How TOEFL MyBest Scores Work in 2026

MyBest combines your highest valid section scores from the last two years, but each institution decides whether to accept it.

What are TOEFL MyBest scores?

TOEFL MyBest scores are section superscores. ETS combines the highest valid Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing scores from all of a test taker’s TOEFL iBT tests taken during the previous two years. The result shows the strongest available score for each section rather than the four section scores from one test date.

MyBest does not erase or replace the single-date result. ETS states that TOEFL iBT score reports include both a single test date selected by the test taker and the MyBest scores. A receiving institution can therefore review the complete performance from one sitting as well as the best valid section combination.

MyBest is calculated automatically. Test takers do not need to submit a separate calculation or choose which section score should be used. The practical question is not whether MyBest appears. The practical question is whether the intended university and program will use it for admission.

How does ETS calculate MyBest?

ETS looks across every valid TOEFL iBT test in the two-year window and selects the highest score for each of the four sections. The four selected section scores can come from four different test dates, although they often come from fewer tests.

In this illustrative example, Reading comes from Test A, Listening and Speaking come from Test B, and Writing comes from Test A. Under the current 1–6 scale, the four selected bands average to 4.25, which rounds to an overall 4.5 under ETS half-band scoring rules.

The Aidoss Academy TOEFL score converter can help compare 1–6 results with the comparable 0–120 reporting scale. The conversion is useful for interpretation, but it does not determine whether a university accepts MyBest.

What appears on the score report?

A TOEFL score report does not show only the superscore. ETS says the report includes the scores from a single test date selected by the test taker and the MyBest combination. This gives institutions two different views of performance.

The single-date result answers a consistency question: how did the applicant perform across all four sections on one test? MyBest answers a peak-section question: what is the strongest valid result the applicant has demonstrated in each skill during the two-year period? An institution may value one view more than the other depending on its admissions policy.

During the current score-scale transition, reports use the 1–6 scale as the primary score system and also provide a comparable 0–120 overall score for two years. Applicants should avoid rebuilding their own unofficial superscore from mixed scales. Use the score report supplied by ETS and the policy published by the receiving institution.

The guide to reading a TOEFL score report explains section scores, the overall average, CEFR information, MyBest placement, and the comparable legacy total.

Does every university accept MyBest?

No. ETS states that each institution decides whether to accept MyBest. Some universities accept it broadly, some accept it only for selected programs, and some require a single test-date score. A university name on a general acceptance list is helpful evidence, but the current program page remains the decisive source for an applicant.

Check policy at the narrowest useful level: university, school or faculty, degree level, and specific program. An undergraduate office and a graduate department can use different language requirements. A professional program may also set section minimums that are not satisfied merely because the MyBest overall score reaches the stated total.

ETS maintains a list of institutions known to accept MyBest, updated June 10, 2026. ETS also notes that additional institutions may accept MyBest without appearing on the list and that special conditions may apply. The safe process is to verify the admissions page and contact the program when the wording is unclear.

The guide to choosing a good TOEFL target explains why a useful target begins with the actual institutional requirement rather than a general score label.

When can a MyBest score change?

A MyBest score can improve when a new test adds a higher section result. It can also decline when an older test passes the two-year validity limit and its section score is no longer valid. ETS will not report or send TOEFL iBT scores after two years.

This means the MyBest score visible today is not permanently fixed. Suppose the highest Speaking score came from a test taken twenty-three months ago. If the applicant submits scores after that test expires, the next-highest valid Speaking result may replace it. Deadline planning should therefore use the score validity date, not only the application deadline.

Applicants should record every test date, each section score, the two-year expiration date, and the programs that accept MyBest. This prevents a strong section score from expiring unnoticed and helps determine whether a retake has a clear purpose.

The free TOEFL readiness check can help identify whether another test is justified by a real section gap rather than by anxiety about the total alone.

How to Practice This

Aidoss Academy uses M-A-P-R: Mock, Analyze, Plan, Retest. Mock means completing a timed four-section checkpoint. Analyze means separating the total from the section profile. Plan means assigning most practice to the weakest required section. Retest means checking whether the repair survives under time.

Worked example: A student has a valid profile of Reading 4.5, Listening 4.5, Speaking 3.5, and Writing 4.0. A second test raises Speaking to 4.0 but lowers Reading to 4.0. If the intended program accepts MyBest, the new Speaking result can strengthen the combined profile while the earlier Reading 4.5 remains available. If the program requires one test date, the student must evaluate the complete second-test result instead.

The practice decision should follow the policy. For a MyBest-accepting program with a Speaking floor of 4.0, focused Speaking repair has a clear purpose. For a program requiring a single sitting, practice must also protect the stronger sections so the full test-date profile remains competitive.

Start with the free Essentials edition of the Aidoss Academy Mock Test Tracker Dashboard to record test dates, section bands, and expiration dates. Then use the Complete Digital edition for deeper trend tracking, MyBest comparisons, and M-A-P-R review across repeated timed tests.

FAQ

Are MyBest scores automatically included?

Yes. ETS says all TOEFL iBT score reports include MyBest scores alongside the selected single test-date scores.

How far back does MyBest look?

MyBest uses valid section scores from TOEFL iBT tests taken within the previous two years. A score can stop contributing when its test date passes the two-year limit.

Can a university see the original test-date score?

Yes. ETS states that the report includes both the selected single test-date result and the MyBest result.

How do I know whether my program accepts MyBest?

Check the current program admissions page and confirm directly when the wording is unclear. The institution, not ETS, decides whether MyBest satisfies its requirement.

Sources: ETS MyBest score requirements guidance, ETS institutions accepting MyBest, ETS score validity guidance, and ETS score-scale update.