WHAT IS A GOOD TOEFL SCORE?
The TOEFL is a test with a cumulative score. The more points you score, the better your chances of getting into different academic institutions, companies or organizations. Does this mean that getting 110 points is better than 89? In theory, yes, but this is accompanied by some nuances. A “good” or “not so good” TOEFL score will depend on the purpose you have when taking this exam. In this article, we will explain how a good TOEFL score can vary from one situation to another, depending on your personal and professional interests.
Table of Contents
Purpose #1: Studying Abroad
Do you have the goal of applying to a university abroad, getting an Erasmus scholarship, or seeking careers in Spain that require a high level of English?
Depending on the program you are going to study and the applicant selection process, TOEFL scores may determine whether or not you make it into the pre-selected pool of applicants in an admissions process. In the case of universities in the United States, Canada, or the United Kingdom, each undergraduate and graduate program recommends a minimum score as part of the admissions process. The more prestigious the university, the higher the “recommended” or “required” score to be pre-selected. As an example, consider the following cases:- The Harvard MBA program only recommends the application of international candidates whose TOEFL iBT score is 109 points.
- In the case of the Oxford MBA, a score of 110 points is recommended, with a minimum of 24 points in Reading, 22 in Listening, 25 in Speaking, and 24 in Writing.
- At Berkeley California, the TOEFL iBT score requirement is a minimum of 90 points.
- In contrast, for many Erasmus programs, it is sufficient to demonstrate a B2 level of English, which can be obtained with a TOEFL score total of more than 72 points.
As you can see, in each of these 4 cases, a good TOEFL iBT score will depend on the academic institution to which you are applying. When your intention is to access highly competitive programs, every point counts.
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Purpose #2: Certify Your English Level
The main purpose of the various TOEFL tests is to provide you with an international certification of your current level of English. This means that wherever you go, when you show your TOEFL score, the other person, organization, or institution will know whether you have a basic (A1-A2), intermediate (B1-B2), or advanced (C1-C2) level of English. This applies not only to your overall English proficiency, but also to each of the four language skills: Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening.
Now, is there a difference between getting say 25 or 26 points in a given skill? Certainly, the more points you accumulate in each section of the test the better your overall TOEFL score will be. However, if your purpose is to obtain a certification for reasons of emigration to another country, visas, or for personal use, this small point margin will not make a big difference. In this particular case, either a score of 25 or 26 points will indicate that you have advanced proficiency in any of the language skills.
If you want to recognize the equivalence of TOEFL score ranges with respect to language proficiency levels, check out the following table:
Purpose #3: Career Development
Today, more and more organizations and companies are working globally with customers, suppliers, or investors. Even if you live and work in Spain, your professional or job horizon can expand significantly if you demonstrate that you are fluent in English. While a job may not require a specific score as with the university programs we saw earlier, a company may require you to be proficient in English at the B2, C1 or C2 level. In this case, getting a few extra points can establish whether your skills fall into one level or another. For example, obtaining 19 Reading points would place you at a B2 level, while 17 points would place you at a B1 level. This difference, although minimal, could help or hinder your application process for certain job opportunities.
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Conclusions
The higher your TOEFL score, the more likely you are to have access to academic, professional or personal opportunities. Depending on your context, certain scores may even be a stepping stone or a barrier to access certain opportunities. For this reason, it is important that you research and define what is the purpose that motivates you to take the TOEFL test and what is the “good score” that you must obtain to meet your goal.
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.
