IELTS and TOEFL are English proficiency tests which are a requirement in the admission process in almost every prestigious institute globally. It basically tests your English language expertise. When you apply to study abroad the institute needs to measure your English expertise considering the programs are English taught. So in a way it becomes an absolute mandatory.
IELTS is conducted by IDP Education Ltd. IELTS exams are conducted 48 times a year to assess students in English language proficiency. The fee for IELTS exam is INR 14,700 for pen and paper-based. IELTS test scores are accepted by ove 11,000 institutes in almost 140 countries worldwide. TOEFL is conducted by Educational Testing Service (ETS). TOEFL exams are conducted 50 times a year. The fee for TOEFL exam is INR 13,780 approx. And TOEFL test scores are accepted in almost 150 countries worldwide.
Now when it comes to IELTS and TOEFL, the most common and popular exam score is IELTS. TOEFL and PTE are also acceptable instead of IELTS. These are alternative test scores to be submitted in your admission process. However, the TOEFL is not any less than IELTS. Both exams are up to quality and measure your absolute understanding of the English language in every aspect. But what is the answer when it comes to choosing between IELTS and TOEFL?
One answer can be your preference of English language. IELTS is a British based English test while TOEFL is an American based English test. It can be simply understandable. India uses a United Kingdom based English British English) language approach. When we write English we use words like ’specialisation’ which can also be written as ’specialization.’ You must have noticed different words containing s or z in the same as alternative approach. Of-course both are correct but India follows British English. American English is a simpler approach based. It focuses on making sentences much simpler and shorter. For example if someone asks a question like – ’Are you doing fine?’ The British English answer will be like; ’Yes, I’m doing fine.’ While American English answers can be more simple like; ’I do.’ In short, if you see and enjoy Hollywood movies, shows, and content you can relate to TOEFL.
Having discussed that, the absolute main factor to consider in choosing between IELTS and TOEFL must be exam format and pattern. While both tests are up to mark, they both follow different approaches. The exam style, sections, questions are all to be considered before option for one or the other. For example; TOEFL is a multiple choice question based exam. IELTS on the other hand has a much wider range of questions.
Now it is not to be stated that multiple choice questions are easier as you already have options. Point is that students go through many exams and competitions throughout their life. One’s career path may contain exams based more on multiple choice questions. While some other students can get wider range based questions in exams. So it all comes to your practice and preference. If you already have experience in multiple choice questions based exams you should go for TOEFL. But do not pick TOEFL just because of experience if you do not prefer it though.
One factor is TOEFL iBT. iBT means internet based tests. iBT is the latest assessment of TOEFL. Nowadays it is also more acceptable and preferred iBT score. Whereas IELTS test scores are not preferred in internet bases or offline medium. It doesn’t really make a difference but one may not prefer an online method.
The fee factor for both IELTS and TOEFL is not much different. As mentioned before the fee for these tests are around INR 14,700 and INR 13,780 respectively. The difference is barely INR 1,000. But considering some people for whom it may concern it can make a difference.
So if you are willing to spend any extra money than absolutely necessary you can go for TOEFL instead of IELTS.
Apart from fees, the difference in time for each test is significant. The TOEFL exam takes a longer time as compared to the IELTS test. To be precise, the IELTS exam is 2 hours and 45 minutes long whereas the TOEFL exam takes around 4 hours. The test time is definitely a considerable factor in choosing between IELTS and TOEFL. It is not like if you are comfortable to sit for a longer time then it does not matter.
Exam time impacts a student’s ability to perform consistently or not. A student can feel obnoxious to sit for hours and focus on something in which the student has not much interest. Time can also result in executing a pre-planned approach. If you prepare for an English test without considering the test time you can get confused in assigning different amounts of time to different sections of the test. For example; if I have planned to give my major amount of time into writing and a considerable amount of time to double-check, I should be able to execute it as planned. If I finish my writing lesson and be left with much time to double-check it will be a disaster. Because by knowing the time assigned earlier I can give a bigger amount of time to my writing.
There are other factors like places where exams are held, your preferred institute’s preferences on test scores, other purposes of taking tests etc. Research well before you opt for IELTS or TOEFL. Know their merits and limitations in different locations and fields. Take mock tests of each kind before deciding anything important. As mentioned, TOEFL is mostly a multiple choice test, but if you see yourself performing well in IELTS mock tests you need to consider a thing or two.
Browse online about these tests, talk to someone who had taken the tests before. TO know the details of particular tests in advance. It will improve your planning and get an exceptional score on a test. Majorly there is not much difference between IELTS and TOEFL. If you do not have an IELTS score to submit to your application for studying abroad, you can present your TOEFL scores instead in almost every institute. PTE is also an alternative for those who do not have IELTS or TOEFL conducted at their location.
Author Bio
Author Bio: Abhyank Srinet is a passionate digital entrepreneur who holds a Masters in Management degree from ESCP Europe. He started his first company while he was still studying at ESCP, and managed to scale it up by 400% in just 2 years.
Being a B-School Alumni, he recognized the need for a one-stop solution for B-School to get in touch with schools and get their application queries resolved. This prompted him to create MiM-Essay, a one-of-a-kind portal with cutting edge profile evaluation and school selection algorithms, along with several avenues to stay informed about the latest B-School Updates.