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The TOEFL 1-6 score scale, explained
Since 21 January 2026 TOEFL iBT reports every section and the overall score on a 1-6 scale in half bands. Work out an overall, or see where an old 0-120 score sits, using ETS's own tables and nothing else.
- Add the four sections: 5 + 5 + 5.5 + 5.5 = 21
- Divide by four: 5.25
- Round to the nearest half band: 5.5 (exactly halfway, so it goes up, as in ETS's own example of 5.25 becoming 5.5)
Overall score
5.5CEFR C1
On the old scale ETS lists this band beside totals of 107 to 113. While both scales run, your score report also shows a comparable 0-120 total, which ETS sets at the middle of that range.
How the overall score is worked out
ETS takes the average of your four section scores and rounds it to the nearest half band. Its own examples: an average of 5.125 becomes 5, and an average of 5.25 becomes 5.5. On the old scale the total was the sum of the four sections, out of 120.
Why you cannot just multiply by 20
The bands are not evenly spaced on the old scale. Band 5 covers old totals from 95 to 106, twelve points, while band 5.5 covers 107 to 113, seven points. Any single-number conversion hides that, and a third-party calculator cannot give you the comparable score your official report shows.
What your score report shows until January 2028
For two years from January 2026, each report shows your CEFR level, your 1-6 overall and section scores, and a comparable 0-120 total. ETS sets that comparable total at the middle of the equivalent range. After January 2028, reports show the 1-6 scale only.
If a university still lists an old score
ETS recommends these new requirements to institutions moving from an old total, and the same threshold for section minimums:
| Old requirement (0-120) | ETS recommended requirement (1-6) |
|---|---|
| 100 | 5 |
| 90 | 4.5 |
| 80 | 4 |
| 70 | 3.5 |
That is a recommendation to institutions, not a rule. Each university or employer sets its own requirement and decides which scores it accepts, so check its admissions page for the number it states on the new scale.
Old section scores beside each band
ETS publishes these old 0-30 section ranges and 0-120 totals beside each band. Note how the same old score lands differently by section.
| Band | CEFR | Reading | Listening | Writing | Speaking | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | C2 | 29-30 | 28-30 | 29-30 | 28-30 | 114-120 |
| 5.5 | C1 | 27-28 | 26-27 | 27-28 | 27 | 107-113 |
| 5 | C1 | 24-26 | 22-25 | 24-26 | 25-26 | 95-106 |
| 4.5 | B2 | 22-23 | 20-21 | 21-23 | 23-24 | 86-94 |
| 4 | B2 | 18-21 | 17-19 | 17-20 | 20-22 | 72-85 |
| 3.5 | B1 | 12-17 | 13-16 | 15-16 | 18-19 | 58-71 |
| 3 | B1 | 6-11 | 9-12 | 13-14 | 16-17 | 44-57 |
| 2.5 | A2 | 4-5 | 6-8 | 11-12 | 13-15 | 34-43 |
| 2 | A2 | 3 | 4-5 | 7-10 | 10-12 | 24-33 |
| 1.5 | A1 | 2 | 2-3 | 3-6 | 5-9 | 12-23 |
| 1 | A1 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-2 | 0-4 | 0-11 |
What this tool will not tell you
- Whether you will be admitted. Only the institution decides that.
- A band from a practice percentage. No reliable conversion exists for practice questions, ours included.
- Your official comparable score. That number is on your ETS score report.
Sources
- ETS: updated TOEFL iBT score scale, read on 24 September 2026: every table, the rounding rule and the transition dates on this page.
- ETS: understanding your TOEFL iBT scores: the 1-6 scale and half-band reporting for test takers.
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