TOEFL® Speaking scores on the new 1–6 scale
Since January 21, 2026, each of the 11 Speaking questions is scored 0–5 and the section is reported from 1 to 6 in half bands. How that works, ETS’s table for old scores, and the part ETS hasn’t published.
The new Speaking score in one table
| Section score | 1 to 6, in steps of 0.5. |
|---|---|
| Each question | 0–5 for each of the 11 questions: 7 Listen and Repeat, 4 Take an Interview. The raw maximum is 55. |
| Scored by | ETS’s 2026 test specifications list all 11 Speaking questions as AI-scored. |
| Total score | The average of the four section bands, rounded to the nearest half band. |
| Score report | During a two-year transition: the 1–6 band, a CEFR level and a comparable score on the old 0–120 scale. |
| Not published | How the 11 question scores become the 1–6 band. |
Convert an old TOEFL Speaking score
This is the Speaking table ETS published. Drag to your old 0–30 score to see the matching band on the new scale.
An old 23 is 4.5 on the new scale.
ETS’s own comparison table for the Speaking section.
| New | Old |
|---|---|
| 6.0 | 28–30 |
| 5.5 | 27 |
| 5.0 | 25–26 |
| 4.5 | 23–24 |
| 4.0 | 20–22 |
| 3.5 | 18–19 |
| 3.0 | 16–17 |
| 2.5 | 13–15 |
| 2.0 | 10–12 |
| 1.5 | 5–9 |
| 1.0 | 0–4 |
The two scoring rubrics
Every question gets 0–5. This is ETS’s description of each score, in our own words.
Listen and Repeat
More on this task| Score | What it means |
|---|---|
| 5 | Repeated word for word and fully intelligible. |
| 4 | The meaning is right, with small changes to function words, tense or word order, or one or two words unclear. |
| 3 | Mostly complete, but the original meaning is not kept accurately. |
| 2 | A large part is missing; it no longer works as a sentence. |
| 1 | Only a few words, or mostly hard to understand. |
| 0 | No response, not in English, or unrelated to the task. |
Take an Interview
More on this task| Score | What it means |
|---|---|
| 5 | On topic and well developed, at a natural pace, with accurate and varied language. |
| 4 | On topic, but ideas are not well connected and there are some pauses. |
| 3 | Limited development, with frequent pauses and fillers. |
| 2 | Only loosely related to the question, often repeating its wording. |
| 1 | Only isolated words; mostly hard to understand. |
| 0 | No response, not in English, or unrelated to the question. |
How the total score is worked out
The total is the average of Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking, rounded to the nearest half band. Two examples:
| Reading | Listening | Writing | Speaking | Average | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 5 | 5 | 5.5 | 5.125 | 5 |
| 4.5 | 5 | 5.5 | 6 | 5.25 | 5.5 |
The two-year transition
ETS says that for two years, score reports show three things side by side: the new 1–6 band, a CEFR level, and a comparable score on the old 0–120 scale.
The comparable score is the midpoint of the matching old range. A total of 4.5, for example, is shown as 90.
What ETS hasn’t published
ETS publishes the 0–5 descriptions and the table for old scores. It hasn’t published how the 11 question scores, a raw total out of 55, are turned into the 1–6 band.
How our mock test handles this: An estimated band with a range, for example 4.0–4.5. ETS has not published how the 11 raw scores become a 1–6 band, so we do not show a single exact number.
A practice estimate, not an official TOEFL score. Ashore is not affiliated with or endorsed by ETS.
Reading a school’s Speaking requirement
If a program still writes its requirement on the old scale, look it up in ETS’s table. An old 22 is 4 on the new scale, and an old 23 is 4.5.
Requirements change, and some schools still write them on the old scale, so check each program’s admissions page.
Questions about TOEFL Speaking scores
Facts about the test on this page come from ETS. If ETS updates the test, their pages win.