'TOEFL' North Korean Test Takers Average 87 Points... 4-Point Increase in One Year

The Average Score of South Korean Examinees Rose by 3 Points to 86

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Last year, the average score of North Korean test-takers who took the official English exam TOEFL was 87 points, an increase of 4 points compared to the previous year. The average score of South Korean test-takers was 1 point lower than that of North Korea.

According to Radio Free Asia (RFA) on the 3rd, the Educational Testing Service (ETS), which administers the TOEFL, reported that the average TOEFL scores in the four areas of reading, listening, speaking, and writing for North Korean test-takers last year were 87 points, and South Korea scored 86 points. Both North and South Korea matched the global average.

The scores by area for North Korean test-takers were 22 points in reading, 23 points in listening, 22 points in speaking, and 21 points in writing. The scores by area for South Korean test-takers were 22, 22, 21, and 21 points, respectively.

The average TOEFL score for North and South Korean test-takers in 2019 was 83 points, equal to the global average, but within one year, North Korea increased by 4 points and South Korea by 3 points. The TOEFL score of North Korean test-takers was only 78 points in 2010.

Srikanth Gopal, Director of the TOEFL Program, analyzed in an interview with RFA, "The rise in average TOEFL scores in North and South Korea and worldwide suggests that despite COVID-19, highly proficient English applicants have steadily prepared for exams and studying abroad."

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