TEFL Elebaires: The Difference Between the Top English Exams

Here is a breakdown of the top 3 English proficiency exams.

IELTS

IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, is designed to assess the language ability of candidates who need to study or work where English is used as the language of communication. IELTS is required for entry to university in the UK and other countries.

Who is it for?

IELTS is recognized by universities and employers in many countries, including Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and the USA. It is also recognized by professional bodies, immigration authorities and other government agencies.
More than 1.4 million people a year take the test.

What is the IELTS test like?

You can choose between the Academic or General Training versions of the test. All candidates do the same Listening and Speaking sections.

The test has four sections:

1. Listening – 4 sections, 40 questions, 30 minutes
2. Speaking – interview, 15 minutes
3. Reading – different for Academic or General Training – 3 sections, 40 questions, 60 minutes
4. Writing – different for Academic or General Training – 2 pieces of writing, 60 minutes

This site also contains vocabulary tests, including practice tests for the academic wordlist, as well as grammar tests that are relevant to IELTS.

Level and scores

Multi-level. You get a score between 1 and 9. Half scores such as 6.5 are possible. Universities often demand an IELTS score of 6 or 7. They may also demand a minimum score in each of the 4 sections.

The TOEFL® exam

Test Of English as Foreign Language.
The essential exam for entry to universities in the United States. Academic language.

Who is it for?

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) measures the ability of non-native speakers of English to use and understand North American English as it is spoken, written and heard in college and university settings. Most people who take the TOEFL test are planning to study at colleges and universities where instruction is in English. In addition, many government agencies, scholarship programs, and licensing/certification agencies use TOEFL scores to evaluate English proficiency.

Versions of the TOEFL® test

You can do the test on paper or on a computer, depending where you live.The test comes in two formats:

1. paper-based test (PBT)
2. next generation computer-based test (iBT)

The iBT is not yet available at every test center. If it is available at your local center then you will have to do it. If not you will do the PBT.

There is also an exam for younger students called TOEFL Junior®.

Click here to see a comparison of TOEFL scores with other exams.

The TOEIC® exam

The Test of English for International Communication is produced by ETS® (Educational Testing Service).

TOEIC test questions are based on real-life work settings in an international environment (meetings, travel, telephone conversations, etc).

What is the TOEIC® test like?
There are two separate parts to the TOEIC test. You can do one or both parts.

1. The Listening and Reading test is a paper and pencil test that takes 2.5 hours and is taken at a test centre.
2. The Speaking and Writing test is an online test that is taken in a test centre and takes 90 minutes. The Speaking and Writing test is a new test which is only available in some countries.

What about scores?
The TOEIC Reading and Listening gives a score between 10 and 990:

• 905 – 990 International Proficiency
• 785 – 900 Working Proficiency Plus
• 605 – 780 Limited Working Proficiency
• 405 – 600 Elementary Proficiency Plus
• 255 – 400 Elementary Proficiency
• 185 – 250 Memorised Proficiency
• 10 – 180 No Useful Proficiency

TOEIC Speaking and Writing tests are scored out of 200.

Click here to see a table comparing the different exams related to their CEF level.