Convert between IELTS and TOEFL iBT on both current scales. Since 21 January 2026 TOEFL reports a 1— score (in 0.5 steps) aligned to CEFR, alongside a comparable old 0–20 total until January 2028. This converter uses ETS's own comparison tables for both —most sites still show only the obsolete 2010 mapping.
Use your overall band, not a section score. The conversion for section skills differs, and admissions floors are set on the overall band.
For the 1— scale enter 1 to 6 in half-point steps. For the 0–20 scale enter the total from 0 to 120.
6.5 is the most common graduate-programme floor —meets it.
Equivalent to about a 4.5 on the new TOEFL scale or 81–0 on the old one. Selective programmes and many taught master's start at 7.0. Universities set their own floors, so check the exact wording —post-January 2026 requirements may be written in either scale.
On 21 January 2026, TOEFL iBT replaced its 0–20 total with a 1— score reported in 0.5 increments. The change exists so each score maps directly to the CEFR —the global language framework most students already learn against —and so a score means the same thing across all four sections. A 5 in any section is C1; a 5 total is C1.
The total is the average of the four section scores, rounded to the nearest half band (5.125 →5.0; 5.25 →5.5). Scores align to CEFR: 6 = C2, 5—.5 = C1, 4—.5 = B2, 3—.5 = B1, 2—.5 = A2, 1—.5 = A1.
For two years every score report carries both scales: the CEFR level, the 1— section and total scores, and a comparable 0–20 total (the midpoint of the equivalent range). A 4.5, for instance, is accompanied by a 90. Old reports stay valid for their full two-year shelf life.
Because several old-scale totals collapse into one new band, the two tables on this page can place the same IELTS score in slightly different spots. That is expected, not an error —the 1— table is the comparison ETS wants used for tests taken on or after 21 January 2026, and the 0–20 table is the reference for older scores and for requirements still written in the old scale.
One requirement frequently quoted in the old scale: ETS explicitly recommends a new-scale 5 as the working equivalent for institutions that previously asked for a TOEFL total of 100 (which maps to 95–06), a 4.5 for an old 90, a 4 for an old 80, and a 3.5 for an old 70.
This is ETS's official comparison for the updated scale, published in the TOEFL Score Scale Update: A Guide for Institutions. Total scores are based on the average of the section scores, rounded up to the next half band to minimise false positive classifications.
| IELTS overall | TOEFL Reading (1—) | TOEFL Listening (1—) | TOEFL Writing (1—) | TOEFL Speaking (1—) | TOEFL Total (1—) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.0 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 8.5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 8.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 7.5 | 5 | 5 | 5.5 | 5 | 5.5 |
| 7.0 | 4.5 | 5 | 5 | 4.5 | 5 |
| 6.5 | 4 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4 | 4.5 |
| 6.0 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4 | 3.5 | 4 |
| 5.5 | 3.5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3.5 |
| 5.0 | 3 | 2.5 | 2 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| 4.5 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 2 | 2 |
| 4.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
ETS's alignment between the two TOEFL scales. Old total scores are the sum of the four section scores, so different section combinations can produce the same total. A 5, for example, covers old totals of 95–06.
| TOEFL score (1—) | Reading (0–0) | Listening (0–0) | Writing (0–0) | Speaking (0–0) | Total (0–20) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 29–0 | 28–0 | 29–0 | 28–0 | 114+ |
| 5.5 | 27–8 | 26–7 | 27–8 | 27 | 107+ |
| 5 | 24–6 | 22–5 | 24–6 | 25–6 | 95+ |
| 4.5 | 22–3 | 20–1 | 21–3 | 23–4 | 86+ |
| 4 | 18–1 | 17–9 | 17–0 | 20–2 | 72+ |
| 3.5 | 12–7 | 13–6 | 15–6 | 18–9 | 58+ |
| 3 | 6–1 | 9–2 | 13–4 | 16–7 | 44+ |
| 2.5 | 4— | 6— | 11–2 | 13–5 | 34+ |
| 2 | 3 | 4— | 7–0 | 10–2 | 24+ |
| 1.5 | 2 | 2— | 3— | 5— | 12+ |
| 1 | 0— | 0— | 0— | 0— | 0+ |
From ETS Research Report RR-25-02, a score concordance study between IELTS Academic and TOEFL iBT based on 937 test takers who sat both tests. Each IELTS overall band corresponds to a range of old-scale TOEFL totals; the ranges are equipercentile equivalents, not predictions of an individual's score.
| IELTS Academic overall | TOEFL iBT total (0–20) |
|---|---|
| 9.0 | 120 |
| 8.5 | 115–19 |
| 8.0 | 108–14 |
| 7.5 | 100–07 |
| 7.0 | 91–9 |
| 6.5 | 81–0 |
| 6.0 | 67–0 |
| 5.5 | 51–6 |
| 5.0 | 37–0 |
| 4.5 | 26–6 |
| 4.0 | 14–5 |
Both ETS tables are authoritative but answer different questions: the 1— table is for scores from 21 January 2026 onward, and the 0–20 table for older scores and older published requirements. When a programme quotes a band in one scale, read it in that scale's table.
ETS's official comparison for the updated scale. The one to use for tests taken from 21 January 2026 and for any programme requirement now written in 1—.
The concordance study RR-25-02, based on 937 test takers. The reference for old-scale scores, valid reports still in circulation, and requirements still quoted as 0–20.
What actually decides an application. Programmes set their own floors (commonly IELTS 6.5 / TOEFL 4.5 for master's), and may require both an overall band and minimum section scores.
ETS's tables are score-comparison tools, not a promise that two scores are interchangeable for admission. A university's English requirement is set by the university, often on the CEFR level or on one specific test. If you have taken only one of these tests, report that score —don't present a converted number as if it were earned on the other test.
| Level | IELTS | TOEFL new (1—) | TOEFL old (0–20) | CEFR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate entry, English-medium | 6.0—.5 | 4—.5 | 72–0 | B2 |
| Taught master's, most programmes | 6.5 | 4.5 | 81–0 | B2 |
| Selective / top-100 master's | 7.0—.5 | 5—.5 | 95–07 | C1 |
| Highly selective / research & law | 7.5—.0 | 5.5— | 107–14 | C1 |
| Exceptional / near-native | 8.5—.0 | 6 | 115–20 | C2 |
These are working cutoffs, not rules. Some programmes require a total band plus minimum section scores, and a handful set higher floors for specific disciplines. Always confirm on the programme's own page.
Figures last verified August 2026 · Both ETS tables are official; the 1— table applies to tests from 21 Jan 2026, the 0–20 table to earlier scores and older published requirements · Conversions are guidance only —the receiving institution sets the actual requirement