Why there are two scales right now
ETS replaced the familiar 0–120 TOEFL iBT scale with a new 1–6 band scale effective January 21, 2026. During the transition period (2026–2028), official score reports show both numbers side by side, plus your CEFR level — so you'll see your result however your target school is used to reading it. If you took the TOEFL before 2026, your score is still on the old scale; this chart lets you compare the two directly.
Conversion table
Each of the four sections (Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing) is reported on the new 1–6 scale, in 0.5 increments; your overall score is the average of the four, rounded to the nearest half band. Here's how each band roughly corresponds to the old total-score range:
- Band 6.0 ≈ old score 114–120
- Band 5.5 ≈ old score 110–113
- Band 5.0 ≈ old score 100–109
- Band 4.5 ≈ old score 87–99
- Band 4.0 ≈ old score 72–86
- Band 3.5 ≈ old score 57–71
- Band 3.0 ≈ old score 42–56
- Band 2.5 ≈ old score 29–41
- Band 2.0 ≈ old score 16–28
These are approximate correspondence ranges, not an exact one-to-one formula — the two scales are built differently, so a given old score can fall near either edge of its matching band.
How the bands map to CEFR
The new scale is deliberately aligned to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), the six-level system (A1–C2) universities and employers worldwide already use to describe language ability:
- Band 5.5–6.0 ≈ C1–C2 (advanced / proficient user)
- Band 4.0–5.0 ≈ B2–C1 (upper-intermediate to advanced)
- Band 3.0–3.5 ≈ B1 (intermediate)
- Band 2.0–2.5 ≈ A2 (elementary)
See our full band score breakdown for what each level actually means in terms of what you can read, hear, say, and write.
What this means if you're applying with an old score
If your target university's published requirement is still written as an old-scale number (e.g. "minimum 80"), use this table to find your equivalent band, or simply report your old score directly — ETS score reports carry both during the transition, and most admissions offices are already used to reading either. If a requirement doesn't specify which scale it means, it's worth a quick email to admissions to confirm.
Where you'd land right now
The fastest way to get an actual number instead of a guess is a real diagnostic. Our free TOEFL score estimate gives you a band, an old-scale equivalent, and a CEFR level in about 15 minutes — no payment, no signup wall until you see your result.