Performance Descriptors for the TOEFL iBT Test - Reading & Listening Levels

Sep 30, 2026

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Performance Descriptors for the TOEFL iBT® Test provides level-by-level guidance for interpreting Reading and Listening section scores using corresponding CEFR bands. It details what test takers typically can do at Advanced (C1, with potential C2 at higher scores), High-Intermediate (B2), Low-Intermediate (B1), and Below Low-Intermediate (below B1). Each level specifies comprehension scope, vocabulary demands, recognition of discourse organization, inference ability, handling of complex ideas, and skills for synthesizing information.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

Reading Section

Advanced

High-Intermediate

Low-Intermediate

Below Low-Intermediate

Listening Section

Advanced

High-Intermediate

Performance Descriptors for the TOEFL iBT® Test | LEVEL | READING SECTION | | --- | --- | | ADVANCED
Score range 24–30 CEFR Level C1
Note: Test takers with scores of 29 or 30 are likely to be able to perform at CEFR Level C2. | Test takers who receive a Reading section score atthe Advanced level typically understand academic passages in English atthe introductory university level. These passages are dense with propositions and information and can include difficult vocabulary; lengthy, complex sentences and paragraphs; and abstract or nuanced ideas that may be presented in complex ways.
Test takers who score at the Advanced level typically can
• Understand a range of academic and low-frequency vocabulary as well as less common meanings of words.
• Understand explicit connections among pieces of information and make appropriate inferences, even when the passage is conceptually dense and the language is complex.
• Recognize the expository organization of a passage and the purpose that specific information serves within the larger context, even when the purpose of the information is not marked, and the passage is conceptually dense.
• Follow a paragraph-length argument involving speculation, qualifications, counter-evidence, and subtle rhetorical shifts.
• Synthesize information in passages that contain complex language and are conceptually dense. | | HIGHINTERMEDIATE Score range 18–23 CEFR Level B2 | Test takers who receive a Reading section score atthe High-Intermediate level typically understand the main ideas and important details of academic passages in English atthe introductory university level, but they may have an incomplete or incorrect understanding of parts of passages that are especially dense with propositions and information, or complex in their presentation of ideas and information.
Test takers who score at the High-Intermediate level typically can
• Understand common academic vocabulary, but sometimes have difficulty with low-frequency words or less common meanings of words.
• Understand explicit connections among pieces of information and make appropriate inferences, but may have difficulty in parts of a passage that contain low-frequency vocabulary or that are conceptually dense, rhetorically complex, or abstract.
• Distinguish important ideas from less important ones.
• Often recognize the expository organization of a passage and the purpose of specific information within a passage, even when such information is not explicitly marked.
• Synthesize information in a passage, but may have difficulty doing so when the passage is conceptually dense, rhetorically complex, or abstract. | | LOWINTERMEDIATE Score range 4–17 CEFR Level B1 | Test takers who receive a Reading section score atthe Low-Intermediate level typically understand some main ideas and important information presented in academic passages in English, but their overall understanding is limited. They are able to understand connections across two or more sentences when the relationships are clear and simple, such as a claim followed by a supporting example. However, they have difficulty following denser or more complex parts ofa passage.
Test takers who score at the Low-Intermediate level typically can
• Understand texts with basic grammar, but have inconsistent understanding of texts with complex grammatical structures.
• Understand high-frequency academic vocabulary, but often have difficulty with lower-frequency words.
• Locate information in a passage by matching words or relying on high-frequency vocabulary, but their limited ability to recognize paraphrases results in incomplete understanding of the connections among ideas and information.
• Identify an author’s purpose when that purpose is explicitly stated or easy to infer from the context.
• Recognize major ideas in a passage when the information is clearly presented, memorable, or illustrated by examples but have difficulty doing so

FAQs

How does the document map TOEFL iBT Reading scores to CEFR levels?

It lists score ranges and assigns CEFR levels for Reading, specifying what test takers can typically understand and infer at each band.

What comprehension skills are expected at the Advanced Reading level?

Test takers typically handle dense academic passages, understand complex propositions and connections, follow paragraph-length arguments with subtle shifts, and synthesize information from complex text.

What kinds of Listening information can Advanced test takers understand?

They typically understand conversations and lectures in academic settings, including difficult vocabulary, abstract ideas, complex sentence structures, and large amounts of information organized in complex ways.

Sep 30, 2026

Upload by Rowan