TOEFL's new 1–6 score scale: what changed in January 2026
TOEFL moved from a 0–120 total to a 1–6 scale on 21 January 2026. Here is ETS's own conversion table, what the two numbers on your report mean, and which one to send a university.
If you took the TOEFL recently and your score report looks nothing like your friend's from last year, nothing has gone wrong. ETS changed the score scale on 21 January 2026.
The question almost everybody arrives with is the same one: my university asks for 90, and my report says 5 — is that enough? So that is the first thing here.
The conversion table, from ETS
ETS publishes a concordance between the two scales. These are its figures, not ours:
| New 1–6 score | Old 0–120 total |
|---|---|
| 6 | 114+ |
| 5.5 | 107+ |
| 5 | 95+ |
| 4.5 | 86+ |
| 4 | 72+ |
| 3.5 | 58+ |
| 3 | 44+ |
| 2.5 | 34+ |
| 2 | 24+ |
| 1.5 | 12+ |
| 1 | 0+ |
And per section, where the old scale ran 0–30:
| New | Reading | Listening | Speaking | Writing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 29–30 | 28–30 | 28–30 | 29–30 |
| 5.5 | 27–28 | 26–27 | 27 | 27–28 |
| 5 | 24–26 | 22–25 | 25–26 | 24–26 |
| 4.5 | 22–23 | 20–21 | 23–24 | 21–23 |
| 4 | 18–21 | 17–19 | 20–22 | 17–20 |
| 3.5 | 12–17 | 13–16 | 18–19 | 15–16 |
| 3 | 6–11 | 9–12 | 16–17 | 13–14 |
Reading it the other way: new score back to the old 0–120
Most people arrive here needing the conversion in reverse — they hold a 1–6 score and a university still states its requirement in the old numbers. The same table answers it, read right to left:
| You have | It corresponds to |
|---|---|
| 6 | 114 or above |
| 5.5 | 107 or above |
| 5 | 95 or above |
| 4.5 | 86 or above |
| 4 | 72 or above |
| 3.5 | 58 or above |
| 3 | 44 or above |
So a 5 answers a requirement stated as 95, and a 4.5 does not — it lands at 86, nine points short.
One caution that costs people offers: these are thresholds, not equivalents. A 5 means "95 or above", which could be 95 or 110. If a university asks for 100 and you hold a 5, the table cannot tell you whether you clear it. The comparable 0–120 figure printed on your own report can, and that is the number to quote.
What this table is for, and what it is not for. Use it to read a requirement — to work out that a university asking for 95 is asking for a 5, or that "no section below 20 in Listening" means a 4. Do not use it to manufacture a score for yourself. The number that goes on an application is the number printed on your report, every time.
The common case: a university that still says 90
A requirement of 90 falls between bands. On ETS's table a 4.5 is 86+ and a 5 is 95+, so 90 is comfortably above the 4.5 threshold and below the 5.
If your report is from after the change it also carries a comparable 0–120 figure — that is the number that answers their question directly, and it is the one to quote. If you have only the 1–6 score, a 5 clears a 90 requirement and a 4.5 does not reliably. That is a question for the university's admissions office, and it is a fair one to ask.
What actually changed
The old TOEFL iBT reported four sections of 0–30, added together for a total out of 120. A 95 was a strong score; a 72 was around the usual minimum.
From 21 January 2026, both the sections and the total are reported on a 1–6 scale, in half points. So a total now looks like 4.5 or 5.0, in the same shape as an IELTS band.
| Before 21 Jan 2026 | Now | |
|---|---|---|
| Each section | 0–30 | 1–6, in half points |
| Total | 0–120 | 1–6, in half points |
| How the total is worked out | the four sections added up | the four sections averaged |
That last row is the one that catches people out. On the old scale you could add your sections and get your total. On the new one you cannot — four sections of 1–6 obviously cannot add up to a total of 1–6.
The rounding rule nobody mentions
The total is the average of the four sections rounded to the nearest 0.5, and ETS gives two examples that show how tight that can be:
- an average of 5.125 rounds down to 5.0
- an average of 5.25 rounds up to 5.5
An eighth of a point separates those two outcomes. If you are sitting just under a half-point boundary, the section to work on is the weakest one, since it is pulling the average down hardest.
Why your report shows two different scores
For two years after the change, ETS prints three things on the same report: your CEFR level, your new 1–6 score, and a comparable 0–120 figure for reference.
This is deliberate, and it is there because universities restate their entry requirements at their own pace. Some admissions pages still say "TOEFL 90"; others have already moved to the new scale.
Send whichever number the university asks for. If their page still quotes a 0–120 requirement, the comparable figure on your report is the one they mean. If they have updated to 1–6, use that.
This ends in January 2028
The dual reporting is temporary. From January 2028, score reports carry only the 1–6 score — the comparable 0–120 figure disappears.
That matters if you are planning a gap year or a deferred intake. A report issued now shows both numbers and will still show both when you look at it later, because it is a document rather than a live lookup. But a test taken in 2028 will give you a 1–6 score and nothing else, and by then any university still publishing a 0–120 requirement will be the one with a problem.
What this means for your application
- Check the date on any advice you read. Almost everything written about TOEFL scores before 2026 is talking about the 0–120 scale, including a lot of forum posts and coaching-centre handouts that are still circulating.
- A 7 is not a TOEFL score. On the current scale the maximum is 6. If a form accepted a 7 from you, something entered it wrong.
- Section minimums still matter. Plenty of universities ask for an overall and a floor on each section — "no section below 4.5" is the new shape of the old "no band below 5.5". Your section scores are on your report; keep them to hand, and check them against the per-section table above rather than the total.
- Your old score has not evaporated. A report issued before 21 January 2026 is a 0–120 report and remains what it is. Universities have the same concordance we have quoted here, and they are the ones applying it.
If you are choosing which test to take
TOEFL is not your only option, and which tests are accepted depends on where you are going. Cyprus universities, for example, mostly work with IELTS and PTE. We have written that up separately in which English test to take for each destination.
If you are applying to Canada, it is also worth knowing what score you actually need before you book a test — the answer is usually lower than students assume, and it differs by programme. See what marks and IELTS band you actually need for Canada.
We match your real score against each programme's real requirement, free, and there is no fee to apply through us. If a test result is the thing standing between you and a shortlist, that is worth knowing before you pay for another sitting.
Concordance figures and the rounding examples are ETS's own, from its TOEFL iBT score scale update notice, checked 8 August 2026. Score requirements are set by each university and change without notice — always confirm against the university's own admissions page, and ask your counsellor if anything is unclear.