# TOEFL Score Conversion 2026: Bands 1–6 to 120 | topin On this page ## Every band: old range, printed score and CEFR Since 21 January 2026, ETS reports each section and the overall score from 1 to 6 in half steps. For a two-year transition, every report also shows a comparable overall score on the old 0–120 scale. ETS says that figure is the midpoint of the band's old range, and gives one example: 4.5 is printed as 90. __Old ranges and CEFR: ETS, checked 4 October 2026\. Printed scores other than 90 come from real 2026 score reports (toeflresources.com), not an ETS table.__ | Band | Old 0–120 range | Printed on new reports | CEFR | | ---- | --------------- | ---------------------- | ---- | | 6 | 114–120 | 118 | C2 | | 5.5 | 107–113 | 110 | C1 | | 5 | 95–106 | 100 | C1 | | 4.5 | 86–94 | 90 (ETS example) | B2 | | 4 | 72–85 | 80 | B2 | | 3.5 | 58–71 | 65 | B1 | | 3 | 44–57 | 51 | B1 | | 2.5 | 34–43 | 38 | A2 | | 2 | 24–33 | 28 | A2 | | 1.5 | 12–23 | Not yet confirmed | A1 | | 1 | 0–11 | Not yet confirmed | A1 | ETS publishes only the start of each range ("95+", "107+"); the end of each range is simply one below the next band's start. The printed figures are close to the arithmetic midpoints but not always exact: 114–120 has a midpoint of 117, yet reports show 118\. Nobody we found has published a report below band 2, so we've left bands 1 and 1.5 blank rather than guess. ## Look up your old score [Took the test before 21 January 2026](/articles/old-vs-new-toefl), or have a target written in old points? Find the number below to see which band it falls in, and what a new report would print for that band. __Derived from ETS's comparison ranges; printed scores as seen on 2026 reports.__ | Old 0–120 total | Band | Printed on a new report | | --------------- | ---- | ----------------------- | | 61 | 3.5 | 65 | | 70 | 3.5 | 65 | | 72 | 4 | 80 | | 79 | 4 | 80 | | 80 | 4 | 80 | | 85 | 4 | 80 | | 86 | 4.5 | 90 | | 90 | 4.5 | 90 | | 94 | 4.5 | 90 | | 95 | 5 | 100 | | 100 | 5 | 100 | | 105 | 5 | 100 | | 107 | 5.5 | 110 | | 110 | 5.5 | 110 | | 114 | 6 | 118 | Notice the jumps at the edges: an old 85 and 86 are one point apart but land a whole half band apart, while 95 and 106 share band 5\. If your old score sat just below a boundary, a small improvement on the new test can move you up a band. * Mistake: reading "95+" as "band 5 prints 95". It prints 100. * Mistake: assuming band × 20 always works. It matches the printed score for bands 4 to 5.5, but band 6 prints 118 and band 3.5 prints 65. * Mistake: typing a number from inside the range, such as 105, on an application form. * Mistake: converting each section to 0–30 and adding them up. ## Why ETS says "95+" but your report says 100 Both are correct; they answer different questions. "95+" is where band 5 starts on ETS's comparison chart, so an old 95, 100 or 106 all sit in band 5\. "100" is the single number printed next to a band 5 on a new report. A band 5 candidate never sees 95 printed, and an old 110 is band 5.5, not band 5. This is also why ETS recommends band 5 to universities that used to ask for 100\. In its words, choosing 5.5 "might reduce the chances of accepting applicants with an equivalent score of less than 100, but it will increase the chances of not accepting qualified candidates with an equivalent score of 100 or even higher." Universities don't have to follow that advice, and some don't. ## The scores you can't get on a new report Because each band prints one fixed figure, a new report jumps from 100 to 110 to 118\. You can't be printed 101–109, 111–117, 119 or 120\. That's a reporting effect, not a sign that your extra marks were ignored: a stronger performance inside band 5 still prints 100. * An old-format 102 or 120 (taken before 21 January 2026) is still a real, valid score. * If a form asks for 0–120, enter the figure printed on your report, never a number from inside the band's range. * If a scholarship asks for 105 and has no band field, ask the administrator which band they accept, and send your band and printed score together. ## Which band to aim for when a university still lists 0–120 __ETS's recommended replacements for old minimums, checked 4 October 2026\. Each university sets its own rule.__ | Old minimum | ETS recommended band | What to check | | ----------- | -------------------- | --------------------------------- | | 70 | 3.5 | Whether the programme adopted it | | 80 | 4 | Section minimums, set separately | | 90 | 4.5 | Whether the programme adopted it | | 100 | 5 | Some programmes chose 5.5 instead | Treat these as a starting point. Harvard Griffin GSAS asks for 5, while Columbia GSAS asks for 5.5, though both used to sit around 95–100\. If a page still lists only 0–120, ETS advises comparing your printed comparable score against it. Our [TOEFL university requirements guide](/articles/toefl-university-requirements) lists 40 published band policies. ## Band 5 doesn't mean 25 in every old section ETS publishes separate comparisons for each section, and they don't line up neatly. "Multiply the band by five" gives 25 for every band 5 section, which is wrong for most of them. __ETS section comparisons for band 5 on the old 0–30 scale, checked 4 October 2026.__ | Section | Old 0–30 range for band 5 | Takeaway | | --------- | ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | | Reading | 24–26 | An old Reading 24 is already band 5 | | Listening | 22–25 | Band 5 starts lower than in other sections | | Writing | 24–26 | Same range as Reading | | Speaking | 25–26 | The narrowest, highest range | If an old requirement reads "100 overall, 25 in Speaking", don't convert the two parts yourself. Look up the programme's new overall and Speaking minimums together; many set them independently. ## How the overall band is rounded The overall is the average of your four section bands, rounded to the nearest half band. ETS's own examples: an average of 5.125 becomes 5, and 5.25 becomes 5.5\. Our [TOEFL score calculator](/toefl/score-calculator) does this arithmetic for you. __Worked examples using ETS's rounding rule (illustrative profiles).__ | Reading / Listening / Writing / Speaking | Average | Overall | What it shows | | ---------------------------------------- | ------- | ------- | ------------------------------------------- | | 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 | 5.00 | 5 | Balanced C1 profile | | 5.5 / 5 / 5 / 5 | 5.125 | 5 | One half-band gain may not move the overall | | 5.5 / 5.5 / 5 / 5 | 5.25 | 5.5 | Two gains cross the boundary | | 6 / 5 / 5 / 4 | 5.00 | 5 | The same overall can hide a weak section | If you're below a required section minimum, fix that section first; a high overall can't make up for it. If you meet every section floor and need the next overall band, the table shows you only need two sections to rise by half a band. ## TOEFL to IELTS: ETS's comparison __ETS's IELTS Academic to TOEFL comparison for tests from 21 January 2026 (selected rows), checked 4 October 2026.__ | IELTS overall | TOEFL overall | TOEFL R / L / W / S | | ------------- | ------------- | --------------------- | | 8–9 | 6 | 5.5–6 / 5.5–6 / 6 / 6 | | 7.5 | 5.5 | 5 / 5 / 5.5 / 5 | | 7 | 5 | 4.5 / 5 / 5 / 4.5 | | 6.5 | 4.5 | 4 / 4.5 / 4.5 / 4 | | 6 | 4 | 3.5 / 3.5 / 4 / 3.5 | | 5.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 / 3 / 3 / 3 | So [IELTS 7 lines up with TOEFL 5](/articles/toefl-vs-ielts-2026), and everything from IELTS 8 upwards lands on TOEFL 6\. Use this to set a first target, not to predict your result. A comparison also can't make a test acceptable where it isn't: TOEFL isn't a UK SELT and isn't accepted for Canadian Express Entry, whatever the band. ## Validity, MyBest and what to put on applications TOEFL scores are valid for two years from the test date. That's a separate clock from the two-year period in which reports also show a 0–120 score. On a report in the new format, ETS converts your older section scores to the 1–6 scale in the MyBest section, so old and new results can appear together. Whether a university accepts MyBest is its own decision. * Copy your overall band and all four section bands exactly as printed. * Use the printed comparable score wherever a form asks for 0–120. * Check section minimums, MyBest and validity rules separately for each programme. * Ask admissions about any unclear old-scale rule before paying for a retake. ## Try a full TOEFL mock free Timed like test day, every section scored, every answer explained. [Take the free mock ](/toefl/login) ## FAQs Is TOEFL band 5 equal to 100? Band 5 covers old totals of 95–106, and new score reports print it as 100\. ETS recommends band 5 to universities that used to require 100. Why does ETS say 95+ for band 5? 95 is where band 5 starts on ETS's comparison chart. Band 5.5 starts at 107, so band 5 covers 95–106. Can I get 102 on the new TOEFL? Not as a printed score: a band 5 report always shows 100, and the next figure is 110\. A 102 from the pre-2026 test is still valid. Can I get 120 on the 2026 TOEFL? No. A top band of 6 is printed as 118 on new reports, even though band 6 covers old totals of 114–120. What happens if my TOEFL average is 5.25? It rounds up to an overall 5.5\. An average of 5.125 rounds to 5. Is TOEFL 5 the same as IELTS 7? On ETS's comparison table, yes: IELTS 7 lines up with TOEFL 5\. Each university or visa authority still decides which test and scores it accepts. How long will TOEFL reports show a 0–120 score? ETS will print the comparable 0–120 score for a two-year transition after January 2026, so until about January 2028. ## Sources (checked 4 October 2026) * [ETS: score-scale update, comparison and IELTS tables](https://www.ets.org/toefl/institutions/ibt/score-scale-update.html) * [ETS: understanding TOEFL scores and MyBest](https://www.ets.org/toefl/test-takers/ibt/scores/understand-scores.html) * [ETS: sample 2026 score report (4.5 and 90)](https://www.ets.org/adobe/dynamicmedia/deliver/dm-aid--55a2d489-8f5f-41c1-8f37-582378ca9343/understand-score-sample-sheet.jpg?preferwebp=true&quality=90) * [toeflresources.com: printed scores seen on 2026 reports](https://www.toeflresources.com/blog/converting-between-old-1-120-and-new-1-6-toefl-scores/) * [Columbia GSAS: international applicant requirements](https://www.gsas.columbia.edu/content/information-international-applicants) * [Harvard Griffin GSAS: English proficiency](https://gsas.harvard.edu/apply/applying-degree-programs/english-proficiency) ## Related articles [All TOEFL study guides ](/toefl) * [TOEFLFormat & test dayOld vs new TOEFLStudied for the old TOEFL? Compare the 2026 tasks and timings, see which skills transfer, what to drop, whether it's easier, and a seven-day plan to switch.Updated 4 Oct 2026](/articles/old-vs-new-toefl) * [TOEFLVisas & immigrationTOEFL for Australian visasUsing TOEFL for an Australian visa in 2026? Book TOEFL iBT Australia at a test centre. Student visa totals, Competent to Superior section scores and date rules.Updated 4 Oct 2026](/articles/toefl-australia-visas) * [TOEFLStudy plans & strategyTOEFL Speaking 2026TOEFL Speaking 2026 has no prep time. How Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview work, how they're scored, drills for common errors and 32 practice questions.Updated 4 Oct 2026](/articles/toefl-speaking-2026) * [TOEFLAdmissionsTOEFL requirements by universityTOEFL requirements for 40 universities on the new 1–6 scale, from each school's own page: overall and section bands, old 0–120 rules and MyBest policies.Updated 4 Oct 2026](/articles/toefl-university-requirements)