Differences Between IELTS And TOEFL

Table of Contents

At a general level, the main differences between the IELTS (International English Language Testing ) and TOEFL ( Test of English as a Foreign Language ) exams are the duration , the type of interaction , the price , the type of English to use and the types of questions (multiple choice, short answers, essays).

Duration

The IELTS test takes around 2 hours and 45 minutes. Instead, the TOEFL test can take up to 3 hours and 30 minutes. The IELTS test is significantly shorter than the TOEFL.

Remember

TOEFL and IELTS results are valid for up to 2 years from the test date.

Question Format

While the sections are similar ( Speaking , Writing , Reading , Listening ), the question types are quite different.

TOEFL questions are almost exclusively multiple-choice , while IELTS has a variety of questions : short answers, short essays, and word-completion spaces.

Speaking

In the IELTS test, this section consists of a 15-minute conversation between the student and the examiner on an everyday topic. In contrast, in the TOEFL, the answers are recorded through a microphone and then evaluated. Interpersonal interaction is the main difference between both evaluations.

Reading

While the TOEFL test uses specialized academic texts for this section, the IELTS features magazine articles and easier-to-read content. In this sense, many students consider that the difficulty of the IELTS Reading is less than that of the TOEFL.

Writing

For the TOEFL, you will need to write an essay of approximately 300 words based on a recording. In the second part, you will have to write another essay and include opinions on the indicated topic. Preferably, you should use American English .

In the IELTS you will also have to develop two essays: a text about a specific article and another about your opinion regarding a topic. Both American and British English are accepted on the IELTS.

listening

One of the main differences between the two tests is that the TOEFL uses audio extracts from university lectures or conversations on campus. Instead, IELTS includes recordings of everyday situations and allows the student to take notes or answer questions while the recording is in progress.

The degree of complexity of the Listening section of the IELTS exam is higher compared to the same section of the TOEFL .

Prices

There is not much difference between their prices, since both exams range from $150 to $250 dollars.

Target audiences

Although both tests are accepted by many foreign universities, the TOEFL test is preferred by people seeking to achieve certain academic or educational goals (such as applying for a master's degree in the United States), while the IELTS test is also used for work or migration purposes. .

Important

The IELTS exam has an academic modality and a general modality (Academic and General Training). Its format and question types depend on the modality.

Also, the TOEFL exam tends to be more accepted by universities in the United States and the IELTS is more akin to universities in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.