TOCFL score chart (2026): what your CAT and paper-test scores mean
A TOCFL score report shows a listening score, a reading score, their total, and a certificate level. For the computer-adaptive test (CAT), a Level 3 (進階級) certificate needs a total of at least 970, with at least 460 in listening and 470 in reading. Each skill also gets its own level from separate pass scores. The official SC-TOP tables are reproduced below. Always check your result against SC-TOP's own calculator.
Last reviewed 30 September 2026 against SC-TOP’s score report and certificate rules.
1. How TOCFL scoring works
- TOCFL has reported scale scores since 2013, based on the Rasch model of item response theory. More correct answers, weighted by item difficulty, give a higher scale score (SC-TOP brochure).
- CAT (computer-adaptive test): there is no level choice at registration; the computer picks each next item from your answers so far. The reading test is 60 minutes with 25–40 items. Candidates who answer fewer than 25 reading items have their score adjusted in proportion (SC-TOP CAT Q&A, rule page).
- Paper/CBT: you register for a band (A, B or C). The full score is 80 per test, so paper totals only compare within the same band.
2. CAT certificate cut-offs (CAT測驗證書核發標準)
To get a certificate at a level, your listening + reading total must reach the total, and each skill must reach its minimum. Novice levels have a total only.
| Certificate level | Total | Listening min | Reading min |
|---|---|---|---|
| 準備級一級 Novice 1 | 385 | — | — |
| 準備級二級 Novice 2 | 600 | — | — |
| 入門級 Level 1 | 710 | 335 | 340 |
| 基礎級 Level 2 | 885 | 395 | 415 |
| 進階級 Level 3 | 970 | 460 | 470 |
| 高階級 Level 4 | 1125 | 515 | 530 |
| 流利級 Level 5 | 1210 | 580 | 585 |
| 精通級 Level 6 | 1345 | 620 | 655 |
3. CAT single-skill pass scores for score-report levels (CAT單項測驗通過分數)
Your score report gives listening and reading each their own level: the highest level whose pass score that skill reaches.
| Score-report level | Listening | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 準備級一級 Novice 1 | 190 | 195 |
| 準備級二級 Novice 2 | 295 | 305 |
| 入門級 Level 1 | 355 | 355 |
| 基礎級 Level 2 | 435 | 450 |
| 進階級 Level 3 | 480 | 490 |
| 高階級 Level 4 | 555 | 570 |
| 流利級 Level 5 | 600 | 610 |
| 精通級 Level 6 | 655 | 690 |
4. Why your certificate level and skill levels can differ
A certificate needs all three of these:
- both listening and reading taken in the same sitting (otherwise you get a score report only);
- a total that meets the level’s threshold;
- both skills meeting that level’s minimums.
Novice levels have only a total threshold. SC-TOP says the “minimum scores” apply only to certificates and aren’t the pass standard for a single skill; single-skill levels come from table 2.
5. Worked examples
Hypothetical scores, computed from the official tables.
Example A: listening 470, reading 500, total 970
- Certificate: Level 3 (970 ≥ 970; 470 ≥ 460; 500 ≥ 470).
- Report levels: listening Level 2 (≥435, <480), reading Level 3 (≥490, <570).
Example B: listening 600, reading 560, total 1160
- Certificate: Level 4 (≥1125; 600 ≥ 515; 560 ≥ 530). Level 5 needs 1210.
- Report levels: listening Level 5 (≥600), reading Level 3 (<570).
Check with SC-TOP's official certificate calculator, linked from the rule page.
6. Paper and CBT (band test) score chart
Paper/CBT, not CAT. These scores are on the band tests’ 80-per-test scale and can’t be compared with CAT scores.
| Certificate level | Total | Listening min | Reading min |
|---|---|---|---|
| 準備級一級 Novice 1 | 77 | — | — |
| 準備級二級 Novice 2 | 120 | — | — |
| 入門級 Level 1 | 83 | 37 | 38 |
| 基礎級 Level 2 | 117 | 49 | 53 |
| 進階級 Level 3 | 94 | 42 | 44 |
| 高階級 Level 4 | 125 | 53 | 56 |
| 流利級 Level 5 | 102 | 46 | 47 |
| 精通級 Level 6 | 130 | 54 | 61 |
| Score-report level | Listening | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 準備級一級 Novice 1 | 38 | 39 |
| 準備級二級 Novice 2 | 59 | 61 |
| 入門級 Level 1 | 41 | 42 |
| 基礎級 Level 2 | 57 | 60 |
| 進階級 Level 3 | 46 | 48 |
| 高階級 Level 4 | 61 | 64 |
| 流利級 Level 5 | 50 | 52 |
| 精通級 Level 6 | 61 | 69 |
- Level 3’s total (94) is lower than Level 2’s (117) because they’re different band tests (Band B vs Band A).
- Source note: the older English brochure lists Level 2 listening as 60; the current rule page lists 57. We follow the rule page.
7. Levels, CEFR, vocabulary and learning hours
From the SC-TOP brochure. These are guidance, not predictions.
| Level | CEFR | Vocabulary | Hours in a Chinese-speaking region | Hours elsewhere |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 入門級 Level 1 | A1 | 500 | 120–240 | 240–480 |
| 基礎級 Level 2 | A2 | 1,000 | 240–360 | 480–720 |
| 進階級 Level 3 | B1 | 2,500 | 360–480 | 720–960 |
| 高階級 Level 4 | B2 | 5,000 | 480–960 | 960–1,920 |
| 流利級 Level 5 | C1 | 8,000 (Band C) | 960–1,920 | 1,920–3,840 |
| 精通級 Level 6 | C2 | 8,000 (Band C) | 1,920+ | 3,840+ |
If you’re starting from sounds and spelling, see Taiwan's phonetic system.
8. When September CAT scores come out, and how long they’re kept
- SC-TOP’s 2026 Taiwan schedule lists the 9/12–9/13 CAT sitting with scores scheduled for Fri 10/2.
- Scores are digital documents. For the download steps, see our TOCFL guide.
- Scores are retained for two years from the test date (rule page).
9. How Wu Ji Bi Fan fits
Wu Ji Bi Fan is a Traditional Chinese app with Zhuyin-first and TOCFL-style practice, coming to iPhone. It’s practice, not an official test. We don’t issue, predict or guarantee scores. Wu Ji Bi Fan is independent and not affiliated with SC-TOP.
Frequently asked questions
What is a passing score on the TOCFL?
There's no single pass mark. Each level has its own cut-off; for example, a CAT Level 3 certificate needs a 970 total with at least 460 in listening and 470 in reading.
What is the TOCFL CAT score range?
SC-TOP's published pass scores run from 190 (Novice 1 listening) to 690 (Level 6 reading), and the certificate totals run from 385 to 1345. SC-TOP's tables don't state a maximum score.
Why is my certificate level lower than my listening or reading level?
The certificate uses your total and both skill minimums, while each skill level comes from separate pass scores.
Do I need to take both listening and reading to get a certificate?
Yes, in the same sitting. Otherwise you get a score report only.
How long are TOCFL scores valid?
SC-TOP keeps scores for two years from the test date. Ask each institution how long it accepts them.
When are the September 2026 TOCFL CAT scores released?
They're scheduled for October 2, 2026, per SC-TOP's 2026 schedule. See our TOCFL guide for download steps.
What CEFR level is TOCFL Level 3?
B1. SC-TOP aligns Level 1 to A1 through Level 6 to C2.
Why are paper-test scores so much lower than CAT scores?
They're different scales. Paper/CBT band tests have a full score of 80 per test, and CAT uses its own adaptive scale.
Official sources
- SC-TOP score report and certificate rules (成績單、證書規定). The CAT and paper/CBT certificate cut-offs, single-skill pass scores, the three certificate conditions, the 25-item reading adjustment, the certificate calculators, and two-year score retention.
- SC-TOP CAT Q&A (PDF). How CAT selects items, the 60-minute reading test with 25–40 items, and the minimum of 25 reading items.
- SC-TOP TOCFL listening & reading brochure (PDF). Scale scores since 2013, the full score of 80 per band test, and the CEFR, vocabulary and learning-hour table.
- Official 2026 TOCFL schedule in Taiwan (PDF). The 12–13 September CAT sitting and its scheduled 2 October score release.
Last reviewed 30 September 2026. SC-TOP can change its tables and schedules; the official pages take precedence.