Half a band short on TOEFL iBT: score review, MyBest scores or a new attempt

Your scores arrive with three sections on target and Writing half a band short. Many candidates register again that evening, repeat the same preparation and pay a second fee for the same score. Others send the scores at once and lose the chance of a review.

Three ways forward when one section falls short

Take a typical profile on the 1 to 6 scale: Reading 5.0, Listening 5.5, Writing 4.0 and Speaking 5.0. The average is 4.875, which rounds to 5.0 overall. If your university needs 4.5 in Writing, the overall score does not rescue you.

A score review covers only Speaking and Writing, so a short Reading or Listening score leaves two routes: MyBest or a new attempt. The first decision is why the section fell short. Compare it with your last practice tests before you do anything else. The rules below were checked against ETS's official pages and the 2026–27 Information Bulletin in October 2026.

When is a score review worth the fee?

A score review rescores Speaking, Writing or both. The 2026–27 Information Bulletin sets three conditions:

• You request it through your ETS account within 30 days of the test.
• You pay a fee.
• You have not yet sent the scores to an institution.

In October 2026, the ETS fees page listed US$80 for Speaking or Writing and US$160 for both, excluding taxes. Request both only when both sections look wrong. You are told the outcome within three weeks, and your score can go up or down. If three weeks pass with no outcome, write to TOEFL Services with your payment reference.

A review makes sense when the score sits well below your practice level. In the profile above, if your practice tests put Writing at 5.0, a 4.0 is worth questioning. If they put it at 4.0, the score is accurate and the fee is wasted. Do not send the scores anywhere until you decide.

How MyBest scores work

MyBest combines your best score in each section from all valid TOEFL iBT tests taken in the last two years. If your first test gave your best Reading score and your second your best Writing score, MyBest shows both.

That changes the retake. You no longer need every section to peak on the same day, only the weak one to rise.

The condition is acceptance: ETS states that you should check whether each institution accepts MyBest scores. If a requirement page is silent, ask the admissions office in writing and keep the reply. Record each answer in a "MyBest accepted" column of your target score table. If one institution says no, its minimums must all come from a single test.

Older scores need care. Tests taken before 21 January 2026 stay valid for two years from their test date. If your report uses the 0 to 120 scale, MyBest on that report includes only 0 to 120 scores. If you test again on the new scale, MyBest converts older scores to the 1 to 6 scale.

A new attempt: how soon and how often?

There is no limit on the number of attempts. You cannot test more than once in any three-day period, even if you cancelled a previous score. In practice, a rushed retake rarely helps.

If the score matches your practice level, the issue is preparation. Two to four weeks of focused practice on that section is then the stronger option. Rebuild your plan around the weak task types, with a study plan built from your gap, and register only when two practice tests in a row meet every target.

In the profile above, a candidate whose practice tests put Writing at 4.0 would train Writing for four weeks: Build a Sentence sets, timed emails and discussion posts with feedback. If the institutions accept MyBest, the new Writing score then sits beside the first test's Reading 5.0 and Listening 5.5.

A new attempt means a new registration fee for your location. ETS sets it by testing location, so check it in your ETS account; a second-attempt reserve belongs in every budget.

Free score reports and score delivery

You can choose up to four free score reports when you register or later. The Bulletin lets you change them until 10 pm, local test centre time, on the day before your test. After that, each additional report costs US$29 per institution, and it cannot be refunded or redirected.

Scores appear in your ETS account about three days after the test, and the exact date is shown when you finish. You can download a PDF of your score report 24 to 48 hours after that. Institutions receive scores by their own delivery method, so confirm receipt with each office.

Choose your four free recipients from your target score table before test day. A retake needs the same discipline: set its recipients before the deadline, not after the scores arrive.

The two-year rule and timing your next test

TOEFL iBT scores are valid for two years after the test date. After that, ETS cannot report or verify them. Some institutions set stricter limits linked to your application date, so read each requirement page and note the rule.

Work backwards from your latest deadline:

1. Allow about three days for scores, plus time for institutions to receive them.
2. Allow time for a possible second attempt, with a full preparation cycle in between.
3. Check that the scores stay valid for your earliest and latest use.

Then keep a simple validity calendar: the date your scores arrive, the date they reach two years and each institution's earliest deadline. If the old 0 to 120 requirement is the problem, the 1 to 6 scale explained shows how to convert it.

Chapter 13 of the book sets out the decision flow for a short score, and Appendix D includes a template for following up a score review. Chapter 15 builds the validity calendar.