Content Writer at Study Abroad Exams
The TOEFL score range varies between 0 - 120 for the whole test and 0 – 30 for the individual sections. The lowest TOEFL score that one can earn on the iBT is 0. The highest TOEFL score that one can earn on the iBT is 120. A good TOEFL score increases your chances of admission to colleges and universities abroad. The TOEFL scaled scores are added together to form the total score. A good TOEFL score is either the 90th percentile or the score range of 100 - 110.
TOEFL Exam Score Range
The range TOEFL iBT score varies for individual levels. Here are each skill that has 4 or 5 proficiency levels, so where your score falls within that range tells you your proficiency for that skill.
| Skill | Level |
|---|---|
| Reading | Advanced (24–30) high-intermediate (18–23) Low-Intermediate (4–17) Below Low-Intermediate (0–3) |
| Listening | Advanced (22–30) high-intermediate (17–21) Low-Intermediate (9–16) Below Low-Intermediate (0–8) |
| Speaking | Advanced (25–30) high-intermediate (20–24) Low-Intermediate (16–19) Basic (10–15) Below Basic (0–9) |
| Writing | Advanced (24–30) high-intermediate (17–23) Low-Intermediate (13–16) Basic (7–12) Below Basic (0–6) |
TOEFL Score Range Descriptors
The TOEFL score range descriptors provided the overall performance level of the candidates. It should be understood that each of the 4 sections has distinct iBT TOEFL score ranges and the qualities to achieve that score are also stated.
TOEFL Reading Score Range Descriptors:
TOEFL Listening Score Range Descriptors:
TOEFL Speaking Score Range Descriptors:
TOEFL Writing Score Range Descriptors:
TOEFL Score Range Percentiles
Percentile rankings show how well you performed on the test compared to everyone else who took the TOEFL.
For instance, if you scored in the 40th percentile, which means you scored higher than 40% of everyone who took the test and lower than 60% of all the people who took the test. And if you scored in the 80th percentile, then you did better than 80% of everyone who took the test.
Here is the table is given below of the percentile ranks of the TOEFL iBT, both for the scaled scores of each iBT section and for total iBT TOEFL scores:
| Percentile Rank | Reading Score | Listening Score | Speaking Score | Writing Score | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 11 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 52 |
| 25th | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 68 |
| 50th | 22 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 84 |
| 75th | 26 | 26 | 24 | 25 | 97 |
| 90th | 29 | 29 | 27 | 27 | 106 |
Conversion Between iBT and PBT Scores
Here is the information about the internet based TOEFL score range and iBT/PBT conversion score chart below:
| iBT Total Score | PBT Total Score |
|---|---|
| 111 – 120 | 640 – 677 |
| 96 – 110 | 590 – 639 |
| 79 – 95 | 550 – 589 |
| 65 – 78 | 513 – 549 |
| 53 – 64 | 477 – 512 |
| 41 – 52 | 437 – 476 |
| 30 – 40 | 397 – 436 |
| 19 – 29 | 347 – 396 |
| 6 – 18 | 311 – 346 |
| 0 -5 | 310 |
For instance, you earned a 570 on the TOEFL PBT and you want to know your percentile rank. If you look to see where 570 lands on the iBT/PBT conversion chart, you can see that a PBT score of 550 – 589 is equivalent to a 79 – 95 on the iBT. 570 lies in the lower end of the spectrum, so it’s probably about equal to an 83 – 85 on the iBT. The 50th percentile for an iBT is 84, which is right in the middle of our range. A PBT score of 570, therefore, is approximately the 50th percentile.
What is a Good TOEFL Score?
According to percentile rankings, a 90th percentile is considered a good TOEFL score as it mostly forms the TOEFL minimum score of top universities. The above table stating the percentile ranking shows the sectional scores required to achieve that score. In terms of the TOEFL iBT test score range, the 100 - 110 range is considered a good score as that is required in Ivy League Schools too.
The most common score is at the 50th percentile and most people score between the 15th and 85th percentiles. But the score that matters is the score that gets you into your school of choice.
TOEFL Score Range for US Universities
According to a US News article, the average TOEFL test scores range for top US universities is 78. Here is a list of US universities and the score range to achieve their preferred universities’ TOEFL cutoffs.
| University | TOEFL Paper | TOEFL iBT |
|---|---|---|
| Adelphi University | 550 | 80 |
| American University | 600 | 100 |
| Andrews University | 550 | - |
| Arizona State University | 500 | 61 |
| Auburn University | 550 | 79 |
| Azusa Pacific University | 587 | 94 |
| Ball State University | 550 | 79 |
| Barry University | 550 | 79 |
| Baylor University | 540 | 76 |
| Boston College | 600 | 100 |
| Bowling Green State University | 520 | 61 |
| Wesleyan University | 600 | 100 |
| Yale University | 600 | 100 |
| University of Chicago | 600 | 100 |
| Washington University in St. Louis | 550 | 80 |
| University of Washington | 100 | 90 |
| Williams College | 580-600 | 93-100 |
| University of Tulsa | 525 | 75 |
| University of Southern California (USC) | 600 | - |
| University of San Francisco | - | 80 |
| University of Rochester | 600 | 100 |
| University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) | 600 | 100 |
| University of Michigan | 600 | 100 |
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.
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