TOEFL Writing Score: Marking Criteria, Percentiles, and Good Score Range
Content Curator | Updated On - Apr 30, 2024
Highlights:
TOEFL writing score scale ranges from 0 to 30 based on your performance in 2 tasks: integrated and writing for an academic discussion task.
Achieving a 25+ TOEFL writing score is considered a good score.
TOEFL writing grading follows a combination of AI scoring and certified human raters.
TOEFL essay evaluation is accomplished on a scale from 0 to 5. These readings are called raw scores.
Some universities will require the overall TOEFL score, while some have the sectional score requirements. Some of the top-ranked universities worldwide have the minimum TOEFL writing score requirement of 25. TOEFL writing score scale ranges from 0 to 30 based on your performance in 2 tasks: integrated and writing for an academic discussion task. You will get a total of 30 minutes to complete the writing section. TOEFL writing grading follows a combination of AI scoring and certified human raters. TOEFL writing score system is simple, you get 1 mark for each correct answer, and there is no negative marking.
| Table of Contents |
TOEFL Writing Tasks Overview
TOEFL writing marking scheme is based on two different tasks in the TOEFL writing section:
- Integrated Writing Task
- Independent Writing Task
The following table gives the split-up of the exam pattern of TOEFL writing tasks:
| Task Type | Direction | Word Count | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Integrated Writing Task | Write an essay after reading a passage and listening to a recording of a lecture. | 150-225 words | 20 min |
| Independent Writing Task | Write an essay in response to a prompt. | 300 words | 30 min |
TOEFL Writing Evaluation Criteria
TOEFL essay evaluation is accomplished on a scale from 0 to 5. These readings are called raw scores. The raw scores from the base to calculate an average and score between 0 and 30. This writing TOEFL score will appear on a candidate’s score result.
The TOEFL writing score conversion list is given below:
| Writing Raw Score Average | Scaled Score |
|---|---|
| 5.00 | 30 |
| 4.75 | 29 |
| 4.50 | 27 |
| 4.25 | 25 |
| 4.00 | 24 |
| 3.75 | 22 |
| 3.50 | 21 |
| 3.25 | 20 |
| 3.00 | 18 |
| 2.75 | 17 |
| 2.50 | 15 |
| 2.25 | 14 |
| 2.00 | 12 |
| 1.75 | 11 |
| 1.50 | 10 |
| 1.25 | 9 |
| 1.00 | 8 |
| – | 7 |
| – | 5 |
| – | 4 |
| – | 0 |
TOEFL Writing Marking Scheme
The following tables show the marking rubrics of the TOEFL writing score evaluation criteria for both integrated writing tasks and independent writing tasks. Essays are graded with distinct rubrics for both writing tasks. Both are to be graded on a scale of 0 to 5.
Marking Rubrics of TOEFL Integrated Writing Task
The marking rubrics of the TOEFL Integrated Writing Task are given below:
| TOEFL Essay Score | Rubric Notes |
|---|---|
| 5 |
|
| 4 |
|
| 3 |
|
| 2 |
|
| 1 |
|
| 0 |
|
Marking Rubrics of TOEFL Independent Writing Task
The marking rubrics of the TOEFL Independent Writing Task are given below:
| TOEFL Essay Score | Rubric Notes |
|---|---|
| 5 |
|
| 4 |
|
| 3 |
|
| 2 |
|
| 1 |
|
| 0 |
|
Good Score in TOEFL Writing
There is no benchmark for a TOEFL writing perfect score. However, a good TOEFL score makes it possible for a candidate to get admission to a planned college or university. A good TOEFL iBT writing score can generally be 24, 27, or 28. Different universities have different TOEFL writing marking schemes. Some US universities require a sectional cut-off score in TOEFL reading, listening, speaking, and writing. Some universities need a minimum TOEFL score without a sectional cut-off (like 90 or 100 or 107 or more).
TOEFL Writing Score Percentiles
There are two evaluation criteria. They are scaled and raw writing scores.
| Percentile Ranking | Scaled Writing Score | Raw Writing Score |
|---|---|---|
| 90th | 27 | 9 |
| 75th | 25 | 8 |
| 50th | 22 | 7 |
| 25th | 19 | 6 |
| 10th | 15 | 4.5 |
A good score lies above the average which is the 50th percentile ranking. 22 and the above score is good. An excellent writing score will go above the 90th percentile which is 27 on a scaled writing score.
A centralized scoring network carries out the scoring process through a computer application to take care of the reading and listening sections. The automated AI scoring system is accurate and minimises biased scoring with high quality and consistency.
FAQs
Ques: What is a good TOEFL writing score?
Ans: The total score of TOEFL writing ranges on a scale of 0 to 30, and achieving a score of 24 or higher is considered a good score and accepted by the top-ranked universities worldwide.
Ques: What is 4 out of 5 in TOEFL writing?
Ans: The two tasks of TOEFL writing were assessed on 0 to 5 levels with half-point increments. Achieving a raw score of 4 is considered a good score in the writing section.
Ques: Is 25 in TOEFL writing good?
Ans: TOEFL score ranges on a scale of 0 to 30, and achieving a score of 25 is considered a good writing score, and is accepted by some of the best universities worldwide.
Ques: How to calculate TOEFL writing score?
Ans: Once you finish your TOEFL writing exam, the examiner will score you on a scale of 0 to 5 raw score level. Then your total raw score will be calculated as your total score that ranges on a scale of 0 to 30.
Ques: Why is my TOEFL writing score so low?
Ans: Many reasons can affect your TOEFL writing score. Writing your response under the minimum word limit and writing grammatically incorrect answers can affect your TOEFL writing score.
Ques: How to score 30/30 in TOEFL writing?
Ans: To get 30 out of 30 in TOEFL writing, you need to do effective preparation with a proper study plan. Solving sample papers regularly can help you achieve a higher score on TOEFL writing.
Ques: How to pass TOEFL writing?
Ans: To pass TOEFL easily read the article carefully and summarize it, listen to lectures and take notes, and focus on writing grammatically correct responses.
Ques: Is writing in TOEFL hard?
Ans: TOEFL writing includes 2 tasks: integrated writing task, and writing for an academic discussion task. Candidates doing effective preparation with updated study materials
Ques: How to increase TOEFL writing score?
Ans: To increase your TOEFL writing, first read and listen carefully, and improve your note-taking and time management skills. Regularly solving sample papers helps you to achieve a higher score.
Ques: How difficult is it to get 30 in TOEFL writing?
Ans: To get 30 in TOEFL writing, you need to write your answers with perfect word limits and make sure your answers are grammatically correct. Candidates with a good grasp of the English language and effective preparation can achieve 30 in TOEFL writing.
Ques: What is the minimum words for TOEFL writing?
Ans: There is no maximum length for your TOEFL writing answer. The minimum length for best responses is between 150 and 225 words.
Ques: How much time for TOEFL writing?
Ans: TOEFL writing section includes 2 different tasks, and you will be allocated a total of 30 minutes to complete the writing section.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.