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TOEIC to CEFR Converter & Eiken chart

Pick your TOEIC score, CEFR level or Eiken grade and instantly see the equivalent across all three. Based on the official CEFR concordances, with an honest note on accuracy.

What do you have? Tap any one.
TOEIC L&R
CEFR
Eiken (英検)

Approximate. The tests are lined up through their shared CEFR levels, there is no official direct TOEIC-to-Eiken conversion.

TOEIC ↔ CEFR ↔ Eiken conversion table

This chart lines up TOEIC Listening & Reading with the CEFR and the equivalent Eiken grade. TOEIC and Eiken each publish how their own scores map to the CEFR, and this table joins them through that shared scale.

CEFRTOEIC L&REiken (英検)What it means
C1945–990Grade 1 (1級)Advanced
B2785–940Grade Pre-1 (準1級)Upper-intermediate, the common hiring bar
B1550–780Grade 2 (2級)Intermediate
A2225–545Grade Pre-2 (準2級)Elementary
A1120–220Grade 3 (3級)Beginner

Approximate. The CEFR is a band, not a single point, so a score near a boundary can sit in either level.

What each level looks like

Here is what each CEFR band means in real terms, with its TOEIC range and Eiken grade.

C1 945–990 · 1級

Advanced. Near-native reading and listening. You work and study comfortably in English and stand out to any employer or admissions committee.

B2 785–940 · 準1級

Upper-intermediate, the level most employers and universities look for. You handle meetings, email and reports in English. The most common hiring and admissions target.

B1 550–780 · 2級

Intermediate. You cope with familiar, predictable situations at work and while travelling, and you are well placed to push toward the 785 (B2) bar.

A2 225–545 · 準2級

Elementary. You understand basic, high-frequency English and simple everyday exchanges. A solid base to build from with TOEIC Bridge practice.

A1 120–220 · 3級

Beginner. You recognise everyday words and very simple phrases. The starting point, where steady daily practice moves you up fastest.

How the mapping works, and how accurate it is

There is no official formula that converts a TOEIC score straight into an Eiken grade. What exists is this: ETS publishes a concordance linking TOEIC scaled scores to CEFR levels, and the Eiken maker publishes how Eiken CSE scores map to the CEFR. In Japan, the education ministry has used a CEFR comparison table (CEFR対照表) that places several English tests, including TOEIC and Eiken, on the same scale for university admissions.

So the comparison on this page is made through the CEFR: TOEIC to CEFR, then CEFR to Eiken. That makes it a reliable guide for understanding where you stand, but not an exact equivalence. Because the CEFR is a band, a score close to a boundary (say TOEIC 780 or 790) can reasonably sit in either level.

Which one should I take?

For jobs and companies in Japan and Korea, TOEIC is almost always the test employers recognise. Eiken is used more for school and university contexts in Japan and is a four-skills exam (it includes speaking and writing). If your goal is work, take the TOEIC; if a specific school asks for Eiken, take that, and use this table to translate a target you already know into the other test.

Find your TOEIC score first

To read your CEFR level here, you need a TOEIC score. The fastest way is a free timed mock in the current official format, or turn your answers into a score with the converter. You can start free today:

Full mock (L&R)A timed 10–990 practice test with an instant score estimate. Score converterTurn your number of correct answers into an estimated 10–990 score. What your score meansJobs, university and CEFR, band by band. Vocabulary trainerDrill the high-frequency TOEIC words to push up a band.
Take a free mock to find your level →

The official ETS concordance: all four TOEIC skills

ETS, which makes the TOEIC, ran a benchmarking study (Tannenbaum & Wylie, 2006) that fixes a minimum score for each CEFR level, skill by skill. The band table at the top of this page is the Listening & Reading total. The fuller, more precise picture is the minimum ETS assigns to each section on its own. Listening and Reading are each scored out of 495, Speaking and Writing each out of 200.

CEFRListening (min, /495)Reading (min, /495)Speaking (min, /200)Writing (min, /200)
C1490455180180
B2400385160150
B1275275120120
A21101159070
A160605030

To count as a level in a section, you reach that section's minimum. ETS builds the overall Listening & Reading level up from these two section minimums, and it encourages you to read Listening and Reading separately rather than leaning on one blended number, because your two skills can sit at different levels. Speaking and Writing report no combined total: each is levelled on its own.

Reading these numbers honestly

They are recommended minimum thresholds, not hard cut-offs, and ETS advises against applying them strictly. The CEFR is a band, every test form carries a little measurement error, and scores move in steps (5 points on Listening & Reading, 10 points on Speaking & Writing), so a result sitting right on a boundary can reasonably belong to either level. For the A1 to B1 range, ETS suggests the beginner-friendly TOEIC Bridge tests instead.

How employers and universities actually use CEFR levels

A shared scale matters because a hiring manager or admissions officer rarely knows every English test, but they do know the CEFR. So a job ad or a course page will often ask for "CEFR B2" and then accept any test that reaches it, which is exactly where your TOEIC score does the work.

ContextTypical CEFR asked forTOEIC L&R that reaches it
Most white-collar and global-company rolesB2785+
Client-facing or international rolesB2 to C1785 to 945+
General office and support rolesB1550+
Undergraduate study taught in EnglishB2785+
Japanese university admissions (CEFR対照表)A2 to B2varies by school

In Japan, admissions increasingly read English tests through the education ministry's CEFR comparison table (CEFR対照表), which lines up the TOEIC, Eiken and others on one scale, so a target expressed as a CEFR level or an Eiken grade can be met with the matching TOEIC score. Across the EU and in global graduate programs, B2 is the usual line for study or work carried out in English, with B1 accepted for more general requirements and C1 asked for demanding academic or professional settings.

A practical angle: because ETS reports Listening and Reading separately, an employer who cares about calls and meetings may weigh your Listening level most, while a research program may look hardest at Reading. Knowing both section levels, not just the total, lets you answer exactly what each one is asking for.

How to move up to the next CEFR level

CEFR bands are wide, so climbing one is a real project rather than a weekend of cramming. Here is what each jump asks for on the TOEIC Listening & Reading scale, and where to spend your effort.

A2 to B1 reach 550

Move from surviving simple exchanges to handling familiar work and travel situations. Build the high-frequency core: everyday vocabulary, the basic tenses, and following short talks. Beginner-friendly TOEIC Bridge practice fits this stage.

B1 to B2 reach 785

The big one, the jump to the common hiring bar. Push Reading speed on the longer Part 7 passages, train Listening for gist and detail together, and grow your active vocabulary toward roughly 4,000 words. Drill focused Reading and Listening sets.

B2 to C1 reach 945

Close the gap to near-native accuracy. Tighten Part 5 grammar, read longer and more abstract texts, and cut the careless slips that cap a high score. Full-length timed mock tests under exam conditions are what move the needle now.

Whatever your level fix the weaker skill

Because your Listening and Reading levels can differ, put more time into the lower one. Take a timed mock, read each section level off the concordance table above, and aim your practice squarely at the skill holding your CEFR level down.

Take a free mock and find your section levels →
Questions, answered

TOEIC, CEFR and Eiken, straight answers

The conversion questions students and job seekers search for most.

What CEFR level is a TOEIC score?
Approximately, TOEIC Listening & Reading maps to CEFR as: 945–990 is C1, 785–940 is B2, 550–780 is B1, 225–545 is A2 and 120–220 is A1. The mapping follows ETS's published concordance, and these cut scores are the same for every test sitting.
What CEFR level is TOEIC 800?
A TOEIC Listening & Reading score of 800 is CEFR B2, upper-intermediate. B2 (785 and above) is the level most employers and universities look for, so 800 is a strong, employable score.
What Eiken grade is equal to TOEIC?
Bridged through CEFR: TOEIC 945+ (C1) is around Eiken Grade 1, 785–940 (B2) is around Grade Pre-1, 550–780 (B1) is around Grade 2, 225–545 (A2) is around Grade Pre-2 and 120–220 (A1) is around Grade 3. There is no official direct TOEIC-to-Eiken conversion; both are lined up through their CEFR levels.
What TOEIC score is B2?
CEFR B2 corresponds to roughly TOEIC Listening & Reading 785–940. B2 is the common hiring and admissions bar, so 785 is a widely used target.
How is TOEIC converted to CEFR?
ETS publishes a concordance that links TOEIC scaled scores to CEFR levels, based on research mapping test performance to the CEFR can-do descriptors. It is a band mapping, not an exact formula, so treat the level as approximate.
Is the TOEIC to Eiken conversion official?
No. Neither ETS nor the Eiken maker publishes a direct TOEIC-to-Eiken table. Both tests publish how their own scores map to the CEFR, so the comparison here is made by lining up the two tests through their shared CEFR levels. Use it as a guide, not an official equivalence. See the full grade-by-grade TOEIC to Eiken conversion chart.
What CEFR level do universities require?
Many programs ask for B2 for study partly or fully in English, and B1 for more general requirements. In Japan, universities and admissions increasingly use a CEFR comparison table that includes TOEIC and Eiken, so a B2 (TOEIC 785+, Eiken Pre-1) is a common target.
What CEFR level is TOEIC 900?
TOEIC 900 is high B2, just below the C1 threshold of 945. It signals advanced, confident use of English for work and study.
What TOEIC score equals Eiken Pre-1 (準1級)?
Eiken Grade Pre-1 aligns with CEFR B2, which is roughly TOEIC Listening & Reading 785–940. So a TOEIC score in the 800s is broadly comparable to Pre-1 through the CEFR.
How does TOEIC Speaking & Writing map to CEFR?
TOEIC Speaking & Writing is scored 0–200 per section and has its own CEFR concordance, separate from Listening & Reading. This converter uses the Listening & Reading scale; for Speaking & Writing, see our score-levels guide.
Which is harder, TOEIC or Eiken?
They test differently: TOEIC Listening & Reading focuses on everyday and workplace English in a multiple-choice format, while Eiken is a four-skills exam with speaking and writing and a pass/fail grade. Neither is simply harder, they suit different goals, which is why the CEFR is used to compare them.
How do I know my TOEIC score for this converter?
Take a free full-length mock in the official format to get an estimated 10–990 score, or use our score converter to turn your number of correct answers into a score, then read off the CEFR level here.
What TOEIC Speaking and Writing score do I need for CEFR B2?
On the TOEIC Speaking & Writing scale, CEFR B2 starts at about 160 on Speaking (out of 200) and 150 on Writing (out of 200), following ETS's own concordance. C1 starts at 180 on each. These are separate from the Listening & Reading scale, and Speaking and Writing are each levelled on their own, with no combined total reported.
Is there a TOEIC score for CEFR C2?
No. Both TOEIC Listening & Reading and TOEIC Speaking & Writing top out at C1 on ETS's mapping, so even a perfect 990 on Listening & Reading is reported as C1, not C2. The TOEIC is built around everyday and workplace English, which rarely calls for the near-native mastery that C2 describes.
What CEFR level is TOEIC 600?
A TOEIC Listening & Reading score of 600 is CEFR B1, intermediate. B1 runs from roughly 550 to 780, so a 700 is also B1, sitting in the upper half of the band and within striking distance of the 785 that begins B2.
Why is my Listening CEFR level different from my Reading level?
Because ETS sets a separate CEFR minimum for each section, your Listening and Reading can land at different levels, which is completely normal. ETS actually encourages reading the two separately rather than relying on one combined score. If your Reading trails your Listening, weight your practice toward Reading to lift your overall level.
How many TOEIC points do I need to go up one CEFR level?
It depends where you start, because the bands are not evenly spaced. On Listening & Reading, B1 begins at 550, B2 at 785 and C1 at 945, so the B1 to B2 jump is about 235 points while B2 to C1 is about 160. Each band is wide, so moving up a level is a genuine gain in ability, not a few extra questions.
Is this TOEIC CEFR converter accurate?
It is a realistic guide based on the official CEFR concordances, but the CEFR is a band, not a precise point, so a score near a boundary can sit in either level. Use it to understand where you stand, then confirm the exact requirement your employer or school states.