STEP to TOEFL score equivalents at Saudi universities

1. The short answer: STEP 83 is not one TOEFL score

Take STEP 83, a score all three universities list. Here is what each one sets it against:

Two universities agree on the TOEFL figure and none of the three agrees on IELTS. So a conversion you worked out for one application cannot be reused for another. Read the table of the university you are applying to, and if your score sits near a cut-off, ask its admissions office which table it applies.

2. King Saud University

The Deanship of Graduate Studies at King Saud University publishes this list of approved English tests and their equivalent scores. Its page was last updated on 19 July 2026.

• Validity: TOEFL and IELTS results count for two years from the test date; STEP counts for three years.
• Sending scores: King Saud University's TOEFL institution code is 7498.
• Exemption: the page exempts applicants who graduated from countries where English is the official language and was the language of instruction.

3. University of Jeddah

The University of Jeddah requires an English test for admission to postgraduate programmes and publishes these equivalent scores:

• TOEFL ITP is not accepted. In the university's words, it "is a practice test and not valid for university admission". The accepted TOEFL formats are iBT, CBT and PBT.
• Validity: STEP three years; TOEFL two years; IELTS two years.
• Exemptions include applicants whose degree is from a university in an English-speaking country, and holders of a bachelor's degree in Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy or English Language. The exemption does not apply to applicants for a Master's in English.

4. Saudi Electronic University

Saudi Electronic University uses test scores differently. Its Common First Year Directorate lists the scores that let a student pass or be exempted from the first-year English course, not graduate admission cut-offs:

These pairings are lower on the TOEFL side than the other two universities' tables at the same STEP score, which is the clearest sign that the tables are each university's own decision and not a shared scale.

5. KFUPM: TOEFL minimums

King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals states TOEFL minimums for graduate admission directly. The admission page we read does not give a STEP equivalent.

• MS programmes: TOEFL 520 PBT, 190 CBT or 70 iBT. IELTS 6.0 and Duolingo 105 are also acceptable.
• Direct PhD: TOEFL 550 PBT, 213 CBT or 80 iBT. IELTS 6.5 and Duolingo 120 are also acceptable.
• The requirement is waived for KFUPM graduates and graduates from English-speaking countries.
• The TOEFL score must be sent directly to the College of Graduate Studies. The KFUPM code is 0868.

If you are choosing which test to sit for a KFUPM application, sit one the page names.

6. These tables and the 1 to 6 band scale

Every TOEFL iBT figure above is on the 0 to 120 scale. Since 21 January 2026 the TOEFL iBT has reported section and overall results as 1 to 6 bands.

ETS states that for a two-year transition period after January 2026, score reports also carry a comparable overall score on the 0 to 120 scale. That is the number to hold against these tables. None of the university pages we read says how it will treat a report that shows bands only, so if your application falls after the transition, ask the university.

To see where a band sits on the old scale, use our TOEFL score calculator. How the bands are built is in the 1 to 6 scoring system guide, and the difference between the iBT and the ITP that Jeddah rejects is in our TOEFL ITP guide.

7. Questions people actually ask

What is STEP 83 equivalent to in TOEFL?

It depends on the university. King Saud University's graduate studies table and the University of Jeddah's table both put STEP 83 at TOEFL iBT 61. Saudi Electronic University pairs STEP 83 with TOEFL iBT 51 as its direct course equivalency requirement. Use the table of the university you are applying to.

Is there one official STEP to TOEFL conversion?

We could not find a single national conversion table. Each university publishes its own equivalents, and they are not identical: the same STEP 83 is listed against IELTS 6 at King Saud University, IELTS 5 at the University of Jeddah and IELTS 5.5 at Saudi Electronic University.

Does the University of Jeddah accept TOEFL ITP?

No. The University of Jeddah accepts TOEFL iBT, CBT and PBT, and states that TOEFL ITP is not accepted by the university, as it is a practice test and not valid for university admission.

How long are STEP and TOEFL scores valid for Saudi universities?

King Saud University's graduate studies page gives two years from the test date for TOEFL and IELTS and three years for STEP. The University of Jeddah lists the same: STEP three years, TOEFL two years, IELTS two years.

What TOEFL score does KFUPM require for graduate admission?

KFUPM's graduate admission page asks for a minimum TOEFL of 520 PBT, 190 CBT or 70 iBT for MS programs, with IELTS 6.0 also acceptable, and 550 PBT, 213 CBT or 80 iBT for the direct PhD, with IELTS 6.5 also acceptable. The score must be sent directly to the College of Graduate Studies using KFUPM code 0868.

Do these tables use the new 1 to 6 TOEFL band scale?

No. Every figure on these university pages is on the 0 to 120 TOEFL iBT scale. Since 21 January 2026 the TOEFL iBT reports 1 to 6 bands, and ETS says that for a two-year transition period score reports also carry a comparable overall score on the 0 to 120 scale, so an overall requirement can still be read from one report.