How to Check a Regulator Converted TOEFL Properly

TOEFL changed scale on 21 January 2026. Every regulator that had ever cited a TOEFL number had to restate it.

Most just published new figures. One published both sets, which means the arithmetic can be checked, and it is exactly right.

SpeakShark is free for the section the conversion is toughest on, three AI conversation sessions a day with no card.

In this guide: what changed · the check · a worked example · why the bands differ · a body that did not restate · what to do · limits · method · FAQ

Key takeaways

TOEFL iBT moved to a 1 to 6 band scale on 21 January 2026.
The conversion is section specific, so flat raw thresholds become uneven bands.
A regulator publishing both sets can be checked in two minutes.
Ontario's teaching regulator converts correctly in all four sections.
A page carrying only old raw numbers is a question to ask, not a puzzle to solve.

What changed

ETS states that as of 21 January 2026, TOEFL iBT score reports feature a new 1 to 6 scale in half point increments, with an alignment to the Common European Framework of Reference. You receive four section scores and an overall, the overall being the average of the four rounded to the nearest half band, and for a two year transition period reports also carry a comparable overall on the 0 to 120 scale representing the midpoint of the corresponding range.

It also publishes a conversion table for tests taken before that date, mapping old raw section scores onto the new bands. We worked through that table, and what it says about the speaking section, in TOEFL's new 1 to 6 scale is hardest on speaking.

That table is what makes the check below possible.

The two minute check

If a body publishes both an old raw threshold and a new band threshold, you can verify that its new numbers describe the same standard as its old ones.

Take the old raw threshold for a section.
Find which band that raw score falls into, using the ETS conversion table for that section.
Compare it with the body's new band threshold for the same section.
Repeat for all four sections.

If they match, the body converted its own requirement rather than choosing new numbers. If they do not, the standard has moved, and it is worth knowing in which direction.

This is not a criticism-hunting exercise. A body is entitled to change its standard when a scale changes. The point is that a candidate can tell which happened.

A worked example that passes

The Ontario College of Teachers publishes both, on the same page, for the same test.

Section	Its old raw threshold	Band that falls into	Its new band threshold
Reading	23	4.5, the 22 to 23 range	4.5
Listening	23	5, the 22 to 25 range	5
Writing	23	4.5, the 21 to 23 range	4.5
Speaking	25	5, the 25 to 26 range	5

Four for four.

The overall matches too: the old requirement was 95 and the new one is 5, and the conversion table gives band 5 as a total of 95 and above.

So the regulator has translated its existing standard rather than resetting it. Somebody who would have qualified on the old scale qualifies on the new one, and the reverse.

That is a small piece of administrative competence that nobody will ever thank anybody for, and it is exactly the sort of thing worth checking rather than assuming.

Why four sections give different bands

The uneven result in that table is the part that surprises people, so it is worth explaining.

The regulator's old thresholds were nearly flat: 23, 23, 23 and 25. The new ones are not: 4.5, 5, 4.5 and 5.

Nothing moved. The unevenness comes from the conversion table, because the four TOEFL sections are all reported out of 30 and the same raw number does not mean the same thing in each.

A raw 23 is band 4.5 in reading and writing, and band 5 in listening. A raw 25 is band 5 in speaking, where band 5 in listening starts at 22.

We saw the same effect from the other direction at the osteopathy regulator, whose four TOEFL numbers turned out to be exactly the band 5 floor in each section, covered in one CEFR level, four different TOEFL numbers.

Two regulators, two ways of writing the same thing, and both of them coherent once the section-specific conversion is understood.

One body that carries only old numbers

Not every page has been updated cleanly, and a candidate should know what to do when that happens.

The American federal healthcare table handled it by publishing both lists in full, the current one and the one covering 24 May 2022 to 12 May 2026, with a hard rule that the exam date decides which applies. That is the most transparent approach we have found, and we worked through it in the US lowered every score except speaking.

Where a page carries only old raw scores and no band equivalents, the honest answer is that you cannot resolve it yourself. Doing your own conversion and turning up with a band report is an argument you would be having at the point of assessment, which is the worst moment for it.

Ask the body which report it expects. That is a short email and it removes the risk entirely.

What to do with this

Check whether your regulator has restated its TOEFL numbers.
If it publishes both, run the four section check. It takes two minutes.
Do not convert on a regulator's behalf. Ask instead.
Check your test date against any dated cut-off the body publishes.
Expect uneven band thresholds. Flat raw scores convert unevenly.

The section that converts most strictly is speaking, which needs the highest raw score of the four for the same band across most of the scale, and it is the skill that does not improve by reading quietly. Role play scenarios and a daily speaking partner are the practical routes, the TOEFL speaking section covers the tasks, and testing your speaking level free shows where you stand. CEFR levels for speaking explains the scale, Nigeria counts for Ontario teachers covers the routes around this regulator's test entirely, and English certificates that expire covers validity. For how examiners mark spoken English, Cambridge speaking criteria by level works from real scored candidates.

What we could not verify

We did not verify ETS's conversion table against any other source. It is published by the test provider.

We do not know whether the regulator used that table or reached the same numbers another way. The result matches; the method is not published.

We did not check every body citing TOEFL. This is one worked example and one contrasting approach.

We did not establish which report type each body expects from a candidate testing today.

The transition has an end. The comparable 0 to 120 figure runs for two years from January 2026.

This is not certification or immigration advice. It is an arithmetic check on published figures, all linked below.

How we researched this guide

We were copying a score table and noticed the same regulator had two.

Most pages carry one set of TOEFL numbers, which tells you the requirement and nothing else. This one carries the old raw thresholds and then, in the next line, what to use if your scores were measured on the 1 to 6 scale. Two sets of numbers for one requirement is an invitation to check them against each other.

Having the ETS conversion table already parsed from earlier in this batch is what made the check quick. Without it the exercise would have meant finding the table first, which is the reason nobody does this.

The result was the boring one, and we wrote it up anyway. A regulator that converted its own standard accurately is not a story in the usual sense, and it is exactly what a candidate wants to know before relying on a number.

We turned it into a method rather than a verdict on one body, because the method is the transferable part. Four sections, one lookup each, two minutes.

Practise speaking, from SpeakShark

SpeakShark is an AI English speaking practice app, and the conversion arithmetic changes nothing about where the difficulty sits.

On this regulator's requirement, speaking is the section needing the highest raw score, and on the new scale it sits at band 5 alongside listening while reading and writing sit at 4.5. Whichever scale your report arrives on, that is the section carrying the load.

You talk, the AI answers what you actually said, and you get speaking feedback while the conversation is still running. The free tier gives basic feedback; the detailed pronunciation and grammar breakdown is on Premium.

Being straight about the limits: a free session runs five minutes with four turns, we issue no certificates, and we are not affiliated with ETS or with any regulator.

Start free with three sessions a day and no card. Paid sessions run ten minutes with unlimited turns. Limits are on the pricing page, and how it works walks through a session. Sign up here if speaking is the band you need to move.

We are a speaking improvement tool. We are not an exam preparation provider, and we are not affiliated with Cambridge English, the IELTS partners, Pearson or any exam board. For test format, booking and official practice material, go to the exam body directly. Use SpeakShark to make your spoken English stronger, and use official material to learn the test.

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Sources

ETS, understand your TOEFL iBT scores: the 21 January 2026 move to a 1 to 6 scale in half point increments, the overall as the average of four sections rounded to the nearest half band, the two year transition carrying a comparable 0 to 120 overall as the midpoint of the corresponding range, and the full conversion table for tests taken before that date
Ontario College of Teachers, language requirements: the TOEFL iBT requirement of an overall 95 with reading 23, listening 23, writing 23 and speaking 25, and the alternative statement that on the 1 to 6 scale the requirement is an overall 5 with reading 4.5, listening 5, writing 4.5 and speaking 5
HRSA, updated list of tests and scores for foreign health care workers as of 12 May 2026: the approach of publishing both the current and the superseded list with a dated rule deciding which applies
General Osteopathic Council, English language requirements: the four TOEFL section minimums that correspond to the band 5 floors, used for comparison

FAQ

Did TOEFL change its scoring?

Yes. ETS states that as of 21 January 2026, TOEFL iBT score reports use a 1 to 6 scale in half point increments, with four section scores and an overall. For a two year transition period reports also carry a comparable overall on the old 0 to 120 scale, representing the midpoint of the corresponding range.

How can I tell whether a regulator converted its scores correctly?

Take the regulator's old raw thresholds, look up which band each falls into on the published conversion table, and compare that with the regulator's new band thresholds. If a body publishes both sets, the check takes two minutes and tells you whether its new numbers describe the same standard.

Did the Ontario College of Teachers convert correctly?

On the published figures, yes, in all four sections. Its old thresholds of reading 23, listening 23, writing 23 and speaking 25 fall into bands 4.5, 5, 4.5 and 5 respectively, and its stated new requirements are exactly reading 4.5, listening 5, writing 4.5 and speaking 5.

Why do the four sections convert to different bands?

Because the raw section scales are not equivalent to each other. All four sections are reported out of 30, and the same raw number maps to different bands in different sections, so a flat set of raw thresholds becomes an uneven set of band thresholds.

What should I do if my regulator has not restated its numbers?

Ask before booking. A page still quoting only old raw scores is either out of date or expects an old style report, and a candidate sitting the test now will receive bands. That is a question for the body rather than something to resolve by conversion yourself.

Does an old TOEFL certificate still count?

That depends on the reader. The American federal healthcare list is explicit that exams taken before 12 May 2026 are certified against the previous criteria, and ETS itself continues a comparable 0 to 120 figure for two years, but each regulator sets its own position.