TOEFL Scoring Overview
The TOEFL exam is divided into four sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. The total score is 120 points, with each section contributing 30 points.
Reading (30 points)
- Structure: 3 passages, 12–14 questions each. If there’s an experimental passage, only 3 are scored.
- Raw Scores: 42 to 45 total, scaled to 30 points.
- Scoring:
- Single-choice: 1 point each
- Multiple-choice: 2–4 points depending on correct options
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- Example: Miss 5 single-choice and 3 multi-choice options → lose 8 raw points → 37/45 raw score → ~27 scaled score.
Listening (30 points)
- Structure: Around 40 questions.
- Question Types: Multiple-choice, multi-select.
- Scoring: Raw scores scaled proportionally to 30 points.
Speaking (30 points)
- Structure: 4 tasks (independent & integrated).
- Criteria: Delivery, Language Use, Topic Development.
- Scoring: Each task rated 1–4, total converted to 30 points.
Writing (30 points)
- Tasks:
- Integrated (150–225 words): Reading + Listening summary
- Independent (300+ words): Opinion essay
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- Evaluation:
- Expression, Organization, Examples, Flow, Sentence Variety
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- Scoring: Each task rated 0–5, total converted to 30 points.
Target Scores for Top U.S. Universities
- 100+: Highly competitive for Top 30 universities
- 80–100: Minimum threshold for many schools
For official score conversion charts, visit the ETS TOEFL website.
