Comparing TOEFL and IELTS English Tests | Generated by AI
Question: What is the difference between TOEFL and IELTS?
Answer:
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and IELTS (International English Language Testing System) are the two most widely accepted English proficiency tests for university admissions, immigration, and professional purposes. Both evaluate the same four skills: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. However, they differ significantly in format, style, scoring, accent focus, and regional preferences.
Here are the key differences:
-
Organizing Body
TOEFL: Administered by ETS (Educational Testing Service, USA)
IELTS: Jointly managed by British Council, IDP, and Cambridge English -
Main Versions
TOEFL: Primarily TOEFL iBT (Internet-based test); a shorter home edition also exists
IELTS: IELTS Academic (for higher education) and IELTS General Training (for work/immigration) -
Test Format
TOEFL iBT: Fully computer-based (including Speaking, where you record responses into a microphone)
IELTS: Offers both computer-delivered and paper-based options (Speaking is always a face-to-face interview with an examiner) -
Test Duration (2025/2026 format)
TOEFL iBT: Approximately 1 hour 56 minutes (shorter since recent updates)
IELTS: 2 hours 45 minutes -
Accent and English Variety
TOEFL: Primarily American English accents and spelling
IELTS: Includes British, Australian, American, Canadian, and other English varieties -
Question Types
TOEFL: Mostly multiple-choice questions; more integrated tasks (e.g., read/listen then speak/write) with a strong academic focus
IELTS: More varied question types (multiple choice, matching, short answer, sentence completion, diagram labeling, etc.); includes graph/chart description in Writing Task 1 (Academic) -
Speaking Section
TOEFL: 4 tasks, computer-recorded responses (scored by AI + human raters), about 17 minutes
IELTS: 3 parts (introduction, long turn, discussion), live human examiner, 11–14 minutes -
Scoring
TOEFL: 0–120 total (each section 0–30)
IELTS: 0–9 band scale (overall band is average of four sections, rounded to nearest 0.5) -
Approximate Score Equivalency (based on official concordance tables)
TOEFL 120 ≈ IELTS 9
TOEFL 100–109 ≈ IELTS 7.5
TOEFL 94–101 ≈ IELTS 7.0
TOEFL 79–93 ≈ IELTS 6.5
TOEFL 60–78 ≈ IELTS 6.0 -
Regional Preference
TOEFL: Traditionally preferred in the USA and Canada (though most schools accept both)
IELTS: More commonly preferred in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and for immigration in Canada/Australia/UK
Both tests are accepted by over 9,000–11,000 institutions worldwide, and scores are valid for 2 years. The best choice depends on your target country/university requirements, comfort with computer vs. face-to-face speaking, preferred accent, and whether you prefer multiple-choice vs. varied question formats.
References:
- ETS Official TOEFL- IELTS Score Comparison Table
- TOEFL vs IELTS 2025 Comparison
- Yocket Prep IELTS vs TOEFL Guide
- College Transitions TOEFL vs IELTS Overview