DOES MY TOEFL SCORE MATCH A C1 LEVEL?

Have you been asked for a TOEFL C1 score and don’t know what they are talking about? What does it mean to get 89, 95, or 110 points on the TOEFL? How do these points correspond to the European English certification system? Today we are going to explain the details you need to know to better understand your TOEFL score. We’ll start by explaining the TOEFL scoring system, then the TOEFL equivalency to the European frame of reference, and then we’ll tell you about the MyBest TOEFL Scores section.

What Are TOEFL iBT Scores Like?

The TOEFL iBT, both the standard version and the Home Edition test, are evaluated based on a total score from 0 to 120 points. This score is the sum of your scores on the four English language skills: Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing. Each of these skills has a score from 0 to 30 points.

When you receive your TOEFL scores, you will see the score obtained in each section, as well as the total score of your exam.

TOEFL vs. Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is the official European system that describes a person’s level of language learning and proficiency. In other words, if you are learning English, French, or German and obtain a certification at level B2, any institution, organization, or company will be able to recognize that you are already proficient in that language.

The CEFR covers the four skills necessary to communicate in any language: oral communication, writing, listening, and reading comprehension. In total, the CEFR maintains 6 levels of proficiency in a foreign language, ranging from basic use to mastery.

A1- (Basic)

This is the lowest level of language use. If you are at level A1, you have the ability to answer basic questions about yourself or another person (where do you live?), express basic needs (“I am hungry”, “I feel bad”), write simple sentences, and manage in basic everyday situations, for example, ordering food in a restaurant.

A2- (Basic)

At this level, you are able to function more easily in social settings. For example, you can initiate and maintain conversations on everyday topics, as long as your interlocutor speaks with a simple and clear vocabulary. You can manage some personal matters, such as asking for directions, registering at an academy, making a transaction at a bank, or describing to your doctor how you feel.

B1- (Independent)

When you are at the threshold of a language, it means that you are already venturing into expressing yourself and understanding slightly more complex situations. For example, you can begin to understand debates about ideas, express basic opinions about social or political issues, or even start to make a joke or raise a complaint. You also have the ability to describe your ideas in paragraphs or short essays. All this with the limitations that sometimes you may not get the words right, make some basic grammatical mistakes, or sometimes get blocked.

B2- (Independent)

Do you have the ability to make your point in another language and give arguments to support what you think? If you are at the advanced level, you already have the ability to carry on conversations naturally in social contexts, for example, with your friends, or colleagues on a break. At this level, your ability to communicate orally or in writing, as well as to understand the details of conversations, news, or movies, is already easy. You also have the ability to adapt your speech depending on the person you are talking to (use formal, informal, affectionate, serious, etc.).

C1- (Proficient)

When you reach this level it means that you already have the ability to express yourself with a good command of the language. You have an extensive vocabulary, you know how to use different grammatical modalities depending on the conversation, you could even study at university, write essays, and read academic texts.

C2- (Proficient)

At this level you are able to use language with complete fluency, spontaneity, precision, and subtlety. When you reach a mastery level you are able to function easily in social, professional, academic, formal, or informal contexts. This does not mean that you are 100% fluent in the language (even a native speaker is not completely fluent). Rather, it means that you are able to function fluently in virtually all areas of life, from talking to a family member, to making a presentation in front of a client, to writing corporate emails, to writing a term paper.

Now that we’ve gone into a little detail about each level, how do these levels translate into your TOEFL iBT score? Next, we will show you a summary chart with the equivalencies of both certifications.

As you can see in the chart, the TOEFL iBT does not cover the basic use of a language. Since most people who take the TOEFL iBT have done some preparation, usually the sum of all their skills almost always exceeds 40 points. While you may score low in 1 section, the points accumulated in the other sections can make up for your final score.

What Are MYBEST Scores?

Now that you have a better idea of how your TOEFL test is scored, we want to give you some good news!

Recently, TOEFL has included in its scoring system a section called My Best Scores. In this section, the best TOEFL scores you have obtained over two years are included. In other words, if you took the TOEFL last year, but your Speaking score was low and you decide to take it again, next time the MyBEST section will include the sum of the best scores you have obtained in both exams. This way, even if you lose 1 or 2 points on a section, your best score will still be reflected. This will demonstrate to the organization to which you send your scores, the potential you can achieve.

Hopefully this blog post has resolved all your doubts. However, if you have questions in regards to your TOEFL preparation, get in touch and we will let you know how EPIC PREP can help you achieve your goals. Differently, if you prefer to continue reading here is the link to our TOEFL courses page.