What does TOCFL Level 4 certify?
TOCFL Level 4 certifies B2-level Chinese: SC-TOP’s ability descriptors say a Level 4 listener follows the main points of reasonably long speech in the standard language, including technical discussion in their own field, and a Level 4 reader reads with considerable independence, adapting strategy and speed to the text.
- Listening: 「對於具有一定篇幅且以標準語表達的談話內容，包括專攻領域的技術性討論，不論內容抽象與否，都能聽懂要點大意。」 — you can follow the main points of reasonably long speech in the standard language, including technical discussion in your own field, whether the content is abstract or concrete.
- Reading: 「在閱讀時具有相當大的自主性，能因應不同的文本及目的，採用不同的閱讀策略和速度。具備廣泛且可隨時提取的閱讀詞彙，但對於不常見的慣用語，可能有理解上的困難。」 — you read with considerable independence, adapting your reading strategy and speed to different texts and purposes, with a broad, readily available reading vocabulary — though uncommon idioms may still cause difficulty.
The difference from Level 3 is the removal of conditions. Level 3’s descriptors hold only for familiar topics, clear speakers and plainly written text; Level 4’s hold for abstract content and technical discussion, and the only limit SC-TOP names is uncommon idioms. Level 4 is the upper half of Band B.
What score do you need for TOCFL Level 4?
You need 61 in listening and 64 in reading, each out of 80, on the Band B paper — or 555 in listening and 570 in reading, each out of 700, if you sit the computer-adaptive test instead.
- Band test (the Band B paper): Listening 61 / Reading 64, out of 80 per section.
- Computer-adaptive test: Listening 555 / Reading 570, out of 700.
Level 4 is certified on the same Band B paper as Level 3, and SC-TOP divides each band into its two levels by test score: 46 in listening and 48 in reading reaches Level 3, and 61 and 64 reaches Level 4. That makes aiming for Level 4 a low-risk choice at registration — falling short of it can still land you at Level 3. Listening and reading are separate 50-question papers of about 60 minutes each, and each is scored against its own threshold.