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Content Writer - Study Abroad | Updated On - Jun 24, 2024
Highlights:
- Score Range: TOEFL Speaking section is scored on a scale of 0 to 30 points. A combination of certified human raters and Artificial Intelligence evaluates your speaking performance.
- Scoring Rubrics: The ETS website provides scoring rubrics outlining specific criteria used to evaluate your TOEFL speaking performance at different score levels.
- Score Levels and Descriptions: Every TOEFL speaking score ranges describe different levels of proficiency. Score ranges between 25-30 is considered advanced and 20-24 is high-intermediate.
- Understanding Requirements: Universities often set minimum TOEFL speaking score requirements for admission. Research the specific score required by your target institutions.
TOEFL Speaking Score depends on your given response to the 4 tasks. You will face one independent task and three integrated tasks in the speaking test. TOEFL speaking grading raw score ranges from 0 to 4 and then converted to a scaled score range of 0 to 30. Most of the universities require a higher TOEFL speaking score compared to other sections. You will be allocated 16 minutes to complete the speaking test. You will get 15–30 seconds of preparation time, and the response will be 45 or 60 seconds long. Each TOEFL speaking section scoring range describes a different proficiency level. Your responses for each task are evaluated based on delivery, language use, and topic development.
TOEFL iBT Speaking Score Calculation
TOEFL iBT speaking score is marked differently from the other sections. ETS marks the section based on raw scores. The examiners provide the marks of TOEFL speaking section for each task and this is the raw score of TOEFL speaking. Each task of TOEFL speaking carries equal points and the raw score range of this section is 0-16. It indicates that each question or task of TOEFL carries 4 points. Based on raw scores, the scaled scores are obtained. Just like other sections of TOEFL, the scaled score range of TOEFL speaking section is 0 to 30. As per TOEFL speaking scoring, TOEFL speaking score 30 is the full mark or highest score of TOEFL speaking. Check what the points signify:
TOEFL iBT Speaking: Marking Rubrics
ETS, the conducting body of TOEFL has prepared a TOEFL ibt speaking score rubric which clearly demonstrates the score ranges along with the performance levels. TOEFL test-takers already know that the first speaking task or the TOEFL independent speaking task requires the candidate to opinionated. based on their own thoughts and ideas. For the integrated task in TOEFL speaking topics, candidates have to use reading, listening, speaking and writing sections of TOEFL.
The TOEFL speaking score rubrics is slightly different for integrated and independent tasks. TOEFL ibt speaking score is measured on three main components
- Delivery – how fluently and clearly the candidate speaks out the topic including flow, pronunciation, pacing, and intonation.
- Language Use – how well the candidate uses the grammar and vocabulary
- Topic Development – how coherently the candidate uses the ideas and thoughts to speak out the points around the topics
TOEFL ibt speaking raw score for integrated tasks comes down with a general description and that indicates a specific speaking ability of the candidate. It explains
TOEFL ibt speaking raw score for independent tasks comes down with a general description and that indicates a specific speaking ability of the candidate. It explains
TOEFL Speaking Score Descriptors
TOEFL raw score is the total points scored in 4 questions. To get the scaled score from this, the average score of the tasks is needed. Next, the average task score is converted to get the percentage score. This percentile score is then converted to get the scaled score. The process is simple: TOEFL sections have a scale of 0-30. So, the approximate scaled score for speaking section will be a percentage of 30. To get the scaled score of speaking section, multiply the decimal form of your percentage score. Average TOEFL score for the speaking is 20-25 as this section appears difficult to the test-takers – candidates from non-English speaking countries generally feel uncomfortable in speaking in English and score low in this section.
| Score | Description |
|---|---|
| 4 | The response is filled with fluency, brevity, significance. Hardly any lapses are found, highly functioning |
| 3 | The response is slightly less functioning than the previous one but is still fluent with general intelligible points. There might be few lapses in expressing but overall the response is orderly |
| 2 | The candidate is able to respond correctly but the expression is restrained. The speech is rational though there are overall lapses in order which creates ambiguity |
| 1 | Here the candidate is not capable enough to place a proper response to the question and thus the response becomes irrational. |
| 0 | Either the speaker doesn’t reply or the reply is disconnected to the topic |
TOEFL Speaking Score Percentile
The TOEFL percentile states how any test-takers scored lesser than the candidate. The higher the percentile of the candidate, the better they have scored compared to other test-takers, resulting in high TOEFL scores. Points to be noted to understand TOEFL speaking score chart:
- 50th percentile is the median score that states the candidate has scored better than 50% of the other candidates who sat for the exam and lesser than the same number of people who gave the exam.
- Any score above the median is a good TOEFL speaking score - 22 is the TOEFL score here;
- A TOEFL score of 24 will place you in the top 25% of the scorers or higher than the majority of the scorers and accordingly the higher you score the better;
- A score below the median is generally placed under minimum TOEFL scores.
The TOEFL score percentiles are obtained based on the scaled score range for every section of the exam:
| Percentile | TOEFL Speaking score |
|---|---|
| 90 | 27 |
| 75 | 24 |
| 50 | 22 |
| 25 | 18 |
| 10 | 15 |
Preparation Tips to Maximize TOEFL Speaking Score
Free TOEFL speaking evaluation can give the candidates the same report. From the above score descriptors, it can be evaluated that score 4 states that it has brevity, coherency, rationality, and everything that an answer needs to be proficient. 1 or 2 states that the response was filled with in coherence, major lapses, lack of connection in ideas, thoughts, and opinions. Thus, proper preparation for TOEFL Speaking is mandatory. The marking criteria and score descriptors are the same for Integrated and integrated speaking tasks.
- Strengthen vocabulary
- Listening to English Videos and Podcasts
- Practice note-taking
- Create a proper study plan
- Regularly solve practice papers.
- Practice speaking out loud as much as possible
- Record yourself and review for fluency and grammar errors
- Focus on vocabulary and pronunciation
Having a better understanding of the speaking section scoring criteria will help in time management. This is all about TOEFL iBT speaking score, calculation, and marking rubrics. Now, to obtain a good score in TOEFL speaking, practicing for TOEFL Speaking is much needed.
FAQs
Ques: What is the scoring scale for TOEFL speaking section?
Ques: How long do I have to prepare my independent speaking responses?
Ques: How quickly will I get my TOEFL speaking score?
Ques: How can I improve my TOEFL speaking score?
Ques: What are common mistakes that lower TOEFL speaking scores?
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.
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