TOCFL stands for Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language. It is made by SC-TOP, a committee set up with funding from Taiwan's Ministry of Education. Universities in Taiwan and the Taiwan Scholarship use its certificates to check your Chinese.
- Novice 1 and 2
Band Novice
You know common words and short phrases, with help from pictures and a second look.
- Below CEFR A1
- 400 words
- 60–240 hours
- Level 1
Band A
You follow simple phrases and get the main idea of a sentence, with help from pictures.
- CEFR A1
- 800 words
- 240–480 hours
- Level 2
Band A
You read short texts written in the words people use at home and at work.
- CEFR A2
- 1,200 words
- 480–720 hours
- Level 3
Band B
You read clear texts about your interests and your own field.
- CEFR B1
- 2,500 words
- 720–960 hours
- Level 4
Band B
You change how fast and how closely you read to fit the text. Rare idioms can still be hard.
- CEFR B2
- 5,000 words
- 960–1,920 hours
- Level 5
Band C
You read long, complex texts in detail when you can go back over the hard parts.
- CEFR C1
- 8,000 words
- 1,920–3,840 hours
- Level 6
Band C
You understand almost every kind of writing, including abstract texts and literature close to speech.
- CEFR C2
- Over 3,840 hours
TOCFL has four bands with two levels each. The word counts and course hours are the official guide for each level, and the hours are for learners outside Chinese-speaking places. For learners in a Chinese-speaking place such as Taiwan, the guide gives half as many hours: 120 to 240 for Level 1.
TOCFL tests listening and reading on paper or on a computer. On paper, you pick the band that fits you, and your score decides which of its two levels you get. The computer test is adaptive: it picks each next question from your answers so far, so one test covers every level. Every test in Taiwan is on a computer, and so are most sessions abroad.
| Test | Listening | Reading | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper, Band Novice | 25 questions, about 25 minutes | 25 questions, about 25 minutes | Out of 80 for each test |
| Paper, Bands A, B or C | 50 questions, about 60 minutes | 50 questions, 60 minutes | Out of 80 for each test |
| Computer (adaptive) | About 35 questions, about 50 minutes | About 35 questions, 60 minutes | Out of 700 for each test |
Every question is multiple choice. These are the lowest scores for each level:
| Level | Paper: listening / reading (of 80) | Computer: listening / reading (of 700) |
|---|---|---|
| Novice 1 | 38 / 39 | 190 / 195 |
| Novice 2 | 59 / 61 | 295 / 305 |
| Level 1 | 41 / 42 | 355 / 355 |
| Level 2 | 57 / 60 | 435 / 450 |
| Level 3 | 46 / 48 | 480 / 490 |
| Level 4 | 61 / 64 | 555 / 570 |
| Level 5 | 50 / 52 | 600 / 610 |
| Level 6 | 61 / 69 | 655 / 690 |
Each paper band is scored on its own scale and only gives its own two levels. That is why Level 3 needs a lower paper score than Level 2. Speaking and writing are separate TOCFL tests, each taken by band.
In Taiwan, the listening and reading test costs NT$2,000, and each speaking or writing test costs NT$1,400. The tests run on weekends.
| Test | Dates | Registration |
|---|---|---|
| Listening and reading, 2026 | Dec 12–13 | Nov 2–17, 2026 |
| Listening and reading, 2027 | Jan 9–10 · Mar 6–7 · May 15–16 · Jun 26–27 · Aug 7–8 · Nov 6–7 · Dec 18–19 | About two weeks, closing about four weeks before the test |
| Speaking, 2027 | Mar 7 (Bands A, B) · May 16 (Bands A, C) · Nov 7 (Bands A, B) | Same as that weekend's listening and reading test |
| Writing, 2027 | Mar 7 (Bands A, B) · May 16 (Band C) · Nov 7 (Bands A, B) | Same as that weekend's listening and reading test |
Results come out about three weeks after a listening and reading test. Outside Taiwan, local hosts run the test: the official list for 2026 has sessions in 33 countries, and each host sets its own dates and fees. In the United States, the 2026 list shows US$40 for the paper test and US$45 for the computer test.
TOCFL builds its questions from everyday Chinese: conversations, ads, radio, notices, talks and weather reports. The more 
Taiwan Mandarin you read and hear that you can mostly follow, the easier these texts get. That kind of Chinese is called comprehensible input.
- Read Along With AudioPick Taiwan Mandarin with about one new word in each sentence, and read it while you listen to the audio. Two or three 20-minute sessions a week are a good start.
- Try the Sample TestsBefore the test, time yourself on the free sample tests on the TOCFL website.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Taiwan Mandarin. You learn from Taiwan Mandarin you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Taiwan Mandarin lessons for your level about topics you pick, with the words people use in Taiwan. Bubblegum has six reading levels of its own, and they aren't matched to TOCFL levels.
- Lessons are in traditional characters, the same characters as every TOCFL test in Taiwan.
- Put zhuyin or pinyin above the characters while you learn, then turn both off to read the way the test shows them.
- When you start Bubblegum, you can pick “Pass the TOCFL Exam” as your goal, and Poppy plans your journey around it and your interests.
- Regenerative Review™ brings the words you save back in new lessons, so you read them again in new sentences.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- The lessons aren't written as TOCFL questions, so the sample tests are where you practice the question types.
- A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn.
- Regenerative Review™
- Teaches Zhuyin
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
Mobile
One Topic, Three Levels
Listening to Pop Songs
Xiao Ming and Xiao Mei were listening to pop songs.
I can definitely sing Jay Chou songs.
I have never heard this one.
I definitely know this chorus.
Let us sing together!
Can I take TOCFL in simplified characters?
Only outside Taiwan. Every TOCFL test in Taiwan is in traditional characters, while overseas hosts let you choose traditional or simplified when you register.
Does a TOCFL certificate expire?
No. TOCFL score reports and certificates have no expiry date, but a school or employer may only accept recent results. Since January 1, 2026, reports and certificates are digital PDFs. You can download them for two years after the test, so save a copy before then.
How is TOCFL different from HSK?
TOCFL is Taiwan's test and HSK is mainland China's, so TOCFL in Taiwan uses traditional characters and Taiwan's words. Our HSK guide covers HSK's levels and dates.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- TOCFL: About SC-TOP (set up in 2005 with Ministry of Education funding)
- TOCFL: Listening test introduction (four bands, eight levels, uses of the certificate)
- TOCFL: Target test takers (course hours and vocabulary for each level)
- TOCFL: Listening test format
- TOCFL: Reading test format
- TOCFL: Listening pass scores
- TOCFL: Reading pass scores
- TOCFL: Level chart with CEFR, ACTFL and TBCL
- TOCFL: Computerized adaptive test format
- TOCFL: Computerized adaptive test pass scores
- TOCFL: Tests in Taiwan (2026 and 2027 schedules, fees)
- TOCFL: Overseas test sessions
- TOCFL: Registration FAQ (traditional or simplified characters, no expiry date, digital score reports)
- TOCFL online registration: digital score reports and certificates from January 1, 2026
- TOCFL: Free sample tests
- Bubblegum
Checked on October 22, 2026 against each app's own pages.
