On January 21, 2026, TOEFL iBT will introduce an updated score scale (1-6 in half-band increments). Follow the steps below to set useful and relevant score requirements for your institution.
Quick Summary
Identify the appropriate CEFR level needed to succeed in your program
Find your current requirement in the 0-120 equivalency table
Select the corresponding 1-6 score
Verify alignment with your IELTS requirements (if applicable)
Consider setting section requirements
Step 1: Identify the appropriate Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) level needed to succeed in your program
Take note of the equivalent score on the 1-6 score scale.
Unfamiliar with the CEFR benchmarks? Review the CEFR-based performance descriptors.
CEFR | Total | Reading | Listening | Speaking | Writing |
C2 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
C1 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
C1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
B2 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
B2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
B1 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
B1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
A2 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
A2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
A1 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
A1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Step 2: Compare your current score requirements to the 1-6 score scale
Consider both your overall (0-120) and section scores (0-30) and compare them with the 1-6 score scale.
Total (1-6) | Reading | Listening | Writing | Speaking | Est. Total (0-120) |
6 | 29-30 | 28-30 | 29-30 | 28-30 | 114+ |
5.5 | 27-28 | 26-27 | 27-28 | 27 | 107+ |
5 | 24-26 | 22-25 | 24-26 | 25-26 | 95+ |
4.5 | 22-23 | 20-21 | 21-23 | 23-24 | 86+ |
4 | 18-21 | 17-19 | 17-20 | 20-22 | 72+ |
3.5 | 12-17 | 13-16 | 15-16 | 18-19 | 58+ |
3 | 6-11 | 9-12 | 13-14 | 16-17 | 44+ |
2.5 | 4-5 | 6-8 | 10-12 | 13-15 | 34+ |
2 | 3 | 4-5 | 5-9 | 11-12 | 24+ |
1.5 | 2 | 2-3 | 3-6 | 5-9 | 12+ |
1 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-4 | 0-2 | 0+ |
Step 3: Determine alignment and finalize your requirements
If there is clear alignment:
Set your scores and move forward with implementation.
If you are uncertain or caught between two scores:
Consider your institution's English language support:
Limited language support available?
Set requirements at the higher end of the range to ensure students have sufficient proficiency from day one.
Strong language support available?
You can safely select the 1-6 band that includes your 0-120 requirement, even if some equivalent scores are slightly lower.
Note: There will be a range of scores on the 0-120 scale that correspond to the selected 1-6 band, and some scores might be lower than your original requirement.
Consider establishing minimum section score requirements:
To minimize the changes of students being admitted with lower English skills, set minimum section score requirements in addition to the total score.
By setting section requirements, fewer students will meet the total score requirement by compensating extensively across sections.
Check alignment with your IELTS scores:
If you also accept IELTS, verify consistency across both tests.
If the score you selected aligns with your IELTS requirement → Set your score
If the score you selected does not align with your IELTS requirement → Consider adjusting to maintain comparable requirements across tests
IELTS (1-9) | TOEFL Reading | TOEFL Listening | TOEFL Writing | TOEFL Speaking | TOEFL Total |
9 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
8.5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
8 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
7.5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
7 | 4.5 | 5 | 4.5 | 5 | 5 |
6.5 | 4 | 4.5 | 4 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
6 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4 | 4 |
5.5 | 3.5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3.5 |
5 | 3 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2 | 2.5 |
4.5 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 2 | 1.5 | 2 |
Additional Considerations
To ensure your requirements support your institution's goals:
Applicant pool impact: Setting score requirements higher or lower may impact the size of your applicant pool.
Use comprehensive score information: Section scores, in conjunction with the total score, provide a more complete picture of each applicant's abilities, than consulting the total score only. Section score requirements can also help minimize false positive classifications when the 1-6 band you chose includes somewhat lower scores than your requirement on the 0-120 scale (e.g., choosing a score of 4 on the 1-6 scale when 80 was your requirement on the 0-120 scale).
Prioritize critical skills: Review section scores routinely and consider setting minimum section score requirements for the language skills that are most important to succeed in your program.
Periodic reviews: Conduct regular reviews of your score requirements, and adjust these requirements accordingly based on student performance and program needs.