TOEFL Score Distributions and Lessons to Achieve a 100+ Score

Hi everyone!

Today's video is all about understanding what it truly takes to score 100+ on the TOEFL, based on the recent ETS report on score distribution.  Analyzing TOEFL score distributions through understanding percentiles and score breakdowns can help you reach a 100+ as it shows you exactly where you stand compared to other test-takers.

As some of you might have guessed, ETS normalizes your scores. What does this mean? It means your raw score – the number of questions you answer correctly – isn't simply your final score. Rather, your performance is compared with how other test-takers did on that particular test form. For example, if you get a raw score of 23, but the overall group on your test day performed significantly worse than average on those specific questions, your scaled score could actually be adjusted up to a 25. This statistical adjustment ensures that a score of, say, 25 in Reading represents the same level of proficiency regardless of which version of the test you took or when you took it.

This is why, even with different tests administered across years, the overall score distribution for each section seems remarkably steady. I've followed their score distribution reports, and the patterns across sections consistently hold true.

Ultimately, scoring 100+ means taking yourself out of the crowd. Your Writing and Speaking responses, in particular, must be distinctly different from the average responses that simply use a basic plug-in of templates. To truly rise above the mean and achieve those high scores, you need to understand what it takes to differentiate yourself, and that's precisely what we'll explore in this video.