A 4.0 is the first band at CEFR B2 — the level at which you can follow the main ideas of complex texts and interact with a degree of fluency. It is the band where many general university requirements begin.
B2 is often described as the threshold for study in English: you can understand the main ideas of complex text, including technical discussion in your field, and produce clear, detailed text on a range of subjects. On the TOEFL, band 4 means you are succeeding on most everyday items and a good share of academic ones.
On the retired scale, band 4.0 spans about 72 to 85 — a wide range that includes several commonly published requirements, such as 79 and 80. Because a requirement such as 80 sits inside band 4.0 rather than at its edge, whether a 4.0 meets it depends on how the institution has restated that requirement for the new scale — check its current wording.
Many universities set general undergraduate or graduate requirements in the B2 range, and a 4.0 meets some of them. More competitive programs, and those with teaching or clinical duties, often ask for more or set section minimums. Check each institution’s current requirement — many are still listed on the 0–120 scale.
An overall 4.0 can come from four 4.0s or from a spread such as 5.0, 4.5, 3.5 and 3.5. The second profile clears an overall requirement of 4.0 but fails a section minimum of 4.0 in two places. Programs that set section minimums most often apply them to Speaking or Writing.
Before you decide your score is “enough”, write down your four section bands next to every requirement on your list. If a section minimum is the problem, a targeted month on that one section is far more efficient than general practice.
Moving up half a band in a section usually comes down to one or two task types. On the old 0–30 section scale, 4.5 begins at 22 in Reading, 20 in Listening, 23 in Speaking, 21 in Writing.
At 4.5 you answer inference and purpose questions on academic passages consistently and handle the upper Reading module comfortably.
At 4.5 you follow long academic talks without losing the thread and pick up implied meaning in conversations.
At 4.5 your interview answers are fluent and well developed, with a specific example rather than a general one, and few long pauses.
At 4.5 your writing has good grammatical control under time — few errors in Build a Sentence and clear, varied sentences in the two responses.
Aimed at moving from 4.0 toward 4.5. Each week assumes five or six short sessions; adjust the order if one section is clearly your weakest. For a full schedule, see the 1-month TOEFL study plan.
Practice every 2026 task type
Short lessons and timed practice for all twelve TOEFL task types, free to start.
One half band down: TOEFL 3.5. One half band up: TOEFL 4.5. See how all eleven bands line up with CEFR in the TOEFL CEFR levels guide.
Official pages checked for this guide. Last reviewed October 2026.