TOEIC S&W Scores: Scale, Levels, CEFR and a Good Score
Overview
A TOEIC Speaking and Writing score is really two results. ETS reports each of the TOEIC Speaking and Writing tests on a 0-200 scale in steps of 10, and never adds them into one total. Each result also gets a proficiency level, and the levels don't line up: Speaking has 8 and Writing has 9, so a 150 on your score report is Speaking Level 6 but Writing Level 7. Reading your result, and its CEFR match, comes down to eight parts.
How Is the TOEIC Speaking and Writing Test Scored?
ETS scores the TOEIC Speaking test and the TOEIC Writing test separately, each on a 0-200 scale in increments of 10, and assigns each score a proficiency level. There is no combined official total.
Your spoken answers are recorded and your written answers are typed. Certified ETS raters then grade each task against a task-specific scoring rubric. ETS converts those task ratings into the scaled score, but it doesn't publish the exact conversion table.
Each task type has its own rating scale. Short tasks use 0-3, the Writing e-mail tasks use 0-4, and the opinion tasks use 0-5, so longer tasks weigh more. Speaking results also carry a Pronunciation rating and an Intonation and Stress rating of High, Medium or Low.
The Listening & Reading test works differently. It counts your correct answers and converts that raw count into a 5-495 score for each section.
What Are the TOEIC Speaking Scoring Criteria?
ETS raters judge Speaking answers in three layers. They start with sound, meaning pronunciation and intonation and stress. Then they add language, judging grammar, vocabulary and cohesion. Last comes content: relevance of content, completeness of content and how well you support an opinion.
The criteria build up task by task. The two read-aloud tasks measure delivery only, while every later task keeps those criteria and adds new ones.
Each Speaking task type keeps the criteria before it and adds its own.
| Task type | Number of tasks | Criteria scored | Rating scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Read a text aloud | 2 | Pronunciation, plus intonation and stress, judged on a short passage read aloud | 0-3 |
| Describe a picture | 2 | Delivery criteria plus grammar, vocabulary and cohesion across a 30-second description | 0-3 |
| Respond to questions | 3 | All earlier criteria plus relevance of content and completeness of content | 0-3 |
| Respond to questions using information provided | 3 | Every earlier criterion, applied to answers that use the information provided | 0-3 |
| Express an opinion | 1 | Every criterion, scored on a 60-second answer that must support a view | 0-5 |
What Are the TOEIC Speaking Score Levels?
A TOEIC Speaking proficiency level is one of eight bands ETS attaches to the 0-200 Speaking score, each with a written score descriptor.
Level 8 (190-200) means sustained discourse in highly intelligible speech. Level 7 (160-180) adds minor weaknesses, Level 6 (130-150) is clear but sometimes vague in its reasoning, and Level 5 (110-120) turns inaccurate. Beside the score sit a Pronunciation rating and an Intonation and Stress rating.
Eight levels cover the whole scale, band by band.
| Level | Score range | What the speaker can typically do |
|---|---|---|
| Level 8 | 190-200 | Sustains connected discourse with highly intelligible speech, accurate grammar and precise vocabulary in typical workplace situations |
| Level 7 | 160-180 | Sustains workplace discourse effectively; minor slips in pronunciation, grammar or word choice rarely get in the way of meaning |
| Level 6 | 130-150 | Gives relevant answers to requests and opinion questions, though reasoning sometimes turns unclear through pronunciation or vocabulary gaps |
| Level 5 | 110-120 | Expresses opinions with limited success; frequent hesitation, vague language and narrow vocabulary often weaken the message |
| Level 4 | 80-100 | Struggles to give an opinion; answers are often a single sentence with severely limited language and unclear pronunciation |
| Level 3 | 60-70 | Can state an opinion only with difficulty and cannot support it; lacks the grammar and words for simple descriptions |
| Level 2 | 40-50 | Cannot give or support an opinion; is hard to understand both in routine workplace exchanges and when reading aloud |
| Level 1 | 0-30 | Leaves large parts of the test unanswered; may not understand enough spoken or written English to follow directions |
What Are the TOEIC Writing Scoring Criteria?
Writing criteria grow with the tasks. The picture sentences are judged on grammar and picture relevance. The two e-mail tasks add quality and variety of sentences, vocabulary and organization. The opinion essay adds one more test: whether reasons and examples actually support your view.
Longer tasks use wider rating scales, as in Speaking. That's why the opinion essay moves your score more than any single picture sentence.
The criteria widen as each Writing task gets longer.
| Task type | Number of tasks | Criteria scored | Rating scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Write a sentence based on a picture | 5 | Grammar and the relevance of each sentence to its picture | 0-3 |
| Respond to a written request | 2 | Quality and variety of sentences, vocabulary and organization in an e-mail response | 0-4 |
| Write an opinion essay | 1 | Reasons and examples supporting the opinion, plus grammar, vocabulary and organization | 0-5 |
What Are the TOEIC Writing Score Levels?
A TOEIC Writing proficiency level is one of nine bands ETS attaches to the 0-200 Writing score, each with its own score descriptor.
Level 9 (200) means natural, accurate, well-organized writing. Level 8 (170-190) shows good coherence, Level 7 (140-160) supports opinions only partly, and Level 6 (110-130) shows limited grammatical accuracy. With nine levels against eight, 150 is Writing Level 7 but Speaking Level 6, so compare scores, never level numbers.
Nine levels split the same scale more finely.
| Level | Score range | What the writer can typically do |
|---|---|---|
| Level 9 | 200 | Communicates information and opinions effectively in well-organized, grammatically accurate writing with natural, varied sentence structure |
| Level 8 | 170-190 | Communicates information and opinions effectively with generally good organization; occasional minor grammatical errors do not block meaning |
| Level 7 | 140-160 | Gives straightforward information well but only partly supports opinions; writing stays clear and coherent despite some errors |
| Level 6 | 110-130 | Partly succeeds at giving information or supporting opinions; messages may leave out details or be partly unclear |
| Level 5 | 90-100 | Partly handles straightforward information but mostly fails to support opinions with adequate examples or clear organization |
| Level 4 | 70-80 | Shows developing ability to express opinions; responses lack support and organization and contain frequent grammatical mistakes |
| Level 3 | 50-60 | Has limited ability to express opinions; responses show serious disorganization or underdevelopment of the ideas offered |
| Level 2 | 40 | Has very limited ability; straightforward information comes out with missing details and frequent grammatical mistakes |
| Level 1 | 0-30 | Leaves parts of the test unanswered; may need stronger reading comprehension to understand the test itself |
How Do TOEIC Speaking and Writing Scores Map to CEFR Levels?
ETS maps both scores to the CEFR from A1 to C1. A Speaking score of 180 or more corresponds to C1, and the Writing test has its own minimum score for each level.
The cut score differs between the two tests for the same CEFR level. With the same 150, you'd be B2 in Writing but B1 in Speaking. The ETS mapping study stops at C1, so even a 200 is reported as C1 at most.
Each CEFR level starts at a different score in Speaking and in Writing.
| CEFR level | Minimum Speaking score | Minimum Writing score |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | 180 | 180 |
| B2 | 160 | 150 |
| B1 | 120 | 120 |
| A2 | 90 | 70 |
| A1 | 50 | 30 |
How Long Is a TOEIC Speaking and Writing Score Valid?
ETS treats TOEIC Speaking and Writing scores as valid for two years from the test date. ETS Global and its representatives reissue and confirm results for those two years, and after that you'd need to retake the test for a validated score.
Score validity protects the reader of your score report, since language skills change over time. Employers and schools can still set their own rule on how recent a score must be. For score verification, an employer checks with ETS or the local representative. Reissue rules vary by country, so check with the administrator where you tested. Our TOEIC score validity guide covers the two-year rule in detail.
What Is a Good TOEIC Speaking and Writing Score?
A good score is a Speaking score of 160 or more and a Writing score of 150 or more, the B2 cut scores and a strong professional result. The right target score is still whatever your employer or school asks for.
Targets are usually written as a proficiency level or a CEFR level. CEFR B2 means 160 in Speaking but 150 in Writing. Convert the employer requirement with the tables above before you set a study goal, because one target can mean two different scores.
Most targets fall into four score bands, each with its own signal.
- 110-120, functional English for routine tasks: Speaking Level 5 and Writing Level 6; 120 is the B1 minimum in both tests, enough for simple, predictable exchanges.
- 130-150, clear workplace communication: Speaking Level 6, and Writing Level 6 or 7; a Writing score of 150 already reaches B2, while Speaking stays at B1.
- 160-180, a strong professional result: Speaking Level 7 and Writing Level 7 or 8, spanning the B2 to C1 range that most professional hiring requirements name.
- 190-200, the top band near the scale maximum: Speaking Level 8, and Writing Level 8 or 9; both tests read as C1, the highest level TOEIC measures.
Is an 810 TOEIC Score Considered Good?
Yes, 810 is a good TOEIC score, but it is a Listening & Reading total on the 10-990 scale, not a Speaking and Writing score, which can never exceed 200 per test.
People often mix the two scales. On the Listening & Reading test, 810 sits above the 785 total linked to B2. So an employer asking for an 800-level TOEIC score is asking about Listening and Reading, not Speaking and Writing. Our TOEIC score guide explains that scale.
What Is the Highest TOEIC Speaking and Writing Score?
The highest TOEIC Speaking and Writing score is 200 on each test, which is Level 8 in Speaking and Level 9 in Writing.
That maximum score maps to CEFR C1, the highest level the TOEIC tests measure. A 400 across both tests isn't an official total, just two perfect results. Our TOEIC to CEFR guide shows where 200 sits on the full chart.
Is It Possible to Fail the TOEIC Speaking and Writing Test?
No, you cannot fail the TOEIC Speaking and Writing test, because it reports a score and a proficiency level instead of a pass or fail result.
The only practical fail is a score below the minimum score an employer or school sets, so check the employer requirement first. Unanswered tasks earn the bottom rating of 0. That's why Level 1 on both scales describes leaving parts of the test blank. Our TOEIC Speaking and Writing test guide covers each task.
How Can You Improve Your TOEIC Speaking and Writing Score?
The fastest way to improve a TOEIC Speaking and Writing score is to practice the timed task types under test conditions and review each response against the scoring criteria above.
Two levers follow: pronunciation, intonation and stress in Speaking, and opinion support in the opinion essay. The free plan of our TOEIC practice test includes a marked Speaking and Writing mock for response review. Its AI-rated result is an estimated score, not an official ETS score.
Common Questions
How is the TOEIC Speaking and Writing test scored?
ETS scores the Speaking test and the Writing test separately, each on a 0-200 scale in increments of 10, and gives each score a proficiency level. There is no combined official total.
What is a good TOEIC Speaking and Writing score?
A Speaking score of 160 or more and a Writing score of 150 or more, the B2 cut scores, is a strong professional result. The right target is whatever your employer or school asks for.
Is an 810 TOEIC score considered good?
Yes, but 810 is a Listening and Reading total on the 10-990 scale. Speaking and Writing scores never exceed 200 per test.
What is the highest TOEIC Speaking and Writing score?
200 on each test, which is Level 8 in Speaking and Level 9 in Writing, and maps to CEFR C1.
Is it possible to fail the TOEIC Speaking and Writing test?
No. The test reports a score and a proficiency level, not a pass or fail result. The only practical fail is a score below an employer's or school's minimum.