TOEIC Scores

English Competency Level
TOEIC Score Description
905 - 990 Managers who are able to represent the company unaccompanied and with final authority in negotiating agreements and contracts with native English-speaking partners or organizations.
785 - 900 Managers who are able to represent the company unaccompanied in contributing to the negotiation of agreements and contracts with partner organizations using English.
605 - 780 Employees who actively participate in meetings with partner organizations using English
405 - 600 Employees who accompany and support staff members with primary responsibility for business meetings. May be called upon to give a short, prepared speech and/or take the minutes of the meeting.
255 - 400 Employees who, with the assistance of vocabulary / grammar aids have occasional and short-term contact in English. This may include welcoming visitors (in person or by phone) and work with the mail.
185 - 250 Employees understand adequately for immediate survival — needs, directions, prices.
10 - 180 At most, only recognize isolated words only

These descriptions may be used as guidelines only. They should be adapted to real situations and should not be considered definitive.

How quickly will candidates see improvement in TOEIC scores?

Improvement in overall English ability takes a considerable amount of study and practice. There are many things that affect an individual's progress in learning English — such as motivation, amount of practice, the number of hours or weeks of classroom study, the quality and type of training. It is therefore difficult to say exactly how much learning time is needed before a significant improvement in English proficiency can be observed. The TOEIC program generally recommends that learners whose native language is of western European origin do not retake the TOEIC until they have received at least 60 hours of English training and/or practice.

How long are TOEIC scores valid?

Test scores are valid as long as the candidate's level of English proficiency remains the same. Proficiency can, however, improve or decline over time. For this reason, the more recent the score, the more likely it is to be a valid indication of proficiency. The TOEIC program will often recommend that the candidate retake the test if more than two years have elapsed.