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TOEFL iBT®

The premier test of academic English communication

Understanding Your TOEFL iBT Scores

What your scores mean

You’ll receive four scaled section scores and a total score.

  • Each section has a score range of 0–30.
  • These are added together for a total score of 0–120.

Each skill has four or five proficiency levels, so where your score falls within that range tells you your proficiency for that skill.

 

Skill Level
Reading

Advanced (24–30) High-Intermediate (18–23) Low-Intermediate (4–17) Below Low-Intermediate (0–3)
Listening

Advanced (22–30) High-Intermediate (17–21) Low-Intermediate (9–16) Below Low-Intermediate (0–8)
Speaking

Advanced (25–30) High-Intermediate (20–24) Low-Intermediate (16–19) Basic (10–15) Below Basic (0–9)
Writing

Advanced (24–30) High-Intermediate (17–23) Low-Intermediate (13–16) Basic (7–12) Below Basic (0–6)

 

For more information, see Performance Descriptors for the TOEFL iBT® Test (PDF).

 

Score requirements

There are no passing or failing scores set by the TOEFL Program or ETS. Each institution or agency sets its own score requirements. For more information about how your scores will be used or interpreted, contact the institution or agency directly.

What you’ll see when you get your score report

Score reports now feature a more modern, visually intuitive design. You can download a PDF copy of your score report from your ETS account.

TOEFL iBT test taker score reports sent from November 13, 2023 look like this:

An image of a sample TOEFL iBT paper score report, showing test taker information, test day scores, and MyBest scores

 

TOEFL iBT test taker score reports sent before November 13, 2023 look like this:

An image of an older sample TOEFL iBT paper score report, showing test taker information, test day scores, and MyBest scores

 

MyBest® scores

 

Play video button Video About MyBest scores

MyBest® scores (or superscores) show your best overall performance by combining your highest section scores from all test dates within the last 2 years. This means you may be able to meet score requirements for your institution with fewer tests and reach your goals sooner.

View Transcript

 

What MyBest scores look like

All TOEFL iBT score reports show both your traditional scores from your selected test date and your MyBest scores, like this:

Test Dates Scores sample contains the reading, listening, speaking, writing and total scores. And MyBest Scores sample contains a summary of all their valid TOEFL scores in the last 2 years.

An increasing number of universities and other institutions accept MyBest scores. We recommend that you check with institutions directly to confirm their TOEFL score requirements.

 

How the test is scored

TOEFL tests are only scored by a centralized scoring network, never at the test center. The Reading and Listening sections are scored by computer. The Speaking and Writing sections are scored by a combination of AI scoring and multiple, highly trained human raters to:

  • offer a complete and accurate picture of your ability
  • minimize the rater bias that can occur with face-to-face interviews
  • ensure consistency and the highest quality

 

Who accepts Home Edition scores

View the list of institutions that accept TOEFL iBT Home Edition scores.

1 Not available for TOEFL iBT tests taken at a test center in Mainland China.