The TOEFL iBT is an English test made by ETS. Universities use it to check that you can study in English. Since January 21, 2026, the test changes its questions to fit your answers as you go.
- 6
CEFR C2
- 5 and 5.5
CEFR C1
- 4 and 4.5
CEFR B2
- 3 and 3.5
CEFR B1
- 2 and 2.5
CEFR A2
- 1 and 1.5
CEFR A1
You get a score from 1 to 6 for each of the four sections, in half steps. Your overall score is the average of the four, rounded to the nearest half, so an average of 5.25 becomes 5.5. ETS lines up the same numbers with CEFR in every section: a 5 is C1 whether it is your Reading score or your Speaking score.
For two years after January 2026, score reports also show a comparable overall score on the old 0–120 scale, for schools that still ask for it.
Plan on about two hours, including directions. Because the test adapts to your answers, your exact time and number of questions can vary.
| Section | What you do | Items | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | Complete the words, read short everyday texts, read an academic passage | 50 | About 30 minutes |
| Listening | Choose a response, listen to conversations, announcements and an academic talk | 47 | About 29 minutes |
| Writing | Build sentences, write an email, write for an academic discussion | 12 | About 23 minutes |
| Speaking | Listen and repeat, take an interview | 11 | About 8 minutes |
You must answer at least one question in every section. If you skip a whole section, none of your test is scored.
You can take the TOEFL iBT at a test center, offered more than 170 times a year, or at home with the Home Edition, where a proctor watches you online. The Home Edition runs 24 hours a day, four days a week, and you book it at least 24 hours ahead.
The fee depends on the country where you take the test. Before tax, ETS's fee list goes from US$164 in India to US$475 in Switzerland, and it is US$280 in the United States. Official scores reach your ETS account three days after the test.
Since 2026, the TOEFL iBT puts everyday English, such as notices and announcements, next to academic passages and talks. Both get easier when you read and listen to plenty of English you can mostly follow, which is called comprehensible input.
- Read With the Audio OnRead English that has about one new word in each sentence, with the audio playing. Start with three or four 20-minute sessions a week.
- Take the Sample TestBefore test day, take ETS's 40-minute TOEFL iBT Sample Test, which has questions from all four sections.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn English. You learn from English you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes English lessons at your level about what you pick, like a seminar or a trip to the library. Bubblegum's six reading levels are its own, and they don't match TOEFL scores.
- Choose “Pass an English Exam” as your goal when you start Bubblegum, and Poppy plans your journey around it and the topics you like.
- Lessons come in American, British or Australian English, so you can study the variety your school uses.
- Regenerative Review™ puts the words you save into the next lessons Poppy writes, so you read them again in new sentences.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Bubblegum doesn't give TOEFL scores or practice tests. Use ETS's sample test to learn 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™
Mobile
The Library and a Seminar, at Two Levels
Visiting the Public Library
Sarah and Leo talk about going to the public library.
Do you want to go to the public library today?
Yes, I need to return some books.
Can we go after lunch?
Sure. Let's meet at 2 o'clock.
Do we need our library cards?
Yes, bring your card and a bag.
Great. I will see you soon.
How long are TOEFL iBT scores valid?
Two years from the test date. After that, ETS no longer sends your scores to schools.
Can I use MyBest scores when I apply?
Only where the school accepts them, so ask each school first. Your score report shows your scores from one test date next to your MyBest scores. On a report with the new 1–6 scale, MyBest also turns older 0–120 scores into the 1–6 scale.
How is the TOEFL iBT different from IELTS?
IELTS has a General Training test for migration and work as well as an Academic one, and its Speaking part is an interview with an examiner. Our IELTS guide covers that test.
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
- ETS: TOEFL iBT test content (sections, task types, items and times from January 2026)
- ETS: TOEFL iBT score scale 1 to 6, CEFR comparison (tests on or after January 21, 2026)
- ETS: Understanding your TOEFL iBT scores (results in 3 days, two-year validity, MyBest scores)
- ETS: TOEFL iBT test fees by country and other fees
- ETS: TOEFL iBT testing options (test center and Home Edition)
- ETS: TOEFL iBT Speaking section (you record your responses)
- IELTS: Test types (Academic and General Training)
- IELTS: Speaking format (face-to-face interview)
- ETS: About the TOEFL iBT test (TOEFL iBT Sample Test)
- Bubblegum
Checked on October 22, 2026 against each app's own pages.
