How is the TOEFL Score Calculated?

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is one of the most popular English language proficiency exams worldwide, widely used to assess the English proficiency of students and professionals from non-English-speaking countries.

The test is administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) in the United States and aims to evaluate candidates' abilities in English listening, speaking, reading, and writing. TOEFL scores are commonly used for purposes such as applying for study abroad programs, immigration, employment, and professional certification.

The TOEFL exam consists of four sections: Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing.

Each section is scored on a scale of 30 points, with a total possible score of 120 points. Each section has its corresponding scoring criteria.

Here is an overview of the scoring criteria for each section:

As the Listening and Reading sections have standard answers, let's just discuss the scoring criteria for Speaking and Writing.

Speaking

Each speaking task is initially scored by the examiner on a scale of 0-4 points, with the following scoring criteria:

• A score of 4 indicates a complete and well-organized response with accurate language use and clear expression. There may be minor issues with pronunciation and intonation.
• A score of 3 indicates the ability to convey relevant information, but the response may lack completeness in structure, and language use may be limited. There could be minor grammar and vocabulary errors, with not severe issues in pronunciation and intonation.
• A score of 2 indicates a response that addresses the question but lacks completeness in structure. The language proficiency may be lower, and there are likely to be more significant grammar and vocabulary errors. Pronunciation and intonation issues may be more noticeable.
• A score of 1 suggests a vague or confusing response with chaotic structure, poor grammar and vocabulary use, and serious issues with pronunciation and intonation.

Writing

TOEFL writing scoring includes both automated scoring and human scoring.

Automated scoring is primarily done through E-rater, which evaluates aspects such as the correctness of grammar, appropriate word usage, and accurate spelling and capitalization in the candidate's essay. Each candidate's essay undergoes evaluation by two automated scoring systems.

Human scoring is conducted by ETS raters. For Integrated and Academic Discussion writing tasks, two different raters assign scores.

TOEFL writing raw scores range from 0 to 5 points. Candidate scores are categorized into three levels: GOOD (4.0-5.0), FAIR (2.5-3.5), LIMITED (1.0-2.0). The final score is calculated by averaging the scores of the two tasks and then converting it into a 30-point scale.