Why the new scale exists
The redesigned TOEFL iBT reports each of the four sections — Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing — on a 1.0–6.0 scale in half-point steps, with your overall score the average of the four, rounded to the nearest 0.5. Unlike the old 0–120 scale, which was TOEFL-specific, the new scale is deliberately built to align with the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference), the six-level system universities and employers worldwide already use to describe language proficiency.
The bands, level by level
Band 6.0 — CEFR C2 (Proficient user)
Near-native command. You can follow fast, idiomatic academic speech without effort, write with precision and nuance, and handle abstract or unfamiliar topics fluently.
Band 5.0–5.5 — CEFR C1 (Advanced)
You can understand demanding, longer academic texts and lectures, express ideas fluently without obviously searching for words, and produce clear, well-structured writing on complex subjects. This is the typical target for competitive university programs.
Band 4.0–4.5 — CEFR B2 (Upper-intermediate)
You can follow the main ideas of complex text and academic speech on familiar and unfamiliar topics, interact with a degree of fluency that makes regular interaction with native speakers possible, and write clear, detailed text on a range of subjects. This is the most common minimum bar for mid-tier university admission.
Band 3.0–3.5 — CEFR B1 (Intermediate)
You can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters, produce simple connected text on topics you know, and handle most situations likely to arise while traveling or studying — but sustained academic material takes real effort.
Band 2.0–2.5 — CEFR A2 (Elementary)
You can understand sentences and frequently used expressions on immediate, everyday topics and communicate in simple, routine exchanges — but extended academic listening, reading, or writing is still very difficult.
Band 1.0–1.5 — below A2
Basic, fragmentary understanding and production. Rarely relevant for university admission purposes, since almost no accredited program admits at this level.
A note on precision
Band-to-CEFR correspondence is a general alignment used across TOEFL prep resources, not a letter-for-letter official ETS conversion — think of each band as sitting near a CEFR boundary rather than mapping to it exactly. For the equivalent old-scale (0–120) numbers, see our score conversion chart.
What band should you be aiming for?
That depends entirely on your target program — see what counts as a good TOEFL score and university requirements by band for the practical breakdown.
Find your current band
The fastest way to know which of these levels you're at today is a real diagnostic, not a guess.