For candidates planning to study abroad, taking the TOEFL exam falls under the mandatory requirement. Most UK universities accept the TOEFL score as a performance metric and test-takers try hard to secure a high score. Pursuing a degree from Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, Manchester is a dream for many, let us study the TOEFL score for UK universities to prepare accordingly.

Check out: TOEFL Preparation Tips

Why Study in UK universities?

Before continuing with the TOEFL score for UK universities, let us see the benefits of studying in the UK.

• The UK has witnessed a 93% increase in the arrival of Indian students;

• UK is one of the topmost studying destinations with home to 5,00,000 international students and is second only to the US ;
• A degree from one of the UK universities will be considered esteem by corporates and academic institutions worldwide;
• Scholarships, visa facilities of high quality are arranged for post-graduate studies

What TOEFL score is Required for UK Universities?

The TOEFL exam is measured on a TOEFL score range of 0 - 120 with each section (listening, reading, writing, and speaking) marked on a scale of 0 - 30.

Factors to be noted about the TOEFL cutoff:

• A good score is considered when the candidate scores higher than their target score. For instance, Cambridge has a TOEFL cutoff of 110, a similar score will allow the student to apply, a higher score will be even better but a score lower than that will be an issue;
• The most renowned universities ask for a 100 or above TOEFL score;
• The comparatively less famous ones ask for 70-80;
• Few universities don’t even consider the TOEFL score;
• Few universities have program-specific TOEFL score

TOEFL Recommended Score vs. TOEFL Required Score

Students need to stay abreast of the TOEFL scores required in their selected universities and figure out if their preferred university has required or recommended scores.

Most UK universities accepting TOEFL scores have their recommended scores mentioned, and in that case, it is always advisable to go for that. This is because the candidates scoring the recommended score will have a greater hold than the ones scoring only the minimum score required.

If your TOEFL score has touched the minimum score required, you still have a chance of securing the seat considering the rest of the application is proper.

Undergraduate programs: In the case of the undergraduate programs, the TOEFL result set as minimum or recommended is generally similar for all the programs and courses.

Graduate programs: The masters/Ph.D. degrees are far more complex and the selection process is very rigid and meticulous, demanding a high TOEFL score. Here the TOEFL scores will vary according to the course of study.

What is a Good Score on TOEFL?

A good TOEFL score is based on the required TOEFL score for UK universities. If the candidate can score higher than their target university’s TOEFL cut off, they have already achieved a good score. But ETS has some predetermined score descriptors which denote the performance level and according to that the following score range is considered good:

• TOEFL Reading: 22 - 30
• TOEFL Listening: 22 - 30
• TOEFL Writing: 24 - 30
• TOEFL Speaking: 26 - 30

Achieving the above-mentioned scores will place your application in the highest TOEFL score range.

How to Decide your Target TOEFL score?

Step 1: Draw out a chart stating the name of the institutes, their minimum score, their overall score, recommended score, and notes.

Step 2: Curate all the information from their official websites (typically found on the ‘international students’ page) and write them down in the concerned boxes. Carefully locate your required UG or PG TOEFL score.

Step 3: From the list of all the TOEFL scores, pick out the highest score. You can now be observant toward that particular score and aim to score that. For instance,

• King’s College London has a TOEFL requirement of 72
• Imperial College has 82
• Cambridge University has 110

If the aim of the student is to score a 110 then they also have the remaining two to focus on.