English practice
French practiceWhat your TOEFL iBT score means on the CEFR scale
TOEFL iBT changed scale on 21 January 2026. Scores now run from 1 to 6 in half points, and ETS designed them to line up with the CEFR directly. If you are holding an older report scored out of 120, the second table takes you across.
Checked August 8, 2026
| CEFR | TOEFL iBT score |
|---|---|
| C2 | 6 |
| C1 | 5.5 and 5 |
| B2 | 4.5 and 4 |
| B1 | 3.5 and 3 |
| A2 | 2.5 and 2 |
| A1 | 1.5 and 1 |
The same value applies to the total and to each of the four sections, which is the point of the new scale: a 5 in Speaking means C1 in speaking, and a 5 overall means C1 overall.
| New score | Reading (0-30) | Listening (0-30) | Writing (0-30) | Speaking (0-30) | 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 | 11-12 | 13-15 | 34+ |
| 2 | 3 | 4-5 | 7-10 | 10-12 | 24+ |
| 1.5 | 2 | 2-3 | 3-6 | 5-9 | 12+ |
| 1 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-2 | 0-4 | 0+ |
For exams taken before 21 January 2026. ETS notes that estimated totals on the 0 to 120 scale are the sum of the section scores and can be reached by different combinations, so the total column is a floor rather than an exact match.
Where these numbers come from
Both tables are ETS's own. The 1 to 6 scale launched on 21 January 2026, and because TOEFL scores stay valid for two years, reports on the old 0 to 120 scale stay in circulation into late 2027. During that transition ETS prints three things on a score report: the CEFR level, the 1 to 6 scores, and a comparable 0 to 120 total.
One thing genuinely changed with the scale, not just the numbers. The overall score used to be the sum of four section scores; it is now their average, rounded to the nearest half point. A weak section pulls the total down differently than it used to.
ETS's own caution applies to all of this: score comparison tables are useful as general guiding tools, but they cannot predict the exact score a given person would get on two different exams.
Sources
- TOEFL iBT Score Scale 1 to 6: CEFR & IELTS ComparisonETS, checked August 8, 2026
How our own exam reports a level
Fennec360 Certified runs its own free CEFR exam, scored out of 100. These are the bands it uses. They are a separate thing from the tables above: our exam has its own questions, its own scoring, and its own scale.
| Level | In plain words | Our score |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Beginner | 0-34 |
| A2 | Elementary | 35-49 |
| B1 | Intermediate | 50-64 |
| B2 | Upper Intermediate | 65-79 |
| C1 | Advanced | 80-89 |
| C2 | Proficiency | 90-100 |
This is not a conversion. A score on our exam does not become a score on any exam named on this page, and no exam board recognizes it as one. What it gives you is your own CEFR level, from a full exam you can sit today.
Questions people actually ask
I have a TOEFL score out of 120. What is it worth now?
Read the second table. As common examples, ETS puts 100 at 5, 90 at 4.5, 80 at 4 and 70 at 3.5 on the new scale. Your old report is still valid for two years from the test date.
Why did ETS change the scale?
To line the scores up with the CEFR. On the old 0 to 30 section scale, the same number meant a different CEFR level depending on which section it came from. On the new scale a 5 is C1 in every section.
Is the total still the sum of the four sections?
No. It is now the average of the four section scores, rounded to the nearest half point. That is a real change in how a single weak section affects your overall result.
Should an institution set the same number for each section?
That is what the new scale makes possible, and ETS recommends starting from the CEFR table when setting requirements. A single minimum now means the same level of ability in every section, which was not true before.
Where does the free Fennec360 exam fit in?
It reports a CEFR level without a TOEFL score in between, free and in about 50 minutes. It is not a TOEFL score and does not replace one, but it will tell you which level you are aiming from.
Not sure which level you are at yet?
Take a free CEFR exam and find out. About 50 minutes, four languages, no appointment and no card.
Our exam gives you a CEFR level and a certificate anyone can verify. It does not replace any official exam.