The TOEFL 1-6 Score Scale for Korean Applicants

Since January 21, 2026, TOEFL reports four section scores and an overall score from 1 to 6 in half bands, while also showing a comparable 0 to 120 overall total during the transition.

South Korea facts and checks for this decision

Four section scores: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing each receive a 1 to 6 score in half-band steps.
Overall calculation: ETS averages the four section scores and rounds to the nearest half band.
Dual reporting: During the two-year transition after January 2026, ETS also provides a comparable 0 to 120 overall score.
No ETS pass score: ETS does not set a universal passing TOEFL score.

The overall 1 to 6 score is the average of Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing, rounded to the nearest half band under ETS rules. Korean application pages, translated notices, and saved score cutoffs may still use the older 0 to 120 scale. The official score report helps during this transition, but the recipient still controls acceptance.

Do not turn a comparison table into a promise. A total can arise from different section combinations, and a program may set a separate Speaking or Writing floor. Build the target from the exact current page and keep the test date beside the score scale.

Read Korean application pages by date and owner

A Korean home university may translate an overseas partner’s rule, while the partner page may update first. Save both, check the intake date, and ask the owner when the scales conflict. Do not edit a translated number without evidence.

Four section scores

These section results matter when a graduate department, teaching role, or exchange program sets a floor. Check every required section rather than reading only the overall number.

Overall calculation

A learner can use the average to understand the report, but should not manually manufacture an admissions result. The official report is the evidence.

Dual reporting

Korean applicants can show the official report when a page has not yet changed scales. Contact the institution if the current instruction remains unclear.

No ETS pass score

A “good” score is the one that meets the verified program rule with any required section floors and fits the application date. A private academy target is not the recipient rule.

Compare the options with one standard

A fair choice uses the same questions for every route. Check the evidence, the work required from the learner, the feedback available, and the rule that controls the final decision.

Route or check	Useful when	Limit to verify
Official TOEFL report	Current section and overall scores plus transition information.	Does not decide a university’s minimum or section policy.
Recipient page	Accepted scale, minimum, section floors, and submission instructions.	May lag during the transition or apply only to one program.
Aidoss score converter	Planning and interpretation when reading old and new scales.	Use it with the recipient's current admissions rules.

Use the converter to ask better questions, then use the official score report and recipient page to make the application decision.

Build a four-section T-G-R target

Target records overall and section rules. Gap compares each rule with current task evidence. Route assigns practice and feedback by required weakness.

One step to use now

Draw five rows: overall, Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. Copy only verified requirements. Mark Not stated where no section floor appears rather than inventing one.

A Korean applicant may see an older 100 total on one page and a current 5 overall on another. Save both dates and ask the program which applies. Do not assume every 5 target has the same section expectations.

Recheck the page before submitting the score and save the official report. If the institution updates its scale, revise the target sheet without rewriting the practice evidence.

A practical South Korea action plan

Use the plan as a sequence, not a list of resources. Finish one check before adding the next item, and keep official rules separate from study advice.

Open the ETS score-scale page and the recipient’s current requirement.
Record the test date and score scale used by each source.
Copy overall and section rules into separate rows.
Use current task evidence to identify the largest required gap.
Prepare on the current tasks rather than chasing a converted total.
Submit the official score through the accepted route.

Korean exchange notices may be posted before an overseas partner updates its page. Build time to ask. A rushed conversion can create false certainty close to the deadline.

Put each date, source, and decision in one sheet. That small record matters in South Korea because academy schedules, test appointments, school calendars, and recipient rules do not update on the same day. A dated note prevents an old screenshot or remembered rule from controlling a current application.

Why section combinations matter

Two learners can have the same overall band with different section profiles. If the program has no section floors, both may meet the stated overall rule. If it has a Speaking floor, only the official section score answers the question.

Preparation should therefore track task evidence by section. A broad total can hide a productive-skill gap, especially when the learner has extensive receptive-test experience. Diagnose rather than assume.

Choosing a test or course before checking the exact recipient and purpose.
Using an old Korean blog post or saved academy page as if it were a current official rule.
Counting passive review as productive TOEFL Speaking or Writing practice.
Changing several parts of the plan at once, which hides the cause of an error.

Run a dated South Korea verification drill

Before acting, open the current source in Korea Standard Time and build a four-line evidence note. Give each line an access date, the page or account screen used, the exact decision it controls, and the next date for a recheck. This matters when a Korean academy page, university notice, saved screenshot, or test booking screen was published on a different schedule from the official TOEFL rule.

Four section scores: Test this working claim: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing each receive a 1 to 6 score in half-band steps. Record the current source and who owns the rule. If a live official page, recipient reply, or booking screen differs, replace the old note instead of blending both versions.
Overall calculation: Test this working claim: ETS averages the four section scores and rounds to the nearest half band. Record the current source and who owns the rule. If a live official page, recipient reply, or booking screen differs, replace the old note instead of blending both versions.
Dual reporting: Test this working claim: During the two-year transition after January 2026, ETS also provides a comparable 0 to 120 overall score. Record the current source and who owns the rule. If a live official page, recipient reply, or booking screen differs, replace the old note instead of blending both versions.
No ETS pass score: Test this working claim: ETS does not set a universal passing TOEFL score. Record the current source and who owns the rule. If a live official page, recipient reply, or booking screen differs, replace the old note instead of blending both versions.

Finish by asking what would change the plan. A new recipient minimum may change the target. A different Korean appointment may change travel. An updated ID rule may change the document check. A changed course schedule may change access to feedback. Keep those branches separate. The drill does not make a source permanent; it makes the learner able to see which fact supports each decision and when that fact needs another check.

Free-first next step: Use the free converter for planning, then confirm the current program page and official report. Read the full 1 to 6 conversion guide. Use the free TOEFL score converter. Build a recipient-led score target.