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ETS · TOEIC
TOEIC. The English multinationals read in a single number.
The scale, equivalences and real uses of the TOEIC explained plainly, including the difference between the Listening and Reading that companies ask for and the four skills that public merit scales require. Plus the training we use at ULIC to move up a band.
Since 2010
preparing candidates
Madrid
& online, live
Guide
Updated 2026
ETS TOEIC, distributed in Spain by Capman
+10,000
candidates prepared
Prepare. Certify. Succeed.
15 years
of exam specialisation
§ 01 · Key facts
Quick facts on the TOEIC exam.
Scoring (L&R)
10 – 990
Listening and Reading, 5 to 495 each. No pass or fail: each company or scale sets its own threshold.
L&R duration
2 h
100 Listening questions (45 min) and 100 Reading (75 min). Speaking and Writing is a separate exam, about 80 min.
Sittings
Monthly
At official venues across Spain or supervised online from home.
Results
Días
A report with a score per section and ability descriptors: online, the L&R in about 7 days and the S&W in about 15.
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Examining body | ETS (Educational Testing Service), the same institution that runs the TOEFL. In Spain it is distributed through Capman. |
| What it measures | Real workplace English: meetings, emails, reports and calls. |
| Two exams | TOEIC Listening and Reading (corporate standard, scale 10-990) and TOEIC Speaking and Writing (0-200 per skill). |
| Formats | At an official venue or supervised online from home, depending on the sitting. |
| Recognition | Over 14,000 organisations in 160 countries use it in selection, promotion and expatriation. |
| Retakes | No limit on attempts: you can retake the exam and keep the best report. |
| Registration in Spain | Directly with the official ETS distributor (Capman). ULIC prepares you for the exam. |
| Price | 139 € for the Listening and Reading and 189 € for the 4-skill version, with the official ETS distributor in Spain (Capman). |
Swipe horizontally to see the full table.
§ 02 · What it is and what it is for
The TOEIC gives a number, not a pass.
One number. The language of HR departments.
The TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) is ETS's professional English exam, the same institution that runs the TOEFL. It measures real workplace English (meetings, emails, reports, calls) and expresses it on a scale of 10 to 990 points that over 14,000 organisations in 160 countries use to compare candidates. There is no pass or fail: each company sets the number it requires, and that number is understood the same way in Madrid, Paris or Tokyo.
In Spain it lives in two worlds. In the corporate one, the Listening and Reading is the standard for selection, promotion and expatriation (multinationals usually ask for 850 and up). In the public one, the ACLES tables equate 785+ to B2 and 945+ to C1, and some merit scales in public administration award points for the four-skill TOEIC with their own per-skill thresholds. Knowing which of the two TOEICs they ask you for is the first decision, and the cheapest to get right.
Pillar · 01
The number that travels
A numerical score comparable across countries and candidates, with no interpretation: that is why HR prefers it for large, international processes.
Pillar · 02
Real office English
Emails, meetings, schedules, reports. The exam content is work itself, and preparing it improves exactly the English you use from 9 to 6.
Pillar · 03
Moving up a band is trained
You do not get from 750 to 850 with more general English, but with technique on the exam's 7 parts. It is where targeted training moves the most points per hour invested.
§ 03 · Exam format
They are two independent exams, not one.
The Listening and Reading is the standard companies ask for; the Speaking and Writing is added when the requirement calls for all four skills (public merit scales, some multinationals).
TOEIC Listening and Reading
2 hours · 200 questions · paper at a venue or supervised online.
| Part | Content | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Listening | Photographs: choose the correct description. | 6 |
| 2 · Listening | Question-response: choose the appropriate reply. | 25 |
| 3 · Listening | Conversations (with and without visual support). | 39 |
| 4 · Listening | Short talks and announcements. | 30 |
| 5 · Reading | Incomplete sentences: grammar and vocabulary. | 30 |
| 6 · Reading | Text completion. | 16 |
| 7 · Reading | Reading comprehension, single and multiple passages. | 54 |
Swipe horizontally to see the full table.
TOEIC Speaking and Writing
Separate exam · about 80 min in total · computer-based.
| Module | Content | Duration | Scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speaking | 11 tasks: read aloud, describe an image, answer questions, propose a solution, give an opinion. | ~20 min | 0 – 200 |
| Writing | 8 tasks: sentences about an image, respond to emails, opinion essay. | ~60 min | 0 – 200 |
Swipe horizontally to see the full table.
Structural note
ETS updated the Listening and Reading question format (conversations with shorter, quicker turns, questions that cross audio with graphic information such as schedules and tables), without changing duration, difficulty or scale. It is the standard format in Spain too: preparation material from before the change still works for the scale, but does not reproduce these formats.
Practical note
The TOEIC punishes pace, not level: 200 questions in 120 minutes is 36 seconds per question. In Part 7 (54 reading questions at the end) is where real-B2 candidates lose 100 points to fatigue and poor clock management. It is trained with full timed mock exams, not isolated exercises.
§ 04 · Scoring system
No pass mark. The threshold is set by whoever asks for it.
Listening 5-495 plus Reading 5-495, total 10-990. Speaking and Writing, 0-200 each. There is no cut-off: each company or scale publishes its own.
Listening and Reading equivalence
| L&R score | CEFR | What it unlocks in practice |
|---|---|---|
| 945 – 990 | C1 | The ACLES C1 band and the bar for international management profiles. |
| 785 – 940 | B2 | The ACLES B2 university threshold; multinationals and the Big4 usually ask for 850 and up. |
| 550 – 780 | B1 | Enough for roles with operational English, short for demanding processes. |
| 225 – 545 | A2 | Below the usual professional thresholds. |
Swipe horizontally to see the full table.
What each skill assesses
| Skill | What it assesses | Common trap for Spanish speakers |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | Office English at real speed, with varied accents. | The Part 2 distractors: the correct answer does not repeat words from the question. |
| Reading | Grammar, vocabulary and fast document reading. | Reaching Part 7 out of time and answering the last 20 at random. |
| Speaking (S&W) | Recorded professional oral communication. | Reading aloud with flat intonation: the first task already scores pronunciation. |
| Writing (S&W) | Emails and written argument. | Answering emails without covering ALL the points the instruction asks for. |
Swipe horizontally to see the full table.
Special rule
There is no fail or attempt expiry: you can retake the exam whenever you like and keep the best report. For selection processes with a date, that turns the TOEIC into a two-shot strategy: a real diagnostic first, the definitive exam after training.
The thresholds depend on who asks. These are the real references in Spain; each process and each company publishes its own, and that is the one that rules.
Table 1 · Thresholds with TOEIC Listening and Reading
| Context | Threshold |
|---|---|
| B2 in ACLES university tables | 785 |
| C1 in ACLES university tables | 945 |
| Multinationals and Big4 (promotion, expatriation) | 850+ |
| Roles with operational English | 550 – 780 |
Table 2 · 4-skill TOEIC · CEFR threshold per skill
| Level | L&R | Speaking | Writing |
|---|---|---|---|
| B2 | 785+ | 160+ | 150+ |
| C1 | 945+ | 180+ | 180+ |
Note the structural difference: university and company thresholds are covered by the Listening and Reading (up to 990), whereas many public scales require all four skills. The 4-skill TOEIC reports each skill separately and gives no single combined total: each one maps to the CEFR with its own threshold (ETS). Before booking anything, read your process and confirm which of the two TOEICs it asks for and with what minimums.
§ 05 · Certificate validity
The number describes your English right now.
2 years recommended.
The TOEIC score report has a recommended validity of 2 years, and in practice companies and public merit scales apply it: a TOEIC from four years ago rarely counts for today's process. The logic is that of corporate use: the number describes your English now, not your history.
Important
Synchronise the exam with the process. If the TOEIC is for a merit scale with a fixed date, count backwards from that date; if it is for your résumé while job-hunting, do it when you start the search, not years before.
An expired TOEIC on your résumé subtracts more than it adds.
Scale
10–990
The number companies compare across candidates, with no levels or passes.
Companies
14,000+
Organisations in 160 countries use TOEIC in selection, promotion and expatriation.
B2 threshold
785
The Listening and Reading score the ACLES tables equate to B2. C1 from 945.
L&R duration
2h
200 questions: Listening (45 min) and Reading (75 min), at a venue or supervised from home.
§ 06 · TOEIC in Spain
Price, sittings and real uses.
Price
By format
139 € for the Listening and Reading and 189 € for the 4-skill version, with the official ETS distributor in Spain (Capman).
Sittings
Monthly
At official venues in several cities and a supervised online format from home.
Results
Días
A score report by section and ability descriptors: online, the L&R in about 7 days and the S&W in about 15.
Main uses
The standard of international HR.
Selection and promotion processes at multinationals (the de facto standard in international HR), expatriation, government merit scales with the 4-skill version, and university accreditation at centres that include it via ACLES tables.
TOEIC registration is done directly with the official ETS distributor in Spain; ULIC's role is to train you for exam day.
Practical note
If your goal is corporate, ask HR what number they expect BEFORE preparing anything: the difference between training for 785 and for 900 is a different plan, not more hours of the same.
And if your goal is a public merit scale, the prior question is different: L&R or four skills? The answer changes the exam, the price and the plan.
§ 07 · Strategic comparison
TOEIC versus TOEFL, Aptis and Linguaskill. What it measures at work.
| TOEIC (L&R) | TOEFL iBT | Aptis General | New Linguaskill | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type of result | Score 10-990, no levels. | Score 0-120. | Multi-level A1-C1, 0-50 per skill. | Multi-level certificate B1-C2, Cambridge scale. |
| Best for | Company selection and promotion, expatriation. | Universities, especially the US. | Fast, cheap B1/B2 for the public sector. | Graduation, master's and Erasmus. |
| What it measures | Office English: emails, meetings, reports. | Academic university English. | General English. | General or business English (Business variant). |
| Format | 2h, comprehension only (S&W separate). | ~2h, four integrated skills. | ~2h 45min, five papers. | By independent modules. |
| Perception in Spain | The international HR standard. | The study-abroad exam. | The public-exam exam. | Growing after its overhaul. |
Swipe horizontally to see the full table.
When to choose TOEIC
When your company or the process you are aiming for asks for it by name or works with TOEIC thresholds (multinationals, Big4, expatriation), when the public merit scale of your process awards points for the 4-skill TOEIC, or when you want a comparable international number on your résumé in weeks and your world is corporate, not academic.
When not to choose TOEIC
When your goal is academic (Spanish universities work more with Cambridge, Aptis and Linguaskill; foreign ones with IELTS and TOEFL), when your process names another exam, when you need an explicit CEFR-level certificate and not a number to be translated with tables, or when you are only asked for "a B2": there are cheaper, more direct routes in our range.
An honest read
The most expensive mistake a TOEIC candidate makes is buying the wrong exam.
Before booking, two questions decide everything: do they ask for the TOEIC by name, or just "a B2"? And if it is TOEIC, Listening and Reading, or the four skills? If your goal is academic or just to certify a level in Spain, you probably want Cambridge, Aptis or Linguaskill. We would rather tell you straight before you invest time and money in the wrong exam.
Not sure which exam?
We help you choose the right exam.
Tell us your goal and we will tell you straight whether the TOEIC is right for you, and which of the two.
§ 08 · Who is it for?
Check whether the TOEIC fits your goal.
It is for you if
The TOEIC fits.
- +Your company uses TOEIC in internal promotion, selection or expatriation and you need a specific number.
- +You are aiming for multinationals or the Big4, where the de facto standard is around 850 or more.
- +Your public-exam merit scale or process awards points for the 4-skill TOEIC.
- +You want an international accreditation of professional English on your résumé, comparable in any country.
- +You already have an old or low TOEIC and need to move up a band with a fixed date.
Consider another option if
Better another exam.
- ·Your goal is a university, Spanish or foreign: Cambridge, Aptis, Linguaskill, IELTS or TOEFL depending on destination.
- ·You only need to certify a generic "B2": Aptis or Linguaskill solve it with an explicit CEFR certificate and no tables.
- ·Your process names another exam: sit exactly the one they ask for.
- ·You need all four skills and your budget does not stretch to both TOEIC exams: there are single-exam alternatives.
§ 09 · Frequently asked questions
The most common questions about the TOEIC exam.
ETS's professional English exam: it measures workplace English and expresses it on a 10-to-990 scale (Listening and Reading) used by over 14,000 organisations in 160 countries to compare candidates.
Neither: you receive a score and each company or scale sets its own threshold. 785+ equals B2 and 945+ equals C1 in the ACLES tables for the Listening and Reading.
They are two different exams. The Listening and Reading (2h, 200 questions, up to 990) is the corporate standard. The Speaking and Writing (~80 min, up to 400) is added when the requirement calls for all four skills, like the State scales. Confirm which one they ask for before booking: it is the most important decision in the whole process.
Each company publishes its own, but the market reference is around 850 for promotion and expatriation at multinationals and the Big4. For roles with operational English, thresholds drop to the 550-780 band.
Some merit scales in public administration award points for the 4-skill TOEIC. Each skill is reported separately: in the Listening and Reading, 785 equals B2 and 945 equals C1, with their own Speaking and Writing minimums. Each process sets its own threshold, so verify the current text: the scale rules.
At universities that work with ACLES tables, 785+ in the L&R equals B2 and 945+ equals C1. But if your goal is mainly academic, our range has more direct exams for that use.
2 hours and 200 questions: Listening (45 min, 100 questions in 4 parts) and Reading (75 min, 100 questions in 3 parts). On paper at an official venue or supervised online from home.
ETS updated the L&R question formats (quicker conversations, questions that cross audio with schedules and tables) without touching duration, difficulty or scale. It is the standard format in Spain too: old material works for the scale but does not reproduce these formats.
In about 7 days for the L&R online and about 15 for the S&W, with a score report by section and ability descriptors.
The recommended validity is 2 years and the corporate world applies it: the number describes your English now. Synchronise the exam with your process, do not do it "in advance".
Yes, with no limit on attempts, and you submit the best report. The two-shot strategy (real diagnostic, training, definitive exam) is the most efficient for processes with a date.
At Capman's official venues in cities across Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao, Seville and more), with monthly sittings per centre, or supervised online from home each week.
With the official ETS distributor in Spain (Capman), the Listening and Reading costs 139 € and the 4-skill version 189 €. You register directly with the distributor.
They measure different worlds: the TOEFL, academic English for universities; the TOEIC, professional English for companies. Same ETS rigour, uses that do not overlap. If in doubt between the two, your destination (classroom or office) decides.
The clock: 36 seconds per question on average, and Part 7 (54 reading questions at the end) is where results sink from fatigue. It is fixed with full timed mock exams, not isolated exercises.
Yes, with One to One: a diagnostic with a score estimate, a band-by-band plan towards your specific threshold (785, 850, 945 or the 4-skill scale) and full timed mock exams. Professional English preparation that also shows in your work from the first week.
§ 10 · Prep at ULIC
Individual preparation, towards your number.
The TOEIC is the most trainable exam in the range: the scale rewards exam technique and pace as much as level, and the distance between your current number and your threshold is measured and planned. That is why preparation is individual: your starting point, your target threshold and your date define the plan, not a generic syllabus.
Your process asks for a number. Let's train until you reach it.
You already know what the TOEIC measures, what threshold you are asked for and which of the two exams you need. What is left is a band-by-band plan with a date. At ULIC we have done it since 2010, with mock exams under the same conditions as the real exam.
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