What a TOEIC 700 score represents? A high intermediate level?

If you are in charge of finding a job or changing jobs at a company that requires English proficiency, or if you are in charge of a job that requires overseas transactions within the company, a certain level of English proficiency is required. TOEIC is widely used as a standard for showing English proficiency. It is generally said that the level you can fill in your resume is from 600 points, but if you can get 700 points, which is even higher than that, it may lead to more evaluation in terms of business. Here, we will explain the English level of TOEIC 700 points and the points of learning to exceed 700 points.

How good is your English ability for TOEIC 700 points?

Even if you hear the TOEIC score of 700, many people may not be able to tell what your English level is. I will explain it while comparing it with the difficulty of acquisition and other English qualifications so that you can imagine a specific level feeling.

Difficulty of TOEIC 700 points as seen from TOEIC average score and score distribution

First, let's look at the average score of TOEIC test takers. The listening section has an average of 282 points for a maximum of 495 points, the reading section has an average of 337 points for a maximum of 495 points, and the overall score is 990 points for an average of 620 points. Generally, the average listening score tends to be higher than that of reading. Next, let's look at the score distribution of all examinees. Looking at the score distribution of examinees in 2020, those with 595 to 644 points, including the average score, account for the highest percentage at 10.6% of the total. If you aim for a TOEIC score of 700, you will need to get a score above the average, so you will need to have some English proficiency.

Reference: TOEIC Program DAA2021 ｜ The Institute for International Business Communication

How does the TOEIC 700 point level compare to Eiken?

Eiken is one of the major exams to measure your English level. If you can get 700 points in TOEIC, what grade does Eiken correspond to? To make an easy-to-understand comparison of English levels, let's compare the TOEIC score with the Eiken level using the CEFR, an international indicator of the proficiency level of foreign language learners. There are 6 levels of CEFR, A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2, in ascending order of level. In TOEIC, the CEFR level is shown in each of the listening and reading scores, and the TOEIC score of 700 is equivalent to the level between B1 and B2 (*).

Looking a little closer, the CEFR B1 is equivalent to a level of 275 or higher for listening and reading, and the B2 is equivalent to a level of 400 or higher for listening and 385 or higher for reading. In the CEFR, B1 and B2 levels correspond to intermediate English proficiency, and in Eiken, they correspond to quasi 1st level (* 2). However, because the questions asked in the two exams are different, the score conversion level may not always apply. Let's take it as a reference only.

(*1) Reference: Comparison table between TOEIC® Program test scores and CEFR | The Institute for International Business Communication

(* 2) Reference: Comparison table between each qualification/certification test and CEFR | Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

Leading level that people aiming for TOEIC 700 points should arrive

To aim for 700 points in TOEIC, you need to be able to get 350 points, which is half of that in reading. It is a major premise that those who can get 350 points have the basics of English grammar and English reading comprehension. Even if there are expressions that use difficult English grammar such as infinitives, comparatives, participatory syntax, and subjunctive mood, you will have the skills to understand them if you take the time.

On the other hand, although the basics have been established, the understanding of each item is still shallow, so it can be said that it is a little difficult to derive the correct answer in the presence of time restrictions like TOEIC. Also, if you are looking up words that you do not understand if you are in a detailed field, you can understand the contents of specialized sentences. However, for areas that you are not interested in or are not good at, you may find it difficult to understand the contents even if you use a dictionary. As for work, if you remember the technical terms related to work, you can say that you can work without problems.

Listening level that people aiming for TOEIC 700 points should arrive

A guideline for getting 700 points for TOEIC, and those who can get 350 points for listening will be at a level where they can understand the English they hear smoothly. When I use it at work, I can understand more than 80% of what the other person is talking about. In a one-on-one conversation, if you can ask questions that you couldn't hear, you can almost understand what the other person is saying, but as the number of participants in the conversation increases, it becomes difficult to understand the content. If the conversation progresses at the speed of native speakers, there are many unknown words and phrases, and it is highly likely that you will not be able to keep up with the conversation.

What is the speaking and writing level of TOEIC 700 points?

Regarding TOEIC 700-point level speaking, there is considerable variation in the level depending on the speaking experience and the presence or absence of practice. Some people can hear both short and long sentences to some extent, express their opinions and respond to difficult requests to some extent, but there are many people who cannot be satisfied with even introducing themselves even if they have obtained a TOEIC score of 700. As for writing, it takes more time than speaking to write a sentence, so many people can use it practically to convey what they want to say without making a big mistake.

What are the benefits of getting a TOEIC score of 700?

If you can get 700 points in TOEIC, you will be recognized for your English ability to some extent, and the benefits you can get in terms of work such as finding a job or changing jobs will increase. Let me give you an example below.

You can appeal by job hunting or changing jobs

Internationalization is progressing not only in large companies but also in small and medium-sized companies, and the need for English is increasing. It is said that you can write in your resume from TOEIC 600 points, but in the business scene, human resources with higher English proficiency are useful. If you have a TOEIC of 700 or above, you will be able to actively appeal as your own skill when you are looking for a job or changing jobs.

Easy to lead to salary increase

Some companies set or require a TOEIC score as a condition for raising their salary. If you start studying early and get a TOEIC score of 700 or higher, it may be easier to clear the conditions for a later salary increase.

Easy to expand the range of work

As the number of exchanges with foreigners and foreigners is increasing, if you have English proficiency, you can broaden your range of work. In particular, TOEIC has many questions from the business scene, so the number of jobs that are involved or entrusted with getting a score above the average will increase. With a score of around 700, you will have more choices in occupations such as trade affairs, English teachers, and overseas sales.

What are the points of learning to get a TOEIC score of 700?

In order to get a TOEIC score of 700, you need to study English steadily. Here, I will explain in detail the points of learning English.

How long does it take to get a TOEIC score of 700?

Have you ever wondered how much study time you need to spend to improve your score? Introducing a guideline with reference to the paper (*) that shows the approximate learning time required to reach the target score from the current TOEIC score, in order to reach 750 points, about 450 people with a current score of 550 points It is said that 650 people currently need about 225 hours of study time. However, depending on the study method and the reference book you use, you may be able to study efficiently even in a short time, so the study time is just a guide. By understanding the approximate study time required to reach your goal, please use it as a reference for planning your future study.

（※）Reference：A Teacher’s Guide to TOEIC Listening and Reading Test Preparing your Students for Success｜Oxford University Press

Understand basic grammar

Make sure you understand the basics of grammar you learn in middle school and high school. Especially in parts 5 and 6 of the reading section, there are many grammar questions, so it will be difficult to get a high score if the basics are not solidified. Similar grammar items will be asked each time, so you can efficiently learn grammar that will lead to higher scores by advancing learning using reference books and problem books that follow that tendency.

Develop vocabulary above high school graduation

To get a high score in the reading section, you need to improve your vocabulary. In addition to learning the basics of studying in high school, be aware of the TOEIC frequently used words. For example, TOEIC has many problems related to the business scene, so it will be easier to improve your score if you remember the words used in your work or workplace. In order to learn frequently-used words, it is a good idea to make good use of the vocabulary dedicated to TOEIC measures.

Improve long reading comprehension

Long reading comprehension is also required to get a certain score. By improving your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary, you will be able to understand the content of sentences, but due to the limited time, you need to increase the speed of reading English sentences. Reading aloud is recommended to speed up reading comprehension. However, take the time to read the sentence carefully, solve any unclear points such as words and grammatical structure, and understand it well before reading aloud.

By repeatedly reading aloud sentences that you understand well, you will gradually be able to understand the meaning in the English word order, and the processing speed of English in your head will increase. As a result, you will improve your reading comprehension, so please try it.

Improve your listening skills with dictation

Dictation is effective for improving listening skills. Dictation is the process of listening to and transcribing English without looking at the text. Have you ever experienced that even an English sentence that is difficult to understand just by listening to it can be understood immediately because it is composed of words and grammar that you know when you look at the script?

Dictation makes it easier to notice and understand English-specific pronunciations that are difficult for you to notice. It also has the advantage of clarifying your weaknesses. If you find a part that you couldn't hear, you should self-analyze the reason, such as lack of knowledge of words or idioms, or misrecognition of pronunciation. Will be.

Practice what you can do with the actual time allocation

Take advantage of the official TOEIC questions that are made at a level close to the actual test, and practice solving the questions in 45 minutes for listening and 75 minutes for reading without stopping in the middle of the test, just like in the actual test. In the actual production, it is also necessary to think about the time allocation and solve the problem and maintain concentration, so it is important to practice solving the problem in the same environment as the actual production. After solving the problem, be sure to review the mistakes.

Target number of correct answers by part to get TOEIC 700 points

In order to get 700 points in TOEIC, we will introduce the number of correct answers you want to aim for by part.

Listening ｜ Part 1 aims for correct answers to all questions

Four short explanations are broadcast only once for each photo, and the problem is to choose the one that accurately expresses the situation of the photo. If you aim for 700 points, this section is where you want to aim for all the correct answers. The English text itself is short and there is a tendency for the content to be asked, so it will be easier to get a score if you get used to the exercises firmly.

Listening ｜ Part 2 aims for 20 out of 25 correct answers

It is a question in which one question or sentence and three answers to it are given only once, and the appropriate answer to the question is selected. For sentences that start with interrogative words such as what and why, be sure to try to answer correctly because it is easy to derive the answer. There are 25 questions in this part, but please aim for 20 correct answers. Occasionally, you will be asked a twisted question, so it is recommended that you solve multiple past questions to familiarize yourself with the pattern of the question.

Listening ｜ Part 3 aims for 20 out of 39 correct answers

A conversation between two or three people will be broadcast only once. Read the questions and answers printed on the question sheet and choose the most suitable one from the four answers. There are three questions for each conversation, so it's important to read the questions before the conversation is broadcast. There are 39 questions in this part, and let's work toward the correct answer of 20 questions. How quickly you can look ahead to a question in a limited amount of time has a great effect on the accuracy rate. Try to improve your listening skills by shadowing and dictation.

Listening ｜ Part 4 aims for 24 out of 30 correct answers

A short talk like an announcement or narration will be played only once. As with Part 3, there are three questions, and you can choose the one that best suits you from the four answers. As with Part 3, if you read the questions first, it will be difficult to miss the answer. If you miss the look-ahead or get lost in the answer, you will not have enough time and the next question will be affected. If you really don't know the answer, we recommend that you take the plunge and move on to the next question. There are 30 questions in this part, and let's aim for 24 correct answers.

Reading | Part 5 aims for 21 out of 30 correct answers

For incomplete short sentence fill-in-the-blank questions, choose the most appropriate answer from the four answers that will fit in the blank. There are 30 questions in total, and let's aim for 21 correct answers. Most of the part-speech questions that are often asked are problems that can be solved without knowing the meaning of the word, so it is a problem that you want to get used to in the exercises and be sure to answer correctly. Speed is important to ensure that you answer correctly, so try to practice with an awareness that you can answer each question in 1 minute as a guide.

Reading | Part 6 aims for 12 out of 16 correct answers

For incomplete long sentence fill-in-the-blank questions, choose one of the four options that fits in the blank. Whereas Part 5 was a short sentence, Part 6 is a long sentence and the choices are not only words but also phrases and sentences. Long reading comprehension requires vocabulary and grammar as well as reading speed, so it is recommended that you practice long reading comprehension and read aloud on a daily basis. If you spend too much time answering, you may not be able to solve it to the end, so try to get 12 out of 16 correct answers while deciding to throw away the questions you do not understand while being aware of the time.

Reading | Part 7 aims for 30 out of 54 correct answers

One to three long reading comprehension questions. Part 7 starts with the problem of reading one sentence, but as the problem progresses, it grows to two or three sentences. The number of questions is as large as 54, so let's try to solve 30 questions correctly. When a question or field that you are not good at is asked, you can switch to the feeling of taking a point where you can definitely get a point, and solve it from a question that you are confident about.

Recommended problem collection/reference book for those who aim for TOEIC 700 points

We will introduce reference books and problem collections that are useful for effective learning to aim for a TOEIC score of 700.

A grammar book that solidifies the foundation

The " TOEIC® Test English Grammar Platinum Lecture " is recommended to solidify the basics of grammar required to obtain a TOEIC score of 700. Until now, grammar texts generally started with explanations of five sentence patterns and covered the whole, but it was necessary to learn grammar units that were not given questions. This reference book analyzes more than 1200 questions and contains only the questions that appear in the test. It is recommended for those who cannot secure enough study time because they can efficiently learn the essential items that are given in the TOEIC.

Recommended vocabulary to aim for TOEIC 700 points

If you want to learn TOEIC frequently used English words, we recommend " Kikutan TOEIC TEST SCORE 600 ". You can learn while listening to English words from your ears, and the sounds are recorded in the pronunciations of the four countries of the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Australia. You can learn the pronunciation and meaning of words just by listening to the CD, as the Japanese translation will continue to play. It is suitable for those who want to study English words by making effective use of travel time such as cars and trains. For those who want to improve their basic skills, "Kikutan TOEIC TEST SCORE 800" is also recommended.

Official questions that test-takers want to have

The official TOEIC Listening & Reading question book 8 is a must-have book for test-takers. This is a collection of questions created by ETS, an organization that provides TOEIC educational programs, in the same process as the actual test. The included CD contains listening audio, but some of the audio in the reading section can be downloaded to your smartphone or computer. After solving it, you can use it as a shadowing teaching material to improve your listening skills by listening to the voice and imitating it.

For centralized reading measures

If you want to improve your reading skills, please use " TOEIC® L & R Test Selected Mock Test Reading 3 ". The author, who got a perfect score of 990 in TOEIC, works on the questions created by studying the latest questioning tendency, and explains in detail the procedure and thoughts to lead to the correct answer. However, it is for advanced users due to its high difficulty level.

For thorough listening exercises

Let's use " TOEIC® L & R Test Selected Mock Test Listening 3 " as a centralized listening measure . It is supervised by the same instructor as the "TOEIC® L & R Test Selected Mock Test Reading 3" introduced earlier. The latest questioning trends are being researched, and the explanations are very polite. It is for advanced users because it may have more difficult questions than the actual one.

Conclusion

If you can get a TOEIC score of 700, you will be considered to have higher than average English proficiency and will have an advantage in finding a job or changing jobs. It takes a certain amount of study time to get a TOEIC score of 700, but you can study efficiently by grasping the knack of learning.

If you deepen your understanding of words and grammar through TOEIC measures, please try to increase the opportunities for output. You will be able to firmly establish what you have learned and acquire practical English skills that can be used in communication.