IELTS or TOEFL? This is one of the most common questions torturing people who are choosing to apply to a foreign university! Carry on reading to understand the differences between the exams below.
So, to choose properly, first you must consider the following points:
1. Which test(s) does the university you want to apply to accept? Most universities in the UK accept both tests, but it's always worth checking, just in case.
2. The similarity of tests: Both tests check four skills in English: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Both of the tests are standardised and both can be taken around the world. The price is also approximately the same.
3. The speaking part of the exams are perhaps the biggest differences between the tests.
In IELTS, you will have a personal interview with a person, lasting about ten minutes. The interview consists of three different sections.
In TOEFL, you will need to answer six questions and your answers will be recorded by a computer. Each question should be one-to-two minutes long.
4. The biggest differences for the writing aspect is in the input of words. In TOEFL, you will print your answer on a computer. In IELTS, however, you will need to write a response on paper.
TOEFL consists of 2 essays; each is needs to be roughly 300-350 words long.
Academic IELTS consists of 2 sections. Firstly, analysis of a table or chart, which will be roughly 150 words in length. Secondly, you will be asked to write a short essay on a topic, consisting of around 250 words.
5. When it comes to the listening part of the test, the biggest difference is the duration.
IELTS lasts for 30 minutes. TOEFL for 60 minutes. In IELTS, half the test will be on general topics, half on academic. In TOEFL, there is only an academic topic.
In IELTS, there will be different accents in each, i.e. a listening subsection with British, Scottish, Australian, accents etc. In TOEFL, in most cases, there will be a standard American accent.
6. When it comes to reading, the TOEFL section lasts longer than IELTS. There are different types of questions in the IELTS sub-sections, in TOEFL, there will be only one type, consisting of a multiple choice test. The texts in both exams will be on academic topics.
7. Regarding the duration of each exam, IELTS lasts about 3.5 hours and TOEFL around 4.5 hours.
