TOEFL, PTE and Duolingo to IELTS Score Converter (2026)
Short answer. On the test owners’ own tables, IELTS 6.5 matches TOEFL 4.5 on the new 1 to 6 scale, PTE Academic 55 and Duolingo 120 to 125. IELTS 7 matches TOEFL 5, PTE 63 and Duolingo 130 to 135. But universities and visa offices set their own score for each test, so treat it as a guide.
Each conversion uses the owning organisation’s official table: ETS for TOEFL, Pearson’s July 2025 concordance for PTE, and Duolingo’s published comparison for the Duolingo English Test, checked in October 2026. Figures for the other tests are read through the IELTS equivalent, so they are approximate.
The full conversion table
This table puts the three official tables side by side, lined up on IELTS Academic. Each column comes from the organisation that owns that test. The PTE column shows the minimum PTE score Pearson links to each IELTS band, and the TOEFL old scale column shows the range of 0 to 120 totals ETS maps to each band on its new scale.
| IELTS | TOEFL iBT (1 to 6) | TOEFL iBT (0 to 120) | PTE Academic | Duolingo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.5 to 9 | 6 | 114 to 120 | 86 to 90 | 160 |
| 8 | 6 | 114 to 120 | 79 | 150 to 155 |
| 7.5 | 5.5 | 107 to 113 | 71 | 140 to 145 |
| 7 | 5 | 95 to 106 | 63 | 130 to 135 |
| 6.5 | 4.5 | 86 to 94 | 55 | 120 to 125 |
| 6 | 4 | 72 to 85 | 47 | 105 to 115 |
| 5.5 | 3.5 | 58 to 71 | 39 | 95 to 100 |
| 5 | 2.5 | 34 to 43 | 31 | 80 to 90 |
| 4.5 | 2 | 24 to 33 | 24 | 65 to 75 |
| 4 | 1.5 | 12 to 23 | below 24 | 60 |
Two gaps are worth knowing. ETS does not map a TOEFL band of 3 to any IELTS band, so a 3 sits between IELTS 5 and 5.5. And Duolingo’s own table uses a range of its scores for most IELTS bands, so a Duolingo 110 and a 115 both sit at about IELTS 6. If an online table gives different PTE numbers, check its date: Pearson updated its IELTS concordance in July 2025 to reflect the updated PTE Academic test.
The TOEFL scale changed in January 2026
From 21 January 2026, TOEFL iBT reports scores from 1 to 6 in half points, aligned to the CEFR, with the overall score being the average of the four sections rounded to the nearest half band. For a two year transition, score reports also show a comparable score on the old 0 to 120 scale, the midpoint of the matching range. ETS’s guidance to universities is that an old requirement of 100 becomes 5, 90 becomes 4.5, 80 becomes 4 and 70 becomes 3.5.
| New scale | CEFR level | Old total (0 to 120) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | C2 | 114 to 120 |
| 5 to 5.5 | C1 | 95 to 113 |
| 4 to 4.5 | B2 | 72 to 94 |
| 3 to 3.5 | B1 | 44 to 71 |
| 2 to 2.5 | A2 | 24 to 43 |
| 1 to 1.5 | A1 | 0 to 23 |
Why the conversion is not your requirement
Every test owner publishes a concordance, and every one of them says the same thing in its small print: it shows how scores compare, not what any university or visa office accepts. That matters, because the people who set requirements choose a number for each test separately, and their numbers often do not line up with the concordance.
- UK visa, B2 level: UKVI’s list of approved tests asks for IELTS for UKVI 5.5 in each skill, or PTE Academic UKVI 59 in each skill. Pearson’s own concordance puts IELTS 5.5 at PTE 39. For the visa, the PTE bar is far higher than a conversion would suggest.
- TUM, Germany: TUM’s central requirement is IELTS Academic 6.5, TOEFL iBT 88 on the old scale, or PTE Academic 65. TOEFL 88 lines up with IELTS 6.5, but PTE 65 is above Pearson’s minimum for IELTS 7. A PTE taker needs a relatively stronger score there.
Faz's ruleConvert to compare tests before you book. Never convert to decide whether you have met a requirement.
The right use of a converter is before you book: if you can reliably score 6.5 in IELTS mocks, the table tells you roughly what to aim for in PTE or TOEFL, and you can pick the test your universities accept at the best price. The wrong use is after the result, telling yourself that your PTE 58 is basically an IELTS 6.5 so you qualify. Admissions offices check your score against the number they set for that test, and section minimums often apply too. Open each university’s English page and copy down its figure for your test.
Which tests each country’s visa system accepts is a separate question, covered in our IELTS vs TOEFL vs PTE vs Duolingo comparison. To work out an IELTS overall band from your section scores, use our IELTS band score calculator.
Questions people ask
What PTE score is equal to IELTS 6.5?
55, according to Pearson’s July 2025 concordance, which gives 55 as the minimum PTE Academic score linked to IELTS 6.5. IELTS 7 is 63 and IELTS 6 is 47.
What is TOEFL 90 in IELTS?
A 90 on the old 0 to 120 scale is 4.5 on the new TOEFL scale, which ETS maps to IELTS 6.5.
What Duolingo score is equal to IELTS 7?
130 to 135, on Duolingo’s published comparison. IELTS 6.5 is 120 to 125, and IELTS 6 is 105 to 115.
What does the new TOEFL 1 to 6 score mean?
Since 21 January 2026, TOEFL iBT reports scores from 1 to 6 in half points, aligned to the CEFR: 5 to 5.5 is C1 and 4 to 4.5 is B2. A 5 corresponds to an old total of 95 to 106.
Can I use a converted score to meet a university requirement?
No. Universities and visa authorities set a separate score for each test they accept. Use the figure they publish for your test, and check any section minimums.
Where these rules come from
- ETS, TOEFL iBT score scale 1 to 6: CEFR and IELTS comparison
- ETS, understanding your TOEFL iBT scores
- Pearson, understand your PTE Academic score and IELTS concordance
- Duolingo English Test, understand scoring and overall score comparison
- GOV.UK, Secure English Language Tests and the list of approved tests
- Technical University of Munich, language certificates
Checked in October 2026. Concordance tables are updated from time to time; your university’s published requirement for your test always wins.