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2022 Barometer TOEIC test taker
Find out more about the results and key findings of the study
ETS Global is delighted to present the 3rd edition of the 2022 barometer of TOEIC Listening and Reading test-takers.
What changes were there in 2022? Are test takers’ profiles and motivations still the same? Here are the main findings of this study.
Average score still at CEFR B1 level
This data comes from answers provided by TOEIC® Listening and Reading test takers between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2022.
While the average TOEIC score has risen by approximately 7 points each year since 2019, 2022 marks the first year that the average score of all candidates has fallen, by 28 points, to an average score of 705 points.
On the other hand, the average CEFR level remains stable at B1 (between 550 and 785 points out of a possible 990 points in the TOEIC Listening and Reading test).
An analysis of the candidate demographics shows that this drop is particularly noticeable among students, with an average score of 735 points, down 33 points in 1 year.
The average score for employees, on the other hand, has risen by 35 points compared to 2021.
How can this difference in scores be explained?
The drop in students' average scores can probably be attributed to the consequences of Covid, which has made learning more difficult and decreased opportunities to spend time abroad. The figures show that in 2022, 78% of test takers had never spent time in an English-speaking country, compared to 67% in 2019, a variation of 11 percent.
As far as employees are concerned, this increase can be attributed to the popularity of the CPF system. Since the launch of the Mon compte formation platform, language certifications have systematically been in the top three requested CPF programs. The TOEIC certification comes out well ahead of all other language certifications, with over 125,000 CPF certifications taken* in 2022, i.e. 51% of the total number of certifications taken in 2022.
*Source: opendata.caissedesdepots.fr/: total and partial releases for TOEIC test certifications registered 3130, 5550 et 6151
2022 Barometer TOEIC test taker
The most common test taker: male, under 26, student living in the Ile de France region
The majority of TOEIC Listening and Reading test takers are men (56% of men, 44% of women). This is one of the trends we have been observing since the launch of the first edition of the barometer. The gap with women is narrowing, with a 12-point difference (16 points in 2021).
In terms of score, since 2019, women of all ages have had a higher TOEIC score than men. However, there is no significant difference in TOEIC scores between men and women in 2022.
The typical TOEIC test taker is between the ages of 21 and 25. The number of test takers in this age bracket is growing steadily (56% in 2019, 61% in 2020 and 2021, 69% in 2022). 13.5% of participants are under 21 (23.5% in 2021).
A correlation between age range and TOEIC score can be observed since 2019. The TOEIC score peaks in the 21-25 age bracket and then gradually decreases with age. 75% of 2021 test takers have a BAC + 3 or higher degree.
Engineering students are still in the lead, with a score of 760 points, representing 24% of all students. As observed in the 2 previous editions of the barometer, accounting, management, economics and finance, marketing and commerce still close the gap (684 and 668 points).
2 "star" regions: Ile-de-France and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- The majority of test takers take the test in Ile-de-France (31.3%) and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (10.8%), continuing the trend observed in 2021. In terms of scores, these two regions are also on the podium, with average scores of 732 and 719 points respectively. Brittany takes 3rd place with 720 points.
- The lowest scores were in the DOM-TOM-COM and Corsica (580 and 573 points).
- All regions show a drop in score.