On 21 January 2026, the TOEFL iBT introduced a new score scale. Each of the four sections — Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking — is now scored from 1 to 6 in half-point steps, and so is the overall score.
How the overall score works
Your overall score is the average of your four section scores, rounded to the nearest half band. For example, section scores of 5, 5, 5 and 5.5 average to 5.125, which rounds to an overall score of 5.
The CEFR connection
The new scale is aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). A 5 in any section corresponds to C1, and a 6 to C2. This makes it easier to compare your TOEFL score with university requirements stated as CEFR levels.
What about the 0–120 score?
For a two-year transition period, score reports also show a comparable overall score on the old 0–120 scale. That helps universities that still state their requirements on the old scale.
The format changed too
Reading and Listening are now multistage adaptive, and the task types have been updated. Make sure any practice material you use is written for the 2026 format.
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