TOEFL ↔ IELTS Score Converter

For this admissions comparison table, ETS rounds section averages upward to the next half band to reduce false-positive classifications. That table-building rule differs from the nearest-half-band rule used for an individual TOEFL overall score.

Start by deciding what you need to compare. An overall requirement and a minimum Writing score answer different questions. Choose the matching field in the converter, then read the complete row to see the other skills. A band shared by several IELTS rows produces a range here. A missing row produces no match. These choices preserve the source table without adding precision it does not provide.

The tests use different reporting scales: TOEFL’s new bands run from 1 to 6, while IELTS bands run up to 9. Their timing and task designs also differ. The revised TOEFL uses shorter tasks and adaptive Reading and Listening modules; IELTS Academic includes longer reading and writing tasks and an interview with an examiner. Practicing for one format may help your English, but it does not fully rehearse the other format’s response conditions.

Institutions often publish separate TOEFL and IELTS requirements. Use those policies directly when deciding which test or preparation plan fits your application. A comparison can help you understand the rough level being discussed, but cannot waive a required test, substitute a section minimum or establish that a score will be accepted. Confirm the accepted test version and the policy for your intended intake.

If you have an old TOEFL total, this tool follows two steps: old total to new band, then new band to the ETS IELTS table. Each step groups multiple possible performances together. Treat that indirect estimate as background for study planning, and use your actual official report when communicating with an admissions office.

ETS publishes the table above using earlier TOEFL–IELTS concordance evidence and linking work between TOEFL scales.

The IELTS-hosted Ren et al. (2026) report, particularly its conclusion on pages 46–47, argues that changed tasks, response lengths and scoring alter what the revised test measures. It therefore cautions against transferring previous concordance tables. It does not provide a replacement numeric table for the new bands. We show ETS’s published values, disclose this disagreement and do not average the two positions.

Checked 2026-10-17: ETS Compare Scores (redirects to Score Scale Update) and Comparing New TOEFL 2026 with Former TOEFL 2023 and IELTS, Ren et al.