How TOEFL iBT® Is Scored: The 1-6 Scale, CEFR Alignment, and the January 2026 Update

TOEFL iBT® is scored on a 1-6 scale in half-point increments, aligned to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). ETS replaced the older 0-120 scale on January 21, 2026; the 0-120 scale had been used since 2005. You receive a band score for each of the four sections (Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking) and an overall band score that averages the four section scores.

If your most recent TOEFL is from before January 21, 2026, you still have a 0-120 score, and it is still valid. If you take the test today, you get a 1-6 band per section and an overall 1-6 band. For two years, ETS also shows a comparable 0-120 total on the new report so universities have time to adjust.

This guide covers what the old system looked like, what the new system looks like, the official ETS concordance between the two, and how to read the new score report. It also covers how to convert an existing target score into a 1-6 band, and what (if anything) the change means for how you prepare.

Table of Contents

• What Changed in TOEFL Scoring on January 21, 2026
• The Old TOEFL Scoring System (0-120)
• The New TOEFL Scoring System (1-6, CEFR-Aligned)
• The Official ETS Concordance: Old Score vs New Band
• How to Read the New TOEFL Score Report
• Setting a Target Score Under the New System
• What's a Good TOEFL Score?
• What This Means for Your Preparation
• FAQ

What Changed in TOEFL Scoring on January 21, 2026

ETS replaced the 0-120 total (with 0-30 per section) with a 1-6 band per section, in half-point increments, aligned to CEFR. The overall score is the average of the four section bands, rounded to the nearest half band (for example, an average of 5.25 rounds to 5.5).

This was part of a wider TOEFL iBT update on the same date. The test is now 90 minutes long. Scores are available 3 days after test day. Reading and Listening use a multistage adaptive format, and several question types are new across all four sections. For a worked example of each new question type, see our TOEFL 2026 practice questions guide.

The rest of this post focuses only on the scoring change. The format changes affect how you prepare; the scoring change affects how your result is shown.

The Old TOEFL Scoring System (0-120)

From 2005 through January 20, 2026, the TOEFL iBT used a 0-120 total. Each of the four sections was scored from 0 to 30, and the four section scores were added together. There was no CEFR mapping on the score itself, so a student with a 95 had to look up separately whether that placed them at B2 or C1 for a given university's requirements.

Pre-2026 scores remain valid for two years from the test date, and admissions teams have used the 0-120 scale for nearly 20 years, so they know how to interpret it.

How the Four Sections Added Up

Under the old system, the math was simple:

One side effect of summing four sections: two students could land at the same overall total with very different strengths. A 28 + 27 + 24 + 25 = 104 reader/listener looked the same as a 25 + 25 + 27 + 27 = 104 speaker/writer at the total level, even though their actual skill profiles were quite different.

The New TOEFL Scoring System (1-6, CEFR-Aligned)

From January 21, 2026 onward, each section is scored on a 1-6 scale in half-point increments: 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6. The overall score is the average of the four section bands, rounded to the nearest half band. So if your section bands are 5, 5.5, 5, and 5.5, your average is 5.25 and your overall rounds to 5.5.

The bands map to CEFR levels (roughly: 3.5-4 = B1, 4.5 = B2, 5 = B2/C1, 5.5 = C1, 6 = C2). CEFR is used in most school curricula worldwide, so a "5.5" maps to a level students and admissions teams already understand from years of English classes.

Why ETS Made the Change

ETS frames the change as making scores easier to interpret. On the 0-120 scale, a 95 was a number with no built-in context. On the 1-6 scale, a 5 reads as "upper B2 / lower C1" right on the score line. According to ETS, the goal is a more consistent and intuitive interpretation for students and institutions, and a clearer link to the English-learning frameworks most students have already encountered.

The Official ETS Concordance: Old Score vs New Band

ETS publishes an official concordance between the new 1-6 bands and the old 0-120 ranges. The table below comes directly from ETS:

Source: ETS, Understanding TOEFL Scores. Totals are the sum of section scores and can be reached with different section combinations.

How to read it: each row says "this 1-6 band corresponds to roughly these old section ranges, and this old total range." For example:

• A student who scored 95 on the old total scale would land in band 5 overall (the 95+ row).
• A student who scored 107 would land in band 5.5 (the 107+ row).
• A student with a 28 in old Reading would land in band 5.5 for Reading (the 27-28 row).

What If My Old Total Was Right at a Boundary?

Boundaries matter, because the lower bound of each row is the floor for that band. If your old total was 106, you land in band 5 (95+ row), not band 5.5, because 5.5 starts at 107. The same applies per section: a 27 in old Speaking lands at band 5.5 (Speaking column row 5.5 is "27"), while a 26 lands at band 5. When you're checking a borderline score, read the lower edge of the row carefully.

To convert a specific TOEFL score to an IELTS band, a Duolingo English Test score, or a PTE score, use our score converter pages:

• TOEFL to IELTS score converter
• TOEFL to Duolingo English Test score converter
• TOEFL to PTE score converter

How to Read the New TOEFL Score Report

ETS publishes your official scores in your ETS account within 72 hours of your test. You can send up to 4 score reports to institutions you select during registration; additional reports are available for a fee through your account.

The new score report shows four section bands (each on the 1-6 scale, in half-point increments) and one overall band (the average of the four, rounded to the nearest half). During the two-year transition after January 2026, the report also includes a comparable overall score on the 0-120 scale, representing the midpoint of the corresponding old-scale total range. There are no 0-30 section scores on the new report.

So a new report at band 5.5 overall might also show "comparable 110/120" as a transition figure, because 110 sits in the middle of the 107+ range that maps to 5.5. The comparable 0-120 is an overall figure only, and it sunsets around early 2028.

MyBest Scores Under the New System

MyBest Scores, the ETS feature that combines your highest section scores across tests in the past two years, still works under the new system. The rule depends on which scale your most recent test is on:

• If your most recent test is on the new 1-6 scale, ETS converts your older 0-120 results into 1-6 bands and presents MyBest in the new scale.
• If your most recent test is still on the old 0-120 scale, MyBest shows only 0-120 results.

This matters for any student with a mix of pre- and post-January-2026 scores: as soon as one new test comes in, the whole MyBest view rebases to the new scale.

Setting a Target Score Under the New System

Most universities still publish their TOEFL requirements in the old 0-120 scale, because they have used it for years. As of mid-2026, many have not yet published equivalent 1-6 thresholds. The safest approach is to convert your existing target into a band using the ETS concordance.

For example:

• A school that required 100 on the old scale sits between band 5 (95+) and band 5.5 (107+). Aim for a 5.5 to clear the requirement with margin.
• A school that required 80 sits between band 4 (72+) and band 4.5 (86+). Aim for a 4.5.
• A school that required 70 sits between band 3.5 (58+) and band 4 (72+). Aim for a 4.

These are guides, not guarantees. Each institution sets its own requirements, and the new score report includes both numbers during the transition, so the safest signal to send is one that comfortably clears the old-scale threshold the school listed.

If Your Goal School Hasn't Published a 1-6 Cutoff Yet

Email the admissions office. Share both your section bands and the comparable 0-120 figure from your report, and reference the official ETS concordance page. The two-year dual reporting exists precisely for this case.

What's a Good TOEFL Score?

"Good" depends on what you are using the score for. A rough guide under the new 1-6 scale:

• University admissions (selective): overall band 4.5 to 5.5 (CEFR B2 to C1), which corresponds to roughly 90 to 110 on the old 0-120 scale.
• University admissions (entry-level): overall band 4.0 (CEFR B2), corresponding to about 80 on the old scale.
• Graduate or postgraduate programs: many programs ask for overall band 5.0 or higher.
• Visa and immigration use cases: minimum scores vary by country and visa class. Check the specific authority's requirements before testing.

Universities are still updating their published cutoffs to the new scale. The dual reporting on score reports for two years gives institutions time to adjust, and gives you a comparable old-scale number to send if a school has not yet published a 1-6 threshold. For specific institutional requirements, contact the admissions office directly and cite the official ETS concordance.

What This Means for Your Preparation

The scoring change is a reporting change. The English skills tested (Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing) are the same skills tested before. What changed alongside scoring is the format itself: 90-minute test, multistage adaptive Reading and Listening, and new question types in every section.

The practical takeaway is to prepare for the format, not the scale. The 1-6 band on your report will be a direct readout of how well you performed on the new question types, especially the new Reading and Listening adaptive questions and the new Writing tasks (Build a Sentence and Write an Email). Compared to those format changes, the new score scale is the easy part.

FAQ

Is My Pre-2026 TOEFL Score Still Valid?

Yes. TOEFL scores are valid for 2 years from your test date, whether they were issued on the old 0-120 scale or the new 1-6 scale. A score earned on October 15, 2025 stays valid until October 15, 2027.

How Long Will the 0-120 Score Appear on New Reports?

For two years after January 21, 2026. During this transition, every new score report includes a "comparable overall score" on the 0-120 scale alongside the new 1-6 band. After this period, the 0-120 number sunsets and reports show only the 1-6 scale.

Does the New 1-6 Score Mean the TOEFL Is Easier?

No. The scale changed, but the test does not get easier or harder because of how scores are reported. The English skills tested are the same. The January 2026 update also changed the format (90 minutes, new question types, adaptive Reading and Listening), but the level needed for a given proficiency band did not move.

Will Universities Accept a 1-6 TOEFL Score?

Most institutions accept TOEFL scores in whatever scale ETS issues. During the two-year dual-reporting period, every new report shows both a 1-6 overall band and a comparable 0-120 figure, so admissions teams can use whichever they recognize. If your goal school has not yet published its 1-6 cutoff, share both numbers and link to the official ETS concordance.

How Does a 95 on the Old Scale Compare to a 5 on the New Scale?

According to ETS's official concordance, an overall 1-6 band of 5 corresponds to a total in the 95+ range on the old 0-120 scale. So a 95 falls in band 5 territory. A 107 falls in band 5.5, and a 114 reaches band 6.

Should I Retake the TOEFL Just to Get a New-Scale Score?

Probably not. ETS converts older 0-120 scores into 1-6 bands automatically in the MyBest Scores section once your most recent test is on the new scale. If you take a new TOEFL after January 21, 2026, your earlier tests will appear on the new scale on the same report. Retake the test only if your old score is close to expiring or no longer meets your goal school's requirement.