Find the TOEFL band that ETS lists as comparable to an IELTS score, overall or section by section, on the 1–6 scale used since January 2026. The converter uses ETS’s published table exactly; read the caveats before relying on the result.
Test Ninjas Research · Updated October 1, 2026
4.5
Comparable TOEFL total (CEFR B2)
ETS section equivalents for IELTS 6.5: Reading 4.0 · Listening 4.5 · Speaking 4.0 · Writing 4.5. What a TOEFL 4.5 means →
Reverse lookup: TOEFL total to IELTS
ETS lists IELTS 6.5 as comparable to a TOEFL total of 4.5.
A comparison, not an exchange rate. ETS says its 1–6 table is based on the concordance study between IELTS and the previous TOEFL iBT, combined with research linking the old 0–30 section scale to the new bands. The IELTS partners have published no table for the new TOEFL and state that the earlier alignment is obsolete for TOEFL tests taken from January 21, 2026. Institutions set a separate requirement for each test — when one is published, use it.
ETS’s IELTS to TOEFL table
This is the full comparison ETS publishes for TOEFL tests taken on or after January 21, 2026. Read each row from left to right: an IELTS band in the first column, and the TOEFL band ETS treats as comparable in each section and overall.
IELTS to TOEFL iBT 1–6 scale (ETS, tests from January 21, 2026)
IELTS
Reading
Listening
Writing
Speaking
TOEFL total
9.0
6.0
6.0
6.0
6.0
6.0
8.5
5.5
6.0
6.0
6.0
6.0
8.0
5.5
5.5
6.0
6.0
6.0
7.5
5.0
5.0
5.5
5.0
5.5
7.0
4.5
5.0
5.0
4.5
5.0
6.5
4.0
4.5
4.5
4.0
4.5
6.0
3.5
3.5
4.0
3.5
4.0
5.5
3.5
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.5
5.0
3.0
2.5
2.0
2.5
2.5
4.5
2.5
1.5
1.5
2.0
2.0
4.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.5
1.5
ETS notes that the totals in this table are the average of the section bands rounded up to the next highest half band. That is different from how an actual TOEFL overall score is calculated, which rounds the average to the nearest half band. It is why, for example, the IELTS 7.5 row has sections averaging 5.125 but a total of 5.5. The section-by-section mode above follows the table’s rounding.
How to read the result
The scales have different shapes
IELTS reports bands from 0 to 9 in half steps; the TOEFL now reports 1.0 to 6.0 in half steps. The steps do not line up one to one. At the top, IELTS 8.0, 8.5 and 9.0 all sit at a TOEFL total of 6.0. Lower down, the table skips TOEFL totals of 3.0 and 1.0 entirely: IELTS 5.0 maps to 2.5 and IELTS 5.5 to 3.5. ETS’s table starts at IELTS 4.0, so there is no published comparison for lower IELTS bands.
Sections do not move together
The section columns are not identical. At IELTS 7.0, for instance, ETS places Reading and Speaking at 4.5 but Listening and Writing at 5.0. If you have an uneven IELTS profile, the section mode gives a more faithful picture than the overall mode.
CEFR is the common reference point
Both tests publish alignments with the CEFR. IELTS states that bands 7 to 8 correspond to C1, that 8.5 and above is recognized as C2, and that requirements of 5.5 to 6.5 are equivalent to B2 — while also noting that IELTS bands have never aligned exactly with CEFR transition points. On the TOEFL side, ETS maps 5.0 and 5.5 to C1, 6.0 to C2 and 4.0 to 4.5 to B2. The TOEFL CEFR levels guide covers the TOEFL side in detail.
When you should and should not convert
Converting is useful for orientation: deciding which test to take, judging whether an old IELTS result suggests you are close to a TOEFL requirement, or setting a target band before you start preparing. It is not a substitute for a requirement the institution has published.
Do use it to choose a target TOEFL band when your previous experience is with IELTS.
Do use it to sanity-check whether one test plays to your strengths — see TOEFL vs IELTS for the format differences.
Don’t assume an institution will accept a converted score. It will accept the test it lists, at the score it lists.
Don’t use older IELTS-to-TOEFL charts built on the 0–120 scale for a TOEFL taken in 2026 — the IELTS partners themselves say those comparisons apply only to TOEFL tests taken before January 2026.
If your comparison involves an old TOEFL score on the 0–120 scale, convert it to a band first with the TOEFL score converter.
Switching from IELTS to TOEFL?
The 2026 TOEFL has twelve task types IELTS doesn’t use. Learn them with free lessons and timed practice.
ETS’s comparison table lists IELTS 6.5 as comparable to a TOEFL total of 4.5 on the 2026 scale, with section equivalents of 4.0 Reading, 4.5 Listening, 4.5 Writing and 4.0 Speaking.
A TOEFL total of 5.0, according to ETS’s table — the first band at CEFR C1. The section equivalents are 4.5 Reading, 5.0 Listening, 5.0 Writing and 4.5 Speaking.
A TOEFL total of 4.0 in ETS’s table, with section equivalents of 3.5 in Reading, Listening and Speaking and 4.0 in Writing.
It is ETS’s published comparison for TOEFL tests taken on or after January 21, 2026. ETS says it is based on its earlier concordance study with IELTS and on research linking the old section scale to the new one. The IELTS partners have not endorsed a table for the new TOEFL and say the earlier alignment does not carry over, so treat the result as a guide, not an exchange rate.
The TOEFL scale tops out at 6.0, and ETS places IELTS 8.0, 8.5 and 9.0 all at a TOEFL total of 6.0. The scales do not have the same number of steps, so some IELTS bands share a TOEFL band.
ETS’s table converts from IELTS, row by row, from IELTS 4.0 to 9.0. No IELTS row lands exactly on a TOEFL total of 3.0 or 1.0, and IELTS scores below 4.0 are not in the published table at all.
Only if the institution accepts IELTS. Many accept both tests, but each sets its own requirement for each test. If a program lists an IELTS minimum, use that number for IELTS rather than converting from its TOEFL requirement.