TOEFL iBT preparation: the new format, 1 to 6 scores and fees

The short answer

Since 21 January 2026 the TOEFL iBT takes under two hours, adapts its Reading and Listening sections to your answers, and reports scores from 1 to 6 in half points. Until January 2028 your score report also shows a comparable 0 to 120 total and your CEFR level. The fee depends on your country (USD 280 in the US on 25 October 2026), scores arrive in about 3 days and stay valid for 2 years. Books and courses written before 2026 describe an older version of the test.

The test since 21 January 2026

Reading and Listening are multistage adaptive: the items you get later depend on how you answer earlier ones, so item counts and times vary a little. The figures below are ETS's approximate base times, which do not include directions. ETS says to allow about two hours in total.

Source: ETS, TOEFL iBT test content, checked 25 October 2026.

How the 1 to 6 scale works

Each section gets 1 to 6 in half points, and the total is the average of the four, rounded to the nearest half point: Reading 5, Listening 4.5, Writing 4.5 and Speaking 4 give 4.5. ETS sets no pass mark. Its CEFR mapping applies to the total and to each section:

For requirements, ETS recommends converting 100 to 5, 90 to 4.5, 80 to 4 and 70 to 3.5. MyBest scores combine your best section scores from valid tests in the last 2 years, with older scores converted to the new scale. Sources: understanding your scores and the score scale update (ETS).

Fees by country

From the ETS fee table on 25 October 2026, in US dollars. Across the 212 locations ETS lists, the fee runs from USD 164 to 475. Prices exclude VAT and other taxes, except in EU countries, and the fee includes up to 4 free score reports.

Extra fees (USD): rescheduling 69, express registration 49, each additional score report 29 (ETS's scores page says 25), a Speaking or Writing score review 80 (both 160), reinstating cancelled scores 20, and Express Scoring 129.

Results, retakes and validity

• Results: unofficial Reading and Listening scores at the end of the test; official scores in your ETS account about 3 days later, and the PDF report a day after that.
• Retakes: no limit, but not more than once in any 3-day period, even if you cancelled your scores.
• Validity: 2 years from the test date. ETS will not report or send older scores.
• Australia: ETS's current Bulletin says only tests taken before 21 January 2026 and TOEFL iBT Australia are currently approved for Australian visas.

Taking it at home

The TOEFL iBT Home Edition is the same test, monitored online by a live human proctor. Book at least 24 hours ahead. You need one screen, a webcam and a microphone, and you show the proctor your room. Headphones are not allowed; for notes, use a whiteboard or a sheet of paper in a clear protector.

ETS still has a page for TOEFL Essentials, a separate 1.5-hour test taken from home, with scores 6 days after the test day, that page says. It is a different product from the TOEFL iBT, so confirm that your institution accepts it before choosing it.

How to prepare

1. Use the free official practice first. ETS offers Full-Length Practice Test 1 and Practice Test 2 in the January 2026 format, an interactive sample, and a free 8-week Test Prep Planner on its preparation page.
2. Learn each task type. Many are new in 2026, such as Complete the Words, Read in Daily Life, Build a Sentence, Write an Email, Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview, and older books do not cover them. Speaking now has just those two task types, so Speaking templates written for older versions of the test will not fit. The free practice tests show how each one works.
3. Practise on a computer, against the clock. Type your answers, record your speaking and listen back. Do not be thrown if a later Reading or Listening set feels harder or easier: the test adapts.
4. Get feedback on writing and speaking from a tutor who has taught the TOEFL: Preply (USD 3 to 100 per 50 minutes, set by tutors, billed every 28 days), italki (USD 4 to 60 an hour) or See Guru (shares our owner; lists TOEFL preparation; cheapest English teacher USD 4.63 for 25 minutes, three free trials). Prices on 25 October 2026; experience varies, so ask in the trial how they teach the new tasks.

For a week-by-week outline, use the 4-week or 12-week plan on our exam preparation hub.

Worked example: Write for an Academic Discussion

As its name says, this Writing task asks you to add to an academic discussion. Below is a practice prompt we wrote, with a professor's question and two classmates' posts, then a model response and notes. ETS's free practice tests show the real layout and the time allowed.

Why it works

• A position in the first sentence, referring to both classmates, so it joins the discussion.
• Something new: accountability is a reason neither classmate gave; repeating Omar's point would add little.
• Support: one concrete example (a cheap monthly pass), linked back to the question about traffic.
• Natural, precise language: "I understand ... but", "I would add", "rather than", "persuades drivers to switch".

Mistakes to avoid

• Old materials: a book or course that does not cover the January 2026 tasks and the 1 to 6 scale describes an older test.
• The wrong scale: convert old requirements with ETS's guidance and confirm with the institution.
• Home Edition surprises: one screen, webcam, microphone, a room check, no headphones.
• Extras: rescheduling costs USD 69, and score reports beyond the 4 free ones cost more.

Related guides

• Not sure TOEFL is the right test? Compare it with IELTS, the Duolingo English Test and Cambridge English exams, or start at our exam preparation hub.
• What the CEFR levels mean: CEFR levels explained.