THE MAPPING OF TOEFL SCORES AMONG EFL STUDENTS IN ACEH

Sep 30, 2026

The study describes the English proficiency level of EFL students in Aceh using their TOEFL scores. A descriptive quantitative design analyzed TOEFL results from 30 students in English Education at Syiah Kuala University and ArRaniry State Islamic University. Total scores were mapped to CEFR reference levels to classify overall proficiency. Results show an average placement at B1 (intermediate), with distribution across A2, B1, B2, and C1. By section, the first skill averaged B2, higher than the other two sections averaging B1, indicating they can meet graduation requirements but may be insufficient for overseas scholarship admissions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Literature Review

TOEFL Test

Types of TOEFL Test

THE MAPPING OF TOEFL SCORES AMONG EFL STUDENTS IN ACEH Nurkholish Umar * Usman Kasim Iskandar Abdul Samad Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to describe the proficiency level of English for Foreign Language (EFL) students based on their TOEFL scores. The samples for this descriptive quantitative study consisted of 30 English Education Department students from Syiah Kuala University and ArRaniry State Islamic University. The scores gathered from the organised TOEFL test were analysed according to the CEFR reference levels to categorise the English proficiency level of the students. The total TOEFL scores gathered showed that, on average, the students placed in the B1 (intermediate) level of English proficiency. Individually, there were four students in the A2 (elementary) level, 15 students in the B1 (intermediate) level, ten students in the B2 (upper intermediate) level, and one student in the C1 (advanced) level of proficiency. Regarding the skills proficiency, on average, the students achieved the B2 (upper intermediate) level in the first section, which was higher than the remaining two sections that averaged on the B1 (intermediate) level. The students’ proficiency levels found in this study showed that, on average, they were able to pass the universities’ TOEFL graduation requirement but still fall short for abroad scholarship admission. Keywords: CEFR levels, EFL students, English proficiency, TOEFL scores. INTRODUCTION Two of the more prestigious universities in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, Syiah Kuala University (USK) and Ar-Raniry State Islamic * Corresponding author, [email:](email: nurkholishumar@gmail.com)[ nurkholishumar@gmail.com](email: nurkholishumar@gmail.com) [https://doi.org/](https://doi.org/) Received 1 April 2022; Revised 13 July 2022; Accepted 13 July 2022 Available online 14 July 2022 The mapping of TOEFL scores among EFL students in Aceh (N. Umar, U. Kasim & I. A. Samad) University (UINAR), implement TOEFL score as a graduation requirement for its undergraduate students. The official Academic Guidebook of USK requires a minimum TOEFL score of 477 for undergraduate students to acquire their Bachelor’s degree, although this number may vary as low as 450 in accordance with each faculties’ policy (Samad, Jannah, & Fitriani, 2017) . Meanwhile, through its rector’s circular, UINAR set its minimal score of 350 for non-language departments and 450 for language departments both for TOEFL and TOAFL, the Arabic counterpart of the former. This score prerequisite isin line with most Indonesian universities that established the minimum required score for their undergraduate students within the range of 450- 480 (Silviyanti, Rahmadhani, & Samad, 2020) . Available data acquired from the Language Centre of USK and Language Development Centre of UINAR showed the percentage of students that managed to achieve the minimum requirement of 450 is 3.09% and 3.86% respectively. As the most relevant department to the TOEFL test, the English Education Department of both universities are expecting its students to not only get to pass the minimum required score but also to obtain high enough scores to prove their advanced English proficiency. Based on the statements above, the low percentage of students that are able to pass the minimum TOEFL score is a prevalent problem in both universities. This shall be unacceptable and may show an unprepared nature of the students for their degree as both universities are implementing TOEFL scores as a prerequisite for the Bachelor’s degree. English education students, as the ones who encountered English on a regular basis, are expected to perform better in the TOEFL than the others. LITERATURE REVIEW TOEFL Test Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is a standardised English language proficiency test administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) that is intended for non-native speakers of Eng

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the study?

The study aims to describe EFL students’ English proficiency level based on their TOEFL scores mapped to CEFR reference levels.

How were the students’ TOEFL scores classified in the research?

Total TOEFL scores were analyzed and categorized according to CEFR levels, and section performance was also examined to compare skill-based averages.

What were the overall and section-wise proficiency results?

Overall, students averaged at CEFR B1 (intermediate). For skills, the first section averaged B2 (upper intermediate), while the remaining two sections averaged B1 (intermediate).

Sep 30, 2026

Upload by xXChrisXx