The redesigned TOEFL iBT reports your ability on a 1.0–6.0 band scale instead of the old 0–120 total. This page is the complete reference: what the scale is, the full band-by-band chart with CEFR levels and old-scale equivalents, what each level means for real academic ability, and what counts as a good score. If you only want your own number, skip to the diagnostic at the bottom.
What is the TOEFL band scale?
Each of the four sections — Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing — is scored on the same 1.0–6.0 scale in half-point steps (1.0, 1.5, 2.0 … 6.0). Your overall score is the average of the four section bands, rounded to the nearest 0.5 — there is no separate points total like the old scale. The full breakdown of how each section is graded is in how the 2026 TOEFL is scored.
The scale is deliberately built to align with the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference), the six-level A1–C2 system universities and employers worldwide already use to describe language proficiency. ETS moved to the 1–6 scale effective January 21, 2026; during the 2026–2028 transition, official score reports show the new band, the old 0–120 equivalent, and your CEFR level side by side.
TOEFL band score chart (with CEFR and old-scale range)
The same scale applies to each section and to your overall score. Here is every band, the CEFR level it sits nearest, and the approximate old 0–120 range it corresponds to at the overall level:
| Band | CEFR level | Old scale (overall) | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0 | C2 — Proficient | 118–120 | Near-native command; handles fast, idiomatic academic material effortlessly. |
| 5.5 | C1 — Advanced | 110–117 | Understands demanding texts and lectures; writes and speaks fluently on complex topics. |
| 5.0 | C1 — Advanced | 100–109 | Comfortable with academic content; the typical target for competitive programs. |
| 4.5 | B2 — Upper-intermediate | 90–99 | Follows the main ideas of complex material; interacts with real fluency. |
| 4.0 | B2 — Upper-intermediate | 80–89 | The most common minimum bar for mid-tier university admission. |
| 3.5 | B1 — Intermediate | 65–79 | Handles familiar topics well; sustained academic material still takes effort. |
| 3.0 | B1 — Intermediate | 51–64 | Understands clear standard input on familiar matters; produces simple connected text. |
| 2.5 | A2 — Elementary | 38–50 | Manages simple, routine exchanges; extended academic work is very difficult. |
| 2.0 | A2 — Elementary | 28–37 | Understands everyday expressions and basic sentences only. |
| 1.0–1.5 | Below A2 | Below 28 | Basic, fragmentary understanding; rarely relevant for admission. |
Band-to-CEFR correspondence is a general alignment used across TOEFL prep resources, not a letter-for-letter official ETS conversion — read each band as sitting near a CEFR boundary rather than mapping to it exactly. The old-scale ranges are approximate correspondence ranges, not a one-to-one formula; for the detailed two-way conversion see our score conversion chart, and for the CEFR system itself see TOEFL and CEFR levels.
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.
What is a good TOEFL score?
There is no single passing band — a "good" TOEFL score is whatever your target program requires. As a rough guide on the 1–6 scale:
- 5.0–6.0 (C1–C2): competitive for top-tier and graduate programs.
- 4.0–4.5 (B2): meets the minimum at most mid-tier universities.
- 3.0–3.5 (B1): accepted by some foundation, pathway, and community-college programs.
Because the overall band is a simple average, your weakest section pulls it down the most — so raising a 3.5 section usually moves your overall faster than polishing one already at 5.5. For the full breakdown see what counts as a good TOEFL score and university requirements by band.
Practice by section to raise a band
Bands move section by section. Target your weakest one directly: academic reading, academic-talk listening, announcement listening, listen-and-repeat, interview speaking, or email writing — each mirrors a real 2026 task type.
Find your current band
The fastest way to know which of these levels you're at today is a real diagnostic, not a guess. Our free estimate returns a band per section, an old-scale equivalent, and a CEFR level in about 15 minutes.