In this article we explain the different concepts related to the TOEFL scoring process and

also how the test is scored.

TOEFL Test Pattern

TOEFL is of two types: TOEFL iBT and PBT. TOEFL iBT is delivered via internet. The test
measures your ability to use and understand English at the university level. It checks how
well you combine your listening, reading, speaking and writing skills to perform academic
tasks. TOEFL PBT is administered in a paper format and is currently offered only in
locations where the test cannot be taken via internet.

There are four sections (listening, reading, speaking, and writing) in the TOEFL iBT, which
consumes total of about four and a half hours to complete, including check in.

How to understand your TOEFL scores: TOEFL iBT Pattern

Section Time Limit Questions Tasks

Reading 60–80 36–56 Read 3 or 4 passages from academic texts and answer
minutes questions questions.
Listening 60–90 34–51 Listen to lectures, classroom discussions and
minutes questions conversations, answer questions.
Break 10 Minutes   -  
Speaking 20 minutes 6 tasks Express an opinion on a familiar topic; speak based on
reading and listening tasks.
Writing 50 minutes 2 tasks Write essay responses based on reading and listening
tasks; support an opinion in writing.

The TOEFL PBT test takes about three and one-half hours to complete. There is also a 30-
minute writing test, called the Test of Written English (TWE) test, required of everyone who
takes the paper-delivered test. The total time to take both tests is about four hours.

How to understand your TOEFL scores: TOEFL PBT Pattern

Time No. of
Section Description
Limit Questions
Listening Measures the ability to understand spoken 30-40
50
Comprehension English minutes
Structure and Written Measures the ability to recognize language
25 minutes 40
Expression appropriate for standard written English
Reading Measures the ability to understand non-
55 minutes 50
Comprehension technical reading material
TWE® Test Measures the ability to write in English 30 minutes 1 topic

What does the TOEFL test include?

TOEFL iBT
Reading: The reading section comprises 36–56 questions, where you have to read some passages
from academic textbooks and answer accordingly. The section TOEFL score ranges from 0 to 30
similar to the listening section.

No. Of questions Duration Scores

36–56 60–80 minutes 0–30 (1 Point for each correct response)

Listening: This section comprises 34–51 questions where you are required to listen to lectures,
different kinds of conversations including classroom discussions. After which, you have to answer
questions surrounding the discussions. The listening section measures test takers abilities to
understand English in everyday settings.

No. Of Duration Scores

questions
34–51 60–90 0–30 (1 Point for each correct response or 2 points for
minutes questions worth 2 points)

Speaking: It comprises six tasks which is rated from TOEFL scores 0 to 4. This is later
converted to a TOEFL score of 0 to 30. In the speaking section, you may hear two tasks that
may have speech with accents. The two tasks are 15 seconds long each, thus you will have 45
seconds to respond. The listening and speaking section includes native English speaker with
accents from North America. Thus, you are likely to hear speech in different accents from
Australia, New Zealand and UK.

No. Of questions Duration Scores

6 tasks 20 minutes 0–30 (1 Point for each correct response)

Here is an example of the two speech:

Audio
Transcript
File
Item 1 If friends from another country were going to spend time in your country, what city
(MP3) or place would you suggest they visit? Using details and examples, explain why.
Some people enjoy taking risks and trying new things. Others are not adventurous;
Item 2
they are cautious and prefer to avoid danger. Which behavior do you think is better?
(MP3)
Explain why.

Writing: The writing section has two tasks, where you have to write essay responses based
on the reading and listening tasks. You have to support your opinion in the writing section. In
this section, TOEFL scores are rated from 0 to 5 are converted to a scale of 0 to 30.

How to understand and calculate TOEFL scores

The scoring pattern of TOEFL is different from other English proficiency tests like PTE and
IELTS. While all three English language proficiency test your understanding of the foreign
language, each test has different test pattern and duration. TOEFL score is measured on a 0–
120 scale, i.e. 0–30 TOEFL scores for each section.

 
TOEFL Score Scale

Skill Score Range Level

Reading 0–30 High (22–30)
Intermediate (15–21)
Low (0–14)
Listening 0–30 High (22–30)
Intermediate (15–21)
Low (0–14)
Speaking 0–30 score scale Good (26–30)
Fair (18–25)
Limited (10–17)
Weak (0–9)
Writing 0–30 score scale Good (24–30)
Fair (17–23)
Limited (1–16)
 Total Score 0–120  

How to understand and calculate TOEFL scores?

Although the score range for each of the four test sections (Listening, Reading, Speaking, and
Writing) is from 0 to 30, each section has separate measure and each measure has its own
scale.

Here, we bring you the way to calculate TOEFL scores for each sections of the exam.

How to understand and calculate TOEFL scores: Reading

The reading section has multiple choice items, thus your TOEFL scores are based on your
performance.  The Reading section has 36–56 tasks based on reading passages from academic
texts and answering questions. You will receive one point for each correct response except
for the last question of each set, which is worth two points. The total TOEFL scores for the
reading section are then converted to a score on a scale of 0–30.

How to understand and calculate TOEFL scores: Listening

The Listening section has 34–51 tasks based on listening to lectures, classroom discussions
and conversations, then answering questions. Candidates are allotted one point for each
correct answer. Some questions are even worth 2 points. The total points that you receive are
converted to 0–30 a scale.

 
How to understand and calculate TOEFL scores: Speaking

Speaking skills are scored with a SpeechRater program - an automated scoring system for
TOEFL speaking test. The SpeechRater program uses all six tasks responses to determine
your overall speaking abilities, which is then converted to TOEFL scores on a scale of 0–30.

How to understand and calculate TOEFL scores: Writing

While the two writing tasks are scored by e-rater automatic scoring technology. The score
range for the writing skill is from 1 (low) to 5 (high), your writing task rating is summed and
converted to a score on a scale of 0–30. Candidates might even get 0 for wrong answers. 

Extra questions:

The test you take may include extra questions in the Reading or Listening section that do not
count toward your TOEFL score. These are either questions that allow ETS to make test
scores comparable across administrations or new questions that help ETS determine how
such questions function under actual testing conditions. It is recommended to read the timing
instructions for the Reading Section carefully. The instructions will indicate how many
passages you will receive and the amount of time you have to respond to questions for those
passages. Make sure to pace yourself so that you have time to answer all the questions
without leaving any answered.

TOEFL scores are recognised by over 9000 colleges, universities and organisations, being
one of the most popular tests conducted to evaluate a candidate’s English language
proficiency. It is taken across 130 test centres in the world, TOEFL is a highly competitive
test of your English proficiency since it facilitates admission at some of the most well–
known universities in the world.