110–120
Advanced High
Near-native command of academic English. Competitive for top-tier US/UK universities, selective scholarships and PhD programmes.
CEFR: C1–C2
TOEFL score guide
TOEFL Score Guide: What Every Score from 0 to 120 Really Means
The TOEFL iBT total score runs from 0 to 120. Unlike IELTS, TOEFL does not average your sections — each of the four skills (Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking) is scored on its own 0–30 scale, and the four scores are simply added together. Understand exactly how each section reaches its 0–30 score, what a total score of 80, 100 or 110 actually means, and what universities and visa programmes typically require.
How the Total Score is Calculated
Add your four section scores (Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking) — each already scaled to 0–30. Unlike IELTS, there is no averaging or rounding: the sum is your final score.
Reading24
Listening23
Writing22
Speaking21
Total (sum)Score 90
TOEFL Score Bands — 0 to 120 Explained
95–109
Advanced
Strong, consistent command across all four skills. Meets the bar for most graduate programmes and research degrees.
CEFR: C1
79–94
High-Intermediate
Solid working command with occasional gaps. The typical minimum for most undergraduate admissions.
CEFR: B2
60–78
Intermediate
Functional but inconsistent command. Accepted by many undergraduate and foundation-year programmes, sometimes with conditions.
CEFR: B1–B2
35–59
Low-Intermediate
Basic academic English with frequent gaps. Typically requires a pathway or foundation course before direct university entry.
CEFR: A2–B1
0–34
Basic
Limited command of academic English. Below most direct-entry admission requirements.
CEFR: below A2
TOEFL Score Requirements — University & Visa Benchmarks
Requirements vary by institution and programme. Always check the specific department's official admissions page — the numbers below are common benchmarks, not guarantees.
61–80
Total
- Many state university undergraduate programmes (US)
- Foundation and pathway programmes
- Some community college transfer pathways
80–90
Total
- Most competitive undergraduate programmes
- Many taught master's degrees
- Common baseline for STEM graduate admissions
90–100
Total
- Top-30 ranked universities (undergraduate and graduate)
- Competitive MBA and business school programmes
- Research-intensive graduate programmes
100+
Total
- Ivy League and equivalent top-tier institutions
- Fully-funded scholarships and fellowships
- Some programmes also set a minimum per-section score (e.g. 22+ in Speaking)
How Each Section Reaches Its 0–30 Score
Reading Adaptive Scoring
Two modules of 3 passages and 20 questions each. Module 1 is identical for everyone; your raw score on it decides whether Module 2 is the harder or standard set.
- Correct answers across both modules are converted to a scaled 0–30 score.
- Scoring the harder Module 2 correctly yields a higher scaled score for the same raw count than the standard set.
Listening Adaptive Scoring
Two modules of conversations and lectures. Like Reading, Module 1 determines whether Module 2 is harder or standard.
- Raw correct-answer counts across both modules are converted to a scaled 0–30 score.
- You cannot replay audio, so accuracy on first listen matters more than on Reading.
Writing Three Tasks, Averaged
Build a Sentence, Write an Email and Academic Discussion are each scored independently on a 0–5 rubric, then combined into a scaled 0–30 section score.
- Task completionDoes the response fully address what was asked?
- Language useGrammar range and accuracy, sentence variety
- OrganisationClear structure and logical connection of ideas
Speaking Three Criteria, Averaged
Listen & Repeat (7 questions) and Interview (4 questions) responses are each scored on three criteria, then combined into a scaled 0–30 section score.
- DeliveryPace, clarity and pronunciation
- Accuracy / RelevanceHow closely the response matches what was asked or repeated
- Language QualityGrammar and vocabulary range