The TOEIC Speaking level table
TOEIC Speaking is scored from 0 to 200 in steps of 10, and in Korea each score is reported with an ACTFL-style level name. On the YBM levels page, read on 21 October 2026: Advanced High 200, Advanced Mid 180 to 190, Advanced Low 160 to 170, Intermediate High 140 to 150, Intermediate Mid 110 to 130 (reported as Mid1, Mid2 and Mid3), Intermediate Low 90 to 100, Novice High 60 to 80, and Novice Mid or Low 0 to 50. So "IH" means 140 or 150, and "AL" means 160 or 170. Do not read these names as OPIc grades. They borrow the ACTFL labels, but the two tests are different and their levels are not interchangeable. The table below adds the sample tasks YBM lists for each level.
| Level (YBM) | Score | What candidates typically do (YBM, paraphrased) | Sample tasks YBM lists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced High | 200 | Connected, sustained speech suited to the workplace; highly intelligible even when giving opinions or handling complicated requests; accurate, precise vocabulary. | None listed separately. |
| Advanced Mid | 180 to 190 | Sustained speech; opinions and complicated requests handled effectively; minor pronunciation or complex-grammar slips that do not get in the way. | State and emphasise an opinion in a meeting; give a prepared presentation or formal talk. |
| Advanced Low | 160 to 170 | As above, with some hesitation, some errors in complex structures and some imprecise vocabulary, none of which stops the message. | Describe your job responsibilities formally; ask or answer questions in a presentation; explain a business plan or policy to a new colleague. |
| Intermediate High | 140 to 150 | A relevant answer to an opinion or complicated request, but the reasons are unclear to a listener at least part of the time; grammar mistakes; a limited range of vocabulary. | Talk about future goals; describe a familiar work process; explain company history and rules. |
| Intermediate Mid (Mid1 < Mid2 < Mid3) | 110 to 130 | Limited success with opinions; language that is vague or repetitive; long pauses; basic questions mostly answered. | Small talk with a guest; a short sightseeing tour; tell a colleague how to do a routine task. |
| Intermediate Low | 90 to 100 | Usually unsuccessful explaining an opinion; answers may be a single sentence or part of one; consistent pronunciation difficulties when creating language. | Memorised greetings to introduce yourself; give your opinion to someone who may disagree; give simple directions to a familiar place. |
| Novice High | 60 to 80 | Can state an opinion with difficulty but not support it; not enough vocabulary or grammar for simple descriptions. | YBM lists the same three tasks as for Intermediate Low. |
| Novice Mid / Low | 0 to 50 | Cannot state or support an opinion; hard to understand in routine exchanges. | Introduce yourself with a few memorised words; order from a menu with difficulty. |
YBM's footnote says the ACTFL sublevel classification "is based on ETS' score mapping research", and a second note says Intermediate Mid is reported as Mid1, Mid2 and Mid3. The YBM page we read does not say which score maps to which sublevel, so read your own report for that.
- The YBM levels page does show a second table, in which Advanced High is 180 to 200, and it is easy to take it for an older Speaking table. We checked the live page source twice on 21 October 2026: that second table sits under a separate TOEIC Writing tab, and in Writing, Advanced High is 180 to 200. It is the Writing table, not an older Speaking one, so do not use it for a Speaking score.
- The older-looking Speaking numbers that people do remember, such as "Level 7", come from the eight ETS score ranges explained below.
How eleven answers become a score out of 200
The process is short, and knowing it stops you chasing the wrong things. Here it is as the ETS examinee handbook and the YBM pages describe it.
- Your answers are recorded. All eleven responses go to ETS's online scoring network, where certified ETS raters score them. YBM adds that the raters are native speakers living in North America and must pass an ETS calibration test every morning and afternoon before they score real answers.
- Each answer gets a rating. Questions 1 to 10 are rated 0 to 3. Question 11, the opinion, is rated 0 to 5. The two read-aloud answers each get two ratings, one for pronunciation and one for intonation and stress.
- The ratings are added and converted. The handbook says "the sum of all ratings is converted to a scaled score of 0 to 200", in increments of 10. ETS does not print the conversion table, so any "score calculator" online is a guess.
- The score gets a description. Your report adds a description of what candidates at your score typically can do, plus pronunciation and intonation levels (low, medium or high) taken from the read-aloud.
| Questions | Task | Rating | What separates a 3 from a 2 (ETS guide, paraphrased) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 and 2 | Read a text aloud | 0 to 3, twice | Pronunciation "highly intelligible"; pauses, emphasis and pitch "appropriate to the text" rather than "generally appropriate". |
| 3 and 4 | Describe a picture | 0 to 3 | Describes "the main features of the picture" rather than being merely connected to it with meaning "obscured in places". |
| 5 to 7 | Respond to questions | 0 to 3 | A "full, relevant, socially appropriate reply" rather than a "partially effective" one. |
| 8 to 10 | Information provided | 0 to 3 | As above, and the information from the schedule is accurate and turned into language a listener can follow. |
| 11 | Express an opinion | 0 to 5 | Level 5: support that is "sustained, and coherent". Level 3: a reason with "little or no elaboration", or repetition with no new information. |
Two things follow. First, Question 11 has the widest rating scale on the test, so it is the single answer most worth preparing. Second, the read-aloud is rated twice, so a clear but flat reading still costs you: intonation and stress is its own rating. Our practice bank has ten marked read-aloud texts and ten opinion prompts with model answers.
"Level 7" and the eight ETS ranges
Korean candidates still search for "토스 레벨 7" and "레벨 6". Those numbers are shorthand for the eight score ranges printed in the ETS examinee handbook, counted from the bottom. The handbook says the score report carries one of eight descriptors for Speaking. The ranges do not match the YBM level names one to one, which is why two people can describe the same score differently.
| Range (ETS) | Counted as | What the ETS descriptor says (paraphrased) | YBM level names in that range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 190 to 200 | Level 8 | Connected, sustained workplace speech; highly intelligible even in opinions and complicated requests. | Advanced Mid (190), Advanced High (200) |
| 160 to 180 | Level 7 | Expresses opinions and handles complicated requests effectively; minor slips do not interfere. | Advanced Low (160 to 170), Advanced Mid (180) |
| 130 to 150 | Level 6 | Relevant opinion, but reasons unclear part of the time; grammar mistakes; limited vocabulary. | Intermediate Mid (130), Intermediate High (140 to 150) |
| 110 to 120 | Level 5 | Limited success with opinions; vague or repetitive language; long pauses. | Intermediate Mid (110 to 120) |
| 80 to 100 | Level 4 | Usually unsuccessful explaining an opinion; answer may be a single sentence. | Novice High (80), Intermediate Low (90 to 100) |
| 60 to 70 | Level 3 | States an opinion with difficulty but cannot support it. | Novice High (60 to 70) |
| 40 to 50 | Level 2 | Cannot state or support an opinion. | Novice Mid / Low |
| 0 to 30 | Level 1 | Left a large part of the test unanswered. | Novice Mid / Low |
The handbook lists the ranges without numbers, but YBM's own pages confirm the counting: its civil service list writes "TOEIC Speaking 5등급(110점)" and "6등급(130점)", and its public-body list still shows requirements as "Lv.6" and "Lv.7". Read it like this: "Level 6" means 130 and above, and "Level 7" means 160 and above. When a posting uses one system and your report uses the other, quote the number, not the name, and confirm with the employer if the posting is unclear.
What IM, IH and AL sound like on one question
Below are three answers to the same Question 11 prompt. All three are written by TalkDrill as teaching examples; they are not real candidates' answers, and the level labels are our estimate using the ETS descriptors. ETS does not publish rated sample answers at each level for this prompt, and no rater has scored these.
Prompt (TalkDrill-written, in the Question 11 style): Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? New employees learn more from an experienced colleague than from a training course. Give reasons for your opinion.
Around Intermediate Mid (our estimate)
"I agree. Experienced colleague is good. Because, um, he knows the work. Training course is, um, boring, and... it is not real. So I think experienced colleague is better. Yes. Experienced colleague is better for new employee."
Why: a clear opinion, but one reason with "little or no elaboration", the opinion repeated with no new information, missing articles and long pauses. This matches the ETS level 3 wording for Question 11 and the 110 to 120 descriptor.
Around Intermediate High (our estimate)
"I agree with this statement. First, an experienced colleague can teach the real work. In a training course, we learn general things, but in my company, every team has different systems. When I joined my company, my senior showed me how to use our sales program, and it was very helpful. Second, we can ask questions anytime. In a course, the teacher is busy with many people. So I think learning from a colleague is better, but a course is also good for the basic."
Why: two reasons and a personal example, mostly accurate grammar, but the second reason is thin and the close is vague ("good for the basic"). Relevant throughout, with explanations not fully developed: the 130 to 150 picture.
Around Advanced Low (our estimate)
"I mostly agree. The main advantage of learning from an experienced colleague is that the knowledge is specific to your job. A training course can explain general skills, but it can't show you how your own team handles a difficult client or which reports your manager actually reads. When I started in purchasing, my mentor let me sit in on her supplier calls for two weeks, and I learned more from that than from a three-day course. That said, courses are useful for things like compliance rules, where everyone needs the same accurate information. So the ideal is a short course first, then a mentor for the day-to-day work."
Why: a clear, qualified opinion, a developed reason, a concrete example, a counterpoint and a conclusion that follows from both. Connected and sustained, with a range of complex structures: the 160 to 180 picture.
Notice what changes from one level to the next. It is not rare vocabulary. It is development: the IH answer gives reasons, the AL answer explains them, limits them and ties them together. That is the work our templates and 30-day plan page drills.
What employers in Korea ask for: YBM lists
There is no pass mark. The ETS handbook says the test is "not the kind of tests that one passes or fails" and that many companies set their own score standards for particular jobs. The best public evidence of those standards in Korea is YBM's 활용현황 (where the score is used) section, which we read on 21 October 2026. Two cautions before the numbers: the lists are YBM's own surveys from 2020 (companies and public bodies) and 2021 (government and military), and YBM says on each page that requirements change and must be checked with the organisation. Treat them as a map of the usual range, not as this year's rule. We found no national requirement of this kind for Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam or Thailand on the registrar pages we read.
Private companies: required, a minimum, or a plus
YBM's companies and institutions list, dated the end of December 2020, says many firms either set a TOEIC or TOEIC Speaking minimum for new graduates or ask for the score without a cut-off. It sorts each firm into one of three uses and does not print company cut-off scores.
| YBM category | What it means (YBM) | Examples for TOEIC Speaking in the 2020 list |
|---|---|---|
| 참고 (reference) | Submitted only where relevant, earns a preference or extra points, or has a box on the application form | SK hynix, LG Display, CJ CheilJedang, KB Kookmin Bank |
| 필수 (required) | A score must be submitted, with no minimum | Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor, Kia, Hyundai Mobis |
| 기준점수 (minimum score) | A score at or above a set minimum is required | POSCO, Samsung SDS, Samsung C&T, LG Electronics, Hyundai Card |
One pattern in that list is worth knowing. Most Samsung affiliates show a requirement for TOEIC Speaking and no use of TOEIC Listening and Reading, so for those firms in that survey the speaking score was the one that counted. Where a minimum applies, the figure is in the posting, not on YBM's page.
Public bodies: the thresholds YBM prints
YBM's public bodies list (2020 survey) does print numbers. YBM's own summary is that public enterprises generally ask for TOEIC 700 to 850, and that many only ask for a score to be submitted. A selection of the TOEIC Speaking figures, with the TOEIC figure YBM lists alongside and the level each one falls in on YBM's table:
| Organisation (YBM list, 2020) | TOEIC Speaking | TOEIC listed alongside | Level on the YBM table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Korea Electric Power Corporation (한국전력공사), new hires | 120 | 700 | Intermediate Mid |
| National Health Insurance Service (국민건강보험공단), new hires | 120 | 700 | Intermediate Mid |
| Korea Gas Corporation (한국가스공사), new hires | 120 | 700 | Intermediate Mid |
| Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (한국수력원자력), new hires | 130 | 750 | Intermediate Mid |
| K-water (한국수자원공사), general recruitment | 130 | 700 | Intermediate Mid |
| Korea Expressway Corporation (한국도로공사) | 140 | 700 | Intermediate High |
| Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (중소벤처기업진흥공단) | 140 | 850 | Intermediate High |
| KOTRA (대한무역투자진흥공사), new hires | 160 | 850 | Advanced Low |
| Incheon International Airport Corporation (인천국제공항공사), new hires | Lv.7 | 800 | Level 7 means 160 and above |
Most of these sit at 120 to 140, the line between Intermediate Mid and Intermediate High. That is why IH (140) is such a common target: it clears nearly every threshold in this list except the trade and airport roles. Some entries still use the old level numbers, which is why the "Level 7" section above matters.
Government programmes and military service
YBM's government list (2021 survey) shows the civil service exams using TOEIC Listening and Reading, and TOEIC Speaking appearing mainly in military language posts and one study programme:
| Post or programme (YBM list, 2021) | TOEIC Speaking | TOEIC listed alongside |
|---|---|---|
| KATUSA (카투사) | 140 | 780 (scores from special group sittings are not accepted) |
| Army language soldier (육군 어학병) | 160 | 900 |
| Air Force English language soldier (공군 영어어학병) | 160 | 900 |
| Navy English language soldier (해군 영어어학병) | 140 | 840 |
| Navy interpreter, English (해군 통번역병) | 170 | 950 |
| WEST Korea and US student programme (국립국제교육원), long and medium courses | Level 5 (110) | 750 or 800, and both scores are required |
| WEST, short course | Level 6 (130) | 850, and both scores are required |
- What is commonly reported. Korean prep blogs centre on IH (140 to 150) as the target. This is our reading of the Korean search results for "토익스피킹 ih 공부법" on 21 October 2026, where the top results were IH study diaries. AL (160 and above) also appears as a target in the queries we researched, such as "toeic speaking al 160". This tells you what candidates aim for. It is not a published employer rule.
- How to read a posting. Look for the level name (IM3, IH, AL) or a number. If it says "Level 6" or "Level 7", use the ETS ranges above. If it names both OPIc and TOEIC Speaking, compare the two on our OPIc vs TOEIC Speaking page before booking.
- Check the date rule. Many postings only accept scores from tests taken within a set period. Taking the test too early can be as costly as too late; see the validity notes below.
OPIc is the other test you will see in Korean postings. Its own site says about 1,700 companies and institutions use it. Its levels run from Novice Low to Advanced Low with IM split into IM1, IM2 and IM3, which looks similar but is a separate scale; our OPIc levels page explains it.
Results, validity and score reviews by country
Results arrive at very different speeds depending on where you sit the test, which matters if you are working back from an application deadline.
| Country | Registrar | When results arrive | Validity stated |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | YBM | At 12:00 five days after the test: a Saturday sitting reports on the Thursday, a Sunday sitting on the Friday (YBM schedule). | Two years, to the same date (YBM test rules, article 11). |
| Japan | IIBC | On the application site 17 days after the test (IIBC Speaking page). IIBC lists a digital certificate date per sitting: 16 December 2026 for the 29 November test, 7 January 2027 for the 20 December test. | Not stated on the pages we read. |
| Taiwan | Chun Shin (toeic.com.tw) | Dates per sitting: scores online from 7 December 2026 for the 22 November test (score report posted 8 December), and from 29 December 2026 for the 13 December test (posted 30 December). | Not stated on the pages we read. |
| Vietnam | IIG Vietnam | Not stated on the IIG page. | Two years for the score report or certificate (IIG). |
| Thailand | CPA Thailand | Not stated on the CPA page. | Not stated on the CPA page. |
Two rules apply everywhere, per the ETS handbook. A score report is not reissued once two years have passed since the test. And a score review is available for a fee for up to one month after the test date: it can be done once, takes about four weeks, and the fee is refunded if the score changes. Fees for reviews vary by country, so ask your registrar. Fees and test dates for each country are on our fees, dates and results page.
What a 10-point jump needs
Because scores move in steps of 10 and ETS does not publish the conversion, nobody can tell you exactly how many rating points a 10-point jump takes. What the descriptors do show is which behaviour separates one range from the next. Use the table to pick the one change that matters for your target, then drill it.
| From | To | The change the descriptors point to | Drill |
|---|---|---|---|
| IM (110 to 130) | IH (140 to 150) | Opinions that are relevant every time; fewer long pauses; Questions 7 and 10 filled to 30 seconds with a reason or detail. | Answer every Question 7 and 10 in the bank with the "answer, reason, example" shape. Ten a day for a week. |
| IH (140 to 150) | AL (160 to 170) | Reasons that a listener can follow without effort: "express opinions or respond to complicated requests effectively". Connected speech rather than a list of points. | Answer each opinion prompt twice: once plain, once with a counterpoint ("That said, ...") and a conclusion that ties both together. |
| AL (160 to 170) | AM (180 to 190) | Only minor slips in pronunciation or complex grammar; YBM's sample tasks move to presentations and stating a view in meetings. | Record a two-minute work presentation weekly; fix the two grammar slips that repeat in every recording. |
| Any level | +10 | The read-aloud is rated twice and the report shows pronunciation and intonation levels. A flat reading is a cheap loss. | Two marked read-aloud texts a day; stress the key word in each chunk and fall at each full stop. |
The practical route is in the 30-day plan, and the timed items are in the practice bank. For the read-aloud ratings, record on TalkDrill read-aloud practice; for Question 11 follow-ups, an AI interview will keep asking "why?" until your reasons are developed. Back to the OPIc and TOEIC Speaking hub.