TOEFL to IELTS Score Converter

TOEFL iBT and IELTS Academic measure English language proficiency but use entirely different scoring scales, requiring a conversion formula for cross-application purposes.

Score scales:

• TOEFL iBT: 0–120 (four sections × 0–30 each: Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing)
• IELTS: 0–9 in 0.5 increments (four skills: Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing)

Approximate conversion table (ETS and British Council concordance):

A linear formula you will see quoted, and why not to use it

IELTS ≈ (TOEFL iBT / 120) × 9

At the top of the range this looks fine. TOEFL 95 gives 7.1, and the concordance table puts 94–101 at IELTS 7.0, so the two agree and the formula seems trustworthy.

It falls apart below that, badly. TOEFL 60 gives 4.5 by the formula and IELTS 6.0 by the table: a gap of one and a half bands. TOEFL 46 gives 3.5 against a table value of 5.5, which is two full bands out. The reason is that the two scales are not proportional to each other. The IELTS band scale compresses hard at the bottom, so a large stretch of the TOEFL range maps into a narrow span of bands, and a straight line through the origin cannot follow that.

The practical rule: use the table, not the formula. This calculator uses the table.

Why any conversion is only ever approximate

The two tests measure overlapping but different things, and they weight the four skills differently. Someone strong in writing and weak in speaking can land a full band apart depending on which test they sit. Universities know this, which is why many publish separate minimums for each test rather than converting between them, and why a fair number also set minimum section scores that an overall band cannot satisfy on its own.

Treat a converted score as a way to judge whether you are in range before you book a test. Once an application is real, take the test the institution actually asks for.

University admission minimums (approximate):

• Top research universities (MIT, Oxford): IELTS 7.0–7.5 / TOEFL 100–110
• Standard university admission: IELTS 6.0–6.5 / TOEFL 79–93
• Community college / pathway programs: IELTS 5.5 / TOEFL 46–59

Important: These conversions are approximate. Always check the institution’s specific requirements. Some only accept one test, and some require minimum section scores on top of the overall band, which an overall score cannot tell you about.

The bottom two rows of the table are thinner ground than the rest. The published concordance concentrates on the range universities actually use, so below IELTS 5.0 the mapping is more of a rough continuation than a measured equivalence. If your score is down there, the conversion is a rough orientation and nothing more.