs often want 100 or above, roughly band 5.0.
- Section minimums are increasingly common, especially in Speaking for teaching assistantships and in Writing for research programs. A program may accept a total of 90 but still require 22 in Speaking, which is roughly band 5.0 in that section.
Always check the program page directly, and check whether they list the band, the 0–120 total, or both. When in doubt, email the admissions office with your actual score report; they see both numbers.
MyBest scores
ETS continues to report MyBest scores: the highest section scores from all your valid tests in the last two years, combined into one "superscore." Many institutions accept it, some do not. If you are strong in three sections and weak in one, a focused retake on the weak section can lift your MyBest total without risking the others.
When and how you get results
Unofficial Reading and Listening scores appear on screen the moment you finish the test. Official scores for all four sections are posted to your ETS account within about 72 hours. Institutions you selected at registration receive them automatically; you can send scores to additional institutions later for a fee.
Scores are valid for two years from the test date.
Reading your score report
A score report shows:
- Overall band (and the 0–120 total through 2028)
- A band for each section
- A short performance description for each band
- MyBest scores if you have taken the test more than once
The performance descriptions are worth reading. They describe what a test taker at that band can typically do, which is more useful for planning your next round of study than the number alone.
Using the scale to plan your study
Because the bands map to CEFR, you can estimate where you stand before you ever sit the test. If your English is solidly B2, you are looking at a 4.0–4.5 and need to decide whether that meets your target. Moving from 4.5 to 5.0 typically takes weeks of targeted practice, not days, and it usually comes from one or two sections rather than all four.
Full-section practice on Let's Get That Score does not give you an official band, but the results panels show you exactly which task types cost you points. Tracking that across several practice tests tells you which section to invest in first, which is the most efficient path to the band you need.