How to Compare TOEFL Scores

The TOEFL or Test of English as a Foreign Language test is a test intended to assess the level of English skills of non-native speakers. The TOEFL is given to international students studying in the United States or Canada and may be used by government agencies, scholarship committees or professional agencies.

Scores

There are no passing or failing scores for the TOEFL. On the PBT, or paper-based test, an elementary level would be indicated by a score of 380, intermediate level by score of 450, working proficiency at 550, and advanced level at 630. For the Internet-based test, or iBT, the range is 0 to 30 for each of the four sections for a possible of 120 points.

Function

For the iBT, the sections are evaluated differently. For the reading and listening sections, scores up to 14 are considered low, 15 to 21 intermediate and 22 to 30 high. For the speaking section, anything below 10 is considered weak, 10 to 17 is limited, 18 to 25 is fair, 26 to 30 is good. For the writing section, 1 to 16 is limited, 17 to 23 is fair and 24 to 30 is good.

Considerations

Schools frequently have a minimum score requirement, and different departments within the school may have higher minimums for admission. For instance, the physics department at Brown University has a minimum score requirement of 61 for the iBT and 500 for the PBT. UCLA graduate school, however, has a requirement of 87 for the iBT and 560 for the PBT.

References

• University Language Services: Interpreting Your TOEFL Scores
• Kaplan: TOEFL PBT
• Kaplan: TOEFL iBT