Research Memorandum
ETS RM–15-06
The Association Between TOEFL iBT®
Test Scores and the Common
European Framework of Reference
(CEFR) Levels
Spiros Papageorgiou
Richard J. Tannenbaum
Brent Bridgeman
Yeonsuk Cho
August 2015
, ETS Research Memorandum Series
EIGNOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR
James Carlson
Principal Psychometrician
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Beata Beigman Klebanov Donald Powers
Research Scientist Managing Principal Research Scientist
Heather Buzick Gautam Puhan
Research Scientist Principal Psychometrician
Brent Bridgeman John Sabatini
Distinguished Presidential Appointee Managing Principal Research Scientist
Keelan Evanini Matthias von Davier
Managing Research Scientist Senior Research Director
Marna Golub-Smith Rebecca Zwick
Principal Psychometrician Distinguished Presidential Appointee
Shelby Haberman
Distinguished Presidential Appointee
PRODUCTION EDITORS
Kim Fryer Ayleen Stellhorn
Manager, Editing Services Editor
Since its 1947 founding, ETS has conducted and disseminated scientific research to support its products and
services, and to advance the measurement and education fields. In keeping with these goals, ETS is committed to
making its research freely available to the professional community and to the general public. Published accounts
of ETS research, including papers in the ETS Research Memorandum series, undergo a formal peer-review process
by ETS staff to ensure that they meet established scientific and professional standards. All such ETS-conducted
peer reviews are in addition to any reviews that outside organizations may provide as part of their own publication
processes. Peer review notwithstanding, the positions expressed in the ETS Research Memorandum series and other
published accounts of ETS research are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Officers and Trustees of
Educational Testing Service.
The Daniel Eignor Editorship is named in honor of Dr. Daniel R. Eignor, who from 2001 until 2011 served the
Research and Development division as Editor for the ETS Research Report series. The Eignor Editorship has been
created to recognize the pivotal leadership role that Dr. Eignor played in the research publication process at ETS.
, The Association Between TOEFL iBT® Test Scores and the Common European
Framework of Reference (CEFR) Levels
Spiros Papageorgiou, Richard J. Tannenbaum, Brent Bridgeman, and Yeonsuk Cho
Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey
August 2015
Corresponding author: Spiros Papageorgiou, E-mail:
Suggested citation: Papageorgiou, S., Tannenbaum, R. J., Bridgeman, B., & Cho, Y. (2015). The association between
TOEFL iBT® test scores and the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) levels (Research Memorandum
No. RM-15-06). Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.
ETS RM–15-06
The Association Between TOEFL iBT®
Test Scores and the Common
European Framework of Reference
(CEFR) Levels
Spiros Papageorgiou
Richard J. Tannenbaum
Brent Bridgeman
Yeonsuk Cho
August 2015
, ETS Research Memorandum Series
EIGNOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR
James Carlson
Principal Psychometrician
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Beata Beigman Klebanov Donald Powers
Research Scientist Managing Principal Research Scientist
Heather Buzick Gautam Puhan
Research Scientist Principal Psychometrician
Brent Bridgeman John Sabatini
Distinguished Presidential Appointee Managing Principal Research Scientist
Keelan Evanini Matthias von Davier
Managing Research Scientist Senior Research Director
Marna Golub-Smith Rebecca Zwick
Principal Psychometrician Distinguished Presidential Appointee
Shelby Haberman
Distinguished Presidential Appointee
PRODUCTION EDITORS
Kim Fryer Ayleen Stellhorn
Manager, Editing Services Editor
Since its 1947 founding, ETS has conducted and disseminated scientific research to support its products and
services, and to advance the measurement and education fields. In keeping with these goals, ETS is committed to
making its research freely available to the professional community and to the general public. Published accounts
of ETS research, including papers in the ETS Research Memorandum series, undergo a formal peer-review process
by ETS staff to ensure that they meet established scientific and professional standards. All such ETS-conducted
peer reviews are in addition to any reviews that outside organizations may provide as part of their own publication
processes. Peer review notwithstanding, the positions expressed in the ETS Research Memorandum series and other
published accounts of ETS research are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Officers and Trustees of
Educational Testing Service.
The Daniel Eignor Editorship is named in honor of Dr. Daniel R. Eignor, who from 2001 until 2011 served the
Research and Development division as Editor for the ETS Research Report series. The Eignor Editorship has been
created to recognize the pivotal leadership role that Dr. Eignor played in the research publication process at ETS.
, The Association Between TOEFL iBT® Test Scores and the Common European
Framework of Reference (CEFR) Levels
Spiros Papageorgiou, Richard J. Tannenbaum, Brent Bridgeman, and Yeonsuk Cho
Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey
August 2015
Corresponding author: Spiros Papageorgiou, E-mail:
Suggested citation: Papageorgiou, S., Tannenbaum, R. J., Bridgeman, B., & Cho, Y. (2015). The association between
TOEFL iBT® test scores and the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) levels (Research Memorandum
No. RM-15-06). Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.
