IELTS score equivalency CEFR, TOEFL, PTE, Duolingo, Cambridge and CLB
Pick an IELTS band to see its CEFR level and TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Duolingo, Cambridge and CLB equivalents, or enter another test's score to find the IELTS band. Each comparison comes from a single publisher, so always check the exact score your university or visa asks for.
Your IELTS band
IELTS 6.5 is roughly equal to
- CEFR
- B2+
- TOEFL iBT
- 79–93
- PTE Academic
- 55–62
- Duolingo
- 120–125
- Cambridge
- 176–184C1 CAE
- CLB
- No published match
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Full IELTS conversion table
| IELTS | CEFR | TOEFL iBT | PTE Academic | Duolingo | Cambridge | CLB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.0 | C2 | 118–120 | 90 | 160 | 230+C2 CPE | — |
| 8.5 | C2 | 115–117 | 86–89 | 160 | 200–229C2 CPE | — |
| 8.0 | C1–C2 | 110–114 | 79–85 | 150–155 | 200–229C2 CPE | CLB 10L 8.5 · R 8.0 · W 7.5 · S 7.5 |
| 7.5 | C1 | 102–109 | 71–78 | 140–145 | 191–199C1 CAE | CLB 9L 8.0 · R 7.0 · W 7.0 · S 7.0 |
| 7.0 | C1 | 94–101 | 63–70 | 130–135 | 185–190C1 CAE | CLB 8L 7.5 · R 6.5 · W 6.5 · S 6.5 |
| 6.5 | B2+ | 79–93 | 55–62 | 120–125 | 176–184C1 CAE | — |
| 6.0 | B2 | 60–78 | 47–54 | 105–115 | 169–175B2 FCE | CLB 7L 6.0 · R 6.0 · W 6.0 · S 6.0 |
| 5.5 | B2 | 46–59 | 39–46 | 95–100 | 162–168B2 FCE | — |
| 5.0 | B1 | 35–45 | 31–38 | 80–90 | 154–161B2 FCE | CLB 5L 5.0 · R 4.0 · W 5.0 · S 5.0 |
| 4.5 | B1 | 32–34 | 24–30 | 65–75 | — | — |
| 4.0 | B1 | 0–31 | — | — | — | — |
Canada sets CLB from each skill separately, so the CLB column lists the IELTS General Training minimum for every skill (L = Listening, R = Reading, W = Writing, S = Speaking), not an overall band.
Which numbers are official?
No organisation publishes one table for every test. Each column comes from a different publisher, and a university or visa office only accepts the scores it lists itself. Here is where each column comes from.
- CEFR
- Published by IELTS (ielts.org): band 8.5 and above is C2, band 8.0 is borderline C1/C2, and the C1 threshold falls between 6.5 and 7.0. IELTS gives no fixed ranges below that, so the B1 and B2 rows are approximate.
- TOEFL iBT
- From ETS's comparison on the 0–120 scale. Since 21 January 2026 TOEFL iBT is scored 1–6, and until January 2028 score reports also show a comparable 0–120 total. Rows below IELTS 5.5 are approximate; use ETS's table for low scores.
- PTE Academic
- Based on Pearson's original PTE–IELTS concordance (PTE 58 = 6.5, 65 = 7.0, 73 = 7.5). Pearson published a new concordance in July 2025 that puts IELTS 7.0 at PTE 63–70, so check the PTE score your institution lists.
- Duolingo English Test
- Approximate. Duolingo's own concordance (2023, re-checked in October 2025) is about half a band stricter: it matches DET 120–125 to IELTS 6.5 and DET 130–135 to IELTS 7.0. Canada (IRCC) and UK visas do not accept Duolingo.
- Cambridge English Scale
- Cambridge English publishes these thresholds on its scale: 162 = IELTS 5.5, 169 = 6.0, 176 = 6.5, 185 = 7.0, 191 = 7.5. It gives no exact figures above 7.5, so the C2 Proficiency rows are approximate.
- CLB (Canada)
- Official and binding for Canadian immigration: IRCC's Express Entry tables set a minimum IELTS General Training score for each skill. One weak skill lowers your CLB, whatever your overall band.
Last verified: September 23, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions About IELTS Score Equivalency
Is IELTS 6.5 equivalent to CEFR B2 or C1?
IELTS 6.5 falls within the CEFR B2 (Upper-Intermediate) range. CEFR C1 (Advanced) starts at IELTS 7.0. This is based on the official Cambridge English alignment between IELTS band scores and CEFR levels. The CEFR B2 equivalent IELTS score is 5.5–6.5.
What TOEFL score is equivalent to IELTS 6.5?
IELTS 6.5 is equivalent to TOEFL iBT 79-93 according to ETS's official concordance data. A TOEFL score of 79 is the lower boundary, while 93 is the upper boundary for this IELTS band. TOEFL 90 falls in the upper portion of this range, close to but not quite reaching IELTS 7.0.
What is TOEFL 90 equivalent to in IELTS?
TOEFL iBT 90 falls within the IELTS 6.5 band range (TOEFL 79-93 = IELTS 6.5). It's in the upper portion of this range, close to but not quite reaching IELTS 7.0 (which starts at TOEFL 94). Similarly, TOEFL 79 = IELTS 6.5 (lower boundary).
What is IELTS 7.5 equivalent to in TOEFL?
IELTS 7.5 is equivalent to TOEFL iBT 102-109 according to ETS's official concordance table. This score also corresponds to PTE 73-78, CEFR C1, and CLB 9 for Canadian immigration.
Sources & Official Concordance References
- IELTS — IELTS and the CEFR (March 2026)
- ETS — TOEFL iBT score scale 1 to 6: CEFR & IELTS comparison (January 2026)
- Pearson — PTE Academic score setting guidance and IELTS concordance (July 2025)
- Duolingo — DET–IELTS concordance report (DRR-24-05) (October 2025)
- Cambridge English — Comparing scores to IELTS (B2 First and C1 Advanced)
- IRCC — Express Entry: language test results (June 2026)
Open data
Cite this dataset
The data on this page is available as a download under CC BY 4.0. Use it freely; credit IELTS.international with a link to this page.
IELTS.international. (2026). IELTS score concordance: CEFR, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Duolingo English Test, Cambridge English Scale and CLB (Version 2026-09-28) [Data set]. https://www.ielts.international/ielts-score-equivalency#cite-dataset
- Version
- 2026-09-28
- Last checked
- 28 September 2026
- Rows
- 56
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0
- 56 rows: 44 official, 9 derived by us from a publisher table, 3 unverified.
- Unverified rows (Cambridge English Scale above band 7.5) have no publisher table behind them and must not be quoted as official.
- TOEFL iBT values are ETS's 2010 comparison on the 0–120 scale; ETS now also reports a 1–6 scale, which this file does not include.
- Sources last compared with our values on 28 September 2026.
