# TOEFL MyBest Scores: How to Use Them in 2026 | topin

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## Separate a sitting from a combined profile

ETS defines MyBest as the best section scores from valid TOEFL iBT results within the preceding two years. A report includes the selected test-date scores and a MyBest profile. Those answer different questions: what happened at one appointment, and what the strongest available section results show across appointments.

For tests reported on the current 1–6 scale, ETS says the MyBest section converts older valid 0–120-scale results into the current scale. A report from the older scale includes only results from that older scale. Use the official report, not a hand-built spreadsheet conversion, when reporting a mixed-format history.

__Invented current-scale profiles; use official ETS MyBest values in applications.__
| Profile                 | Reading | Listening | Writing | Speaking |
| ----------------------- | ------- | --------- | ------- | -------- |
| Sitting A               | 5.5     | 4.5       | 5       | 4.5      |
| Sitting B               | 5       | 5.5       | 4.5     | 5        |
| Highest section profile | 5.5     | 5.5       | 5       | 5        |

The two sitting averages are 4.875 and 5, each reported overall as 5 using the current rounding rule. The highest-section average is 5.25, which rounds to 5.5\. That arithmetic illustrates why combining can matter; it does not authorise you to declare a 5.5 single-sitting result that never occurred.

For more on the scale itself, use the [score conversion guide](/articles/toefl-score-conversion). This page focuses on the application decision, including cases where a stronger combined score is not accepted for the requirement.

## Read the receiving programme’s MyBest policy

ETS explicitly leaves MyBest acceptance to each institution. A central admissions page may not settle a department-specific rule, an assistantship requirement or a professional degree policy. Record the office, degree and intake covered by the policy, along with its URL and the date you checked it.

Stanford’s central graduate admissions page accepts MyBest and describes how to report it. Columbia GSAS’s FAQ says applicants may use results from multiple dates to meet the minimum. Harvard Griffin GSAS says it does not accept MyBest and requires each reported date separately. These examples were checked on 5 October 2026 and are limited to the named admissions units.

__Selected official institutional policies; this is a workflow comparison, not a school-wide guarantee.__
| Admissions unit              | MyBest policy                                   | Practical consequence                           |
| ---------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| Stanford Graduate Admissions | Accepted under published reporting instructions | Use one of its stated self-reporting methods    |
| Columbia GSAS                | Multiple-date results may meet the minimum      | Check the exact GSAS and programme instructions |
| Harvard Griffin GSAS         | Not accepted                                    | Use separately reported test-date results       |

If the page is silent, classify acceptance as unresolved. Ask whether the exact programme accepts MyBest for the overall and required sections, whether all contributing tests must remain valid at its deadline, and how it wants the application entered. Silence is not evidence of either acceptance or rejection.

Keep the question narrow. Asking whether a university accepts TOEFL may produce a yes that says nothing about MyBest. Include the phrase MyBest combined section scores and identify the degree. The [university requirements article](/articles/toefl-university-requirements) can help locate the relevant admissions unit, but verify its current page.

## Enter the result using the institution’s instructions

Stanford publishes two methods for self-reporting MyBest: list the tests containing the contributing section scores, or create a single MyBest entry using the as-of date from the most recent report. It also says the most recent official report can contain the desired combined result without separate official reports from every contributing sitting. That is Stanford’s procedure, not a universal form convention.

Harvard Griffin GSAS requires each reported test date separately and an official score report for each. Its no-MyBest policy means you cannot enter your strongest individual sections as if they came from the same appointment. A portal accepting the numbers technically does not mean the entry complies with the policy.

When an application has no MyBest field, consult its instructions before selecting a date or entering a combined profile. Use the official report’s labels and dates. Do not choose the latest appointment date simply because it is easiest when the institution specifies an as-of date or wants separate sittings.

For an original example, a candidate’s strongest Reading came from February and strongest Speaking from September. A combined entry labelled September TOEFL sitting misrepresents the history unless the receiving office explicitly uses that field for MyBest with its stated date rule. Keep an additional note or document only where the application permits it.

Check the reporting route as well as the field. The [score-sending guide](/articles/toefl-send-scores-deadlines) explains direct ETS delivery and matching. A correctly self-reported MyBest entry can still require an official report and the right recipient code.

## A section-focused plan still involves a full sitting

The current TOEFL iBT is a four-section test. MyBest is a score-combination feature, not permission to book a Speaking-only or Writing-only iBT retake. The general content page also says omitting a section can prevent the test being scored. Prepare to complete all four sections even if one section is your principal improvement target.

Suppose an invented programme accepts MyBest and needs 5 in every section. Your official MyBest already has R 5.5, L 5 and W 5, but S 4.5\. A useful retake objective is to demonstrate stronger Speaking while keeping the other skills active. The application purpose is specific, but the appointment and preparation routine still cover the entire exam.

Now suppose another programme requires all section minima in one sitting. An earlier Writing 5 does not rescue a new Writing 4.5 for that programme. You need a qualifying complete profile on an accepted date. That changes the study allocation and can make a rushed retake unsuitable.

Use the [retake decision framework](/articles/toefl-retake-decision-plan) to decide whether fresh practice supports another attempt. Do not assume a repeat appointment raises the target section automatically. A minimum permissible interval is not a prediction of meaningful improvement.

Before paying, ask what a successful result would change. If your combined profile already meets accepted English requirements, another half band might have no defined administrative benefit. If a programme rejects MyBest, put the single-sitting requirement at the top of the plan.

## Track the dates behind the best sections

MyBest uses valid scores from the two-year window. A strong earlier section does not stay usable indefinitely merely because it appears on an older downloaded report. Keep the contributing test dates visible and verify the current official profile when you plan to report.

Universities can also specify intake-dependent validity requirements. Do not assume every section contribution accepted by ETS is automatically within every institution’s own application window. Use the [validity calendar](/articles/toefl-score-validity-application-dates) to separate the ETS reporting window from the admissions evidence window.

An original planning example: the only Reading score meeting your desired level is from an appointment close to two years ago. A new Speaking result may improve your combined profile today, but a later reporting date could lose the old Reading contribution. Track that possibility before building an application plan around the combined result.

Create a table with each contributing score, test date, ETS availability and institution-specific acceptance date. Mark entries near expiry for a current check. The table should use actual report details, not dates inferred from when you downloaded a PDF or received an offer.

If an application spans several deadlines, check the earliest and latest requirements independently. A result accepted at one stage may need clarification for a later verification stage. Ask the institution which date controls its rule rather than assuming matriculation or application governs everywhere.

## Audit the application before sending

Review the official selected-sitting profile, official MyBest profile and receiving policy side by side. Label each clearly. Check that every section minimum and the overall requirement are evaluated under the correct accepted profile. A high overall can still hide a missing section floor.

* Confirm the named admissions unit and intake accepts MyBest.
* Use official values from the report rather than manual old-scale conversions.
* Follow the receiving institution’s date-field instructions.
* Check contributing dates against all relevant validity rules.
* Send the required official report and track matching.
* Keep placement, teaching and visa evidence rules separate from admission.

topin’s [free full-length TOEFL mock](/toefl/practice-test), marked on the official scale, can help you prepare a section that blocks your goal. Its estimates are practice evidence and do not become ETS MyBest contributions. Only valid official TOEFL results belong in the official combined profile.

The useful final answer is programme-specific: this accepted official profile meets these requirements, with these reporting instructions. That statement is stronger than MyBest is higher because it connects the number to an action the receiving office recognises.

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## FAQs

Does every university accept MyBest?

No. ETS says institutions decide. Stanford Graduate Admissions and Columbia GSAS accept it under their policies, while Harvard Griffin GSAS does not. Check the exact programme and intake.

Can old and new TOEFL scores appear together?

ETS says current-scale MyBest reports convert older valid scores into the 1–6 scale. Older-scale reports include only older-scale results. Use the official profile rather than converting contributions yourself.

Can I retake just Speaking?

MyBest is not a one-section retake. A current iBT appointment covers all four sections, and completing the test remains necessary.

Which date do I enter for MyBest?

Follow the receiving institution’s instructions. Stanford specifies an as-of-date method as one option. Do not assume that method applies to another institution.

Can a practice mock contribute to MyBest?

No. Practice scores can guide preparation but are not official ETS test results. MyBest uses valid official TOEFL iBT section scores.

## Sources (checked 5 October 2026)

* [ETS: score validity, MyBest and reviews; checked 5 October 2026](https://www.ets.org/toefl/test-takers/ibt/scores/understand-scores.html)
* [ETS: 2026–27 TOEFL iBT Information Bulletin; checked 5 October 2026](https://www.ets.org/content/dam/ets-org/pdfs/toefl/toefl-ibt-bulletin.pdf)
* [ETS: current test content and structure; checked 5 October 2026](https://www.ets.org/toefl/test-takers/ibt/about/content.html)
* [Stanford Graduate Admissions: tests, exemptions and reporting; checked 5 October 2026](https://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/apply/test-scores)
* [Columbia GSAS: MyBest and English waiver FAQ; checked 5 October 2026](https://www.gsas.columbia.edu/content/frequently-asked-questions)
* [Harvard Griffin GSAS: English proficiency policy; checked 5 October 2026](https://gsas.harvard.edu/apply/applying-degree-programs/english-proficiency)

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