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Every year, scores of students aspiring to study in the US and other countries like Australia and New Zealand, to name a few appear for English language proficiency tests to prove their language proficiency and to get admission to their preferred institute and course. The two highly recognised English language proficiency tests are the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Both these tests help students to study abroad and work in English-speaking nations after proving their English language abilities.

Premier universities and colleges follow standardised admission policies for international students. Students need to show their proficiency in the English language by clearing exams like IELTS and TOEFL. Good scores in these exams ensure that they possess the necessary English skills for understanding academic writing, producing scholarly writing and communicating with their supervisors.

Although both are English language proficiency tests, they have different formats, test structures, scoring and many other things. So, let’s uncover these differences.  

IELTS vs TOEFL

Both the tests comprise 4 sections: Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking, but the test structure of TOEFL iBT differs from IELTS.

Test Structure- TOEFL iBT

Test Structure

Purpose

Inclusions

Duration

Reading Section

 

Measure ability to understand and read the kind of materials used in an academic setting.

  • 3-4 reading passages each
  • approximately 700 words
  • 10 questions per passage

54-72 minutes

Listening

 

Measure ability to understand lectures and conversations in English

  • 3-4 lectures with 6 questions per lecture
  • 2-3 conversations with 2 speakers. 5 questions per conversation
  • Each lecture 3-5 minutes long

 

  • Each conversation 3 minutes long

Speaking

 

Measure English speaking ability in an academic environment

Comprises 4 tasks:

  • Question 1- Independent speaking task
  • Question 2 to 4 – Integrated speaking tasks

Preparation time: 15-30 seconds before each response

 

Response time: 45-60 seconds

Writing

 

Measure writing ability in an academic setting

Comprises 2 tasks:

  • Integrated task: reading a short passage and listening to a short lecture
  • Independent task: Writing an essay

 

  • Integrated task: 20 minutes.

 

  • Independent task: 30 minutes

 

IELTS: IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training are two kinds of IELTS tests. The Academic test is for those who wish to study at university or in an English-speaking setting (higher education) and pursue a professional career. The IELTS General Training is designed for those who wish to study below degree level in an English-speaking college or school, and for work-related purposes.  

Test Structure

Inclusions

 

 

Listening (Paper format)

  • 4 sections, 40 questions, 30 minutes
  • Question types (multiple choice, sentence completion, matching, plan/map/diagram labeling, form/note/table/flow-chart/summary completion)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reading (paper format)

Academic

  • 3 long texts

·         Mix question types (multiple choice, matching features, note completion and diagram label completion, to name a few)

  • 40 questions, 60 minutes

General Training

·         3 long texts

·         Mix question types (multiple choice, matching features, note completion, sentence and note completion, etc.)

·         40 questions, 60 minutes

 

 

 

 

Writing (Paper format)

Academic

Task 1: Describing visual information (graph/chart/table/diagram) in 150 words in 20 minutes

Task 2: Writing an essay of 250 words in 40 minutes

General Training

Task 1: Writing a letter of 150 words in 20 minutes

Task 2: Writing an academic essay of a minimum of 250 words in 40 minutes

 

Speaking

An oral interview with an examiner - 3 parts (introduction and interview, long turn and discussion )

  • Duration: 11-14 minutes

 

 

 

IELTS

TOEFL

 

Conducting Body

Cambridge English and the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia

Educational Testing Services (ETS)

 

 

Test Format

 

  • Paper-based
  • Computer-based
  • Traditional TOEFL iBT (internet-based test) test in a test centre
  • iBT Home Edition
  • iBT paper edition

Scoring

0-9

0-120

Duration

2 hours and 45 minutes

Approximately 3 hours

 

Acceptance worldwide

Recognised by over 11,000 organisations globally and 3,400 institutions in the USA

11,500 universities and other institutions in more than 150 countries, including the US, the UK, New Zealand, Canada and across Europe and Asia

 

Results

Paper-based test: 13 days after the written test

Computer-based: 3-5 days after the test

At Test centre and iBT Home Edition: 4-8 days after the test date

iBT Paper Edition: 11-13 days after the test

 

A Pro-Tip: To study abroad, check the course-specific admission guidelines of the university carefully before appearing for TOEFL or IELTS tests.

In case you have cleared one or both tests and are looking for financial help, there is no need to look further than Avanse Financial Services. We offer hyper-personalised education loans to students and help them in fulfiling their academic aspirations. To know more about education loans for students and eligibility criteria, contact us today!

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