The four TOCFL bands
TOCFL groups its eight levels into four bands, and you sit one band’s paper at a time. SC-TOP’s own level-correspondence table maps them to CEFR and to a vocabulary expectation:
- Novice band — Novice 1 and Novice 2, below CEFR A1. A starter tier, graded more gently than the rest.
- Band A — Level 1 (CEFR A1, 500 words) and Level 2 (CEFR A2, 1,000 words).
- Band B — Level 3 (CEFR B1, 2,500 words) and Level 4 (CEFR B2, 5,000 words).
- Band C — Level 5 (CEFR C1, 8,000 words) and Level 6 (CEFR C2, above 8,000).
The practical consequence is that “which TOCFL level am I?” is not a question you answer at registration. You pick a band, sit its paper, and the result tells you which of that band’s two levels you cleared — or that you cleared neither.
Two score scales, depending on which version you sit
TOCFL is scored on two different scales: the band-based listening and reading papers are marked out of 80 per section, while the computer-adaptive version uses a 700-point scale. Most English-language guides quote only the 700-point numbers without saying which test they belong to, which is why cut scores found online often fail to match a real score report.
Listening and reading are always scored separately, and certification requires clearing the threshold on both. The complete cut-score tables for both scales are in TOCFL Levels Explained.
Which page do you need?
- TOCFL Band A — Levels 1 and 2: requirements, cut scores, vocabulary.
- TOCFL Band B — Levels 3 and 4, including the Level 3 threshold Taiwan’s scholarship and work-permit systems check.
- TOCFL Levels Explained — all eight levels, both score scales, every cut score.
- How to Prepare for TOCFL — a practical study plan.
- Free TOCFL mock test — a 20-question check, no email required.
- TOCFL vs. HSK — which exam to take, and why they are not interchangeable.
- What TOCFL Level 3 is actually used for — scholarships and work-permit points.
Where the official material lives
SC-TOP publishes free downloadable sample papers itself, under 準備考試 → 模擬試題 at tocfl.edu.tw, alongside an online simulation platform and paid mock papers. Those are the most accurate practice material available, because they come from the organisation that writes the exam.
CiaoSpeak is an independent app. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by SC-TOP (國家華語測驗推動工作委員會), the Ministry of Education, or any body that administers TOCFL. Exam facts on this page are sourced from SC-TOP’s own published materials at tocfl.edu.tw; always confirm current details there before you register.