Many test takers find the TOEFL scoring to be somewhat confusing, but this score calculator will explain how the TOEFL score is calculated.Most often the TOEFL is administered online and is made up of 4 sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing. Each section first gets a raw score and then it is scaled between 0 and 30. Then these 4 scores are added together for a final score of between 0 and 120. First, let’s see how the raw scores are calculated for each section. Then we will see how to scale the raw scores out of 30.
Raw Scores
Each section has a different format and structure, and therefore the raw scores for each section also differs.
TOEFL Sections | Calculation | Raw Score Range |
---|---|---|
Reading Section | 1 point per question* | 0-45 |
Listening Section | 1 point per question | 0-34 |
Speaking Section | 0-4 score per task | 0-24 |
Writing Section | 0-5 score per task | 0-10 |
*Except the Reading to Learn question which is worth 2 points.
Reading Section
The Reading Section is administered through multiple-choice questions. The number of questions can vary depending on the number of reading passages. The average number of questions is 44. Each correct answer is worth one point, except for the Reading to Learn question. There is usually only one Reading to Learn question, and it is worth 2 points. Therefore, the raw score for the Reading Section is from 0 to 45.
Listening Section
The Listening Section is also administered through multiple-choice questions. The number of questions can vary depending on the number of audio clips, but usually there are only 34 questions. Each correct answer is worth one point, so the raw score for the Listening Section is from 0 to 34.
Speaking Section
The Speaking Sectionis administered through six tasks. Each task is scored individually and totaled together for a raw score. The Speaking Section tasks are scored between 0 and 4, so a total raw score in this section is between 0 and 24. Here is the rubric for the Speaking Section:
0 = Didn’t answer, answered in a language other than English, or the speech was incomprehensible.
1 = Speech was minimally related to topic, speech had numerous errors, was choppy, and/or was largely incomprehensible.
2 = Speech mostly stuck to topic, but didn’t completely answer the question or follow the prompt. Speech was basically intelligible, but had several mistakes in pronunciation, grammar, or was too simple in vocabulary and style.
3 = Speech addresses and fulfills topic, with minor exceptions. Speech is mostly intelligible and fluid, though may have some issues with pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary. Demonstrates a fairly automatic and fluid mastery of English, with some notable lapses.
4 = Speech addresses and completely fulfills topic. Speech has a fluid and well-paced flow, with only minor lapses in pronunciation or grammar. Was coherent, intelligible, complete, and shows an automatic and fluid master of English.
Writing Section
The Writing Section is administered through two tasks. Each task is scored individually and totaled together for a raw score. The Writing Section tasks are scored between 0 and 5, so a total raw score in this section is between 0 and 10. Here is the rubric for the Writing Section:
0 = No essay, essay is unconnected to the topic, or essay is not in English.
1 = Little or no response to the prompt, or essay is mostly incomprehensible.
2 = Essay somewhat follows topic, but shows significant difficulties in language, organization, and development. Uses no or very few examples.
3 = Essay mostly follows topic and has some general organization and development. Uses some examples, but only vaguely connects them to the thesis or misses key points. Has some errors in grammar or vocabulary.
4 = Essays follows topic, but is somewhat unorganized or is not fully developed. Essay uses relevant examples, but lacks some clarity or connection between examples and thesis statement.
5 = Essays follows topic, is well developed and organized and uses relevant examples. Clearly ties examples to thesis statement. Essay demonstrates accurate use of vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure with some minor errors.
Scaled Scores
The final TOEFL score (out of 120) is the sum of the scaled score for each section (out of 30). The scaled scoresare what you will see in your results report, so in order to prepare for the TOEFL, you need to know how to covert the raw score to scaled score for each section. Note, each TOEFL exam is different, so this is just a and not an official conversion.
Scaled Score | Reading | Listening | Speaking | Writing |
---|---|---|---|---|
30 | 45, 44 | 34 | 24 | 10 |
29 | 43, 42, 41 | 33 | 23 | — |
28 | 40, 39 | — | 22 | 9 |
27 | 38, 37 | 32 | — | — |
26 | 36 | 31 | 21 | — |
25 | 35, 34 | 30 | 20 | 8 |
24 | 33 | 29 | 19 | — |
23 | 32 | — | 18 | — |
22 | 31 | 28 | 17 | 7 |
21 | 30 | — | — | — |
20 | 29 | 27 | 16 | 6 |
19 | 28 | 26 | 15 | — |
18 | 27 | 25 | 14 | — |
17 | 26 | 24 | 13 | 5 |
16 | 25 | 23 | 12 | — |
15 | 24 | 22 | — | — |
14 | 23 | 21 | 11 | 4 |
13 | 22 | 20 | — | — |
12 | — | 19 | 10 | 3 |
11 | 21 | — | 9 | — |
10 | 20 | 18 | 8 | — |
9 | 19 | 17 | — | — |
8 | 18 | 16 | 7 | 2 |
7 | 17 | 15 | — | — |
6 | — | 14 | 6 | — |
5 | 16 | 13 | 5 | 1 |
4 | 15 | 12 | 4 | — |
3 | 14 | 11 | 3 | — |
2 | 13, 12 | 10 | — | — |
1 | 11, 10 | 9 | 2 | — |
0 | 9 and below | 8 and below | 1, 0 | 0 |