TOEFL or IELTS test ? If you’re planning on studying in an English speaking country your english is probably already pretty good. So in order to get accepted to your university of choice it’s only 

a piece of paper that stands between you and the fantastic educational, professional, and lifestyle opportunities offered to English speakers. However, there are two major English certificate – TOEFL or IELTS. The questions is, which should you pick, though?

The quick answer is that you should probably select the TOEFL if you’re applying to a US university. It is preferred by nine out of ten US colleges and is created to test academic English. If not, you should likely choose the IELTS. It is frequently used for obtaining visas, finding jobs, and applying for college entrance because it has wide use and academic branches.

We’ve broken down the two tests for you to make the decision easier. TOEFL or IELTS test – let’s dive into it shall we ?

What does IELTS stand for, and why do I need it?

It is one of the world’s most recognised English language tests, and stands for the International English Language Testing System, which most international students from non-English speaking countries who decide to study or work overseas must take. 

Why do I need to sit the exam? Well, simply because this test helps to demonstrate the fact that you are able to understand and also speak English fluently, which is a necessary aspect when you are applying to study at an English-speaking university. 

There are two different types of IELTS exams

It’s worth noting that there are in fact two different  IELTS exams – one is Academic and the other one is general. Essentially, they are the same IELTS tests, but they have different purposes. The academic IELTS is taken by international students who would like to apply to and complete a university degree at an English-speaking university. The general IELTS on the other hand, is usually taken by people who want to go abroad to fo work or to migrate temporarily.

How is the IELTS test divided and what do I need to prepare?

The IELTS exam is divided into four sections including; listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It’s important to be familiar with all four parts to ensure you are sufficiently prepared. For the listening section you will have 30 minutes to complete 40 questions related to four recordings of native English speakers including conversations between people set in an everyday social setting. The reading part consists of 40 questions and you have 60 minutes to read through three long texts and answer questions about them and also fill in any blanks. It’s important to understand the time constraints here and ensure you have practice to read fast.

The writing part consists of 2 questions where you are asked to describe summaries or explain information in your own words. You are also asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. The test is 60 minutes long. 

The final part of the IELTS exam is the speaking part where you need to demonstrate that you can speak fluently and naturally. The test runs for 11-14 minutes and you will be examined on your verbal communications skills. You wil be presented with a task card which asks you to talk about a particular topic, including points to include in your talk. You will be given one minute to prepare and make notes. You will then be asked to talk for 1-2 minutes on the topic. You will not be interrupted during this time, so it is important to keep talking. 

What is the TOEFL exam, the quick facts you need to know

Colleges in the United States typically favour the TOEFL, a standardised test for evaluating English competence. The following are some short TOEFL facts:

You can only purchase official materials from one business. The Educational Testing Service (ETS), a private test organisation in the US, administers the TOEFL.

It is mostly used for US college admissions; nine out of ten American universities favour it. However, more than 11,000 colleges in more than 150 nations also accept it. All UK universities as well as some in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand recognise it.

Due to the focus on academic English usage, it isn’t as frequently utilised as the IELTS for immigration applications. However, beginning in 2020, the TOEFL will be acceptable for obtaining a skilled migration visa for Australia and New Zealand.

Children and young adults can choose from a variety of options. The TOEFL ITP is a version of the test that institutions (such colleges and universities) can independently provide to gauge the English proficiency of their current students and prospective students. The TOEFL Junior is administered to pupils between the ages of 11 and 16 and the TOEFL Primary is given to children 11 and older.

There are primarily two versions: paper-based and online. The Internet-Based Version (iBV) will be the standard version in 2020. This explains why the TOEFL-iBV is a topic that is frequently discussed. The TOEFL-iBV will be mostly discussed in this post. For individuals who choose handwriting their responses, there is also the TOEFL-PBT, or Paper Test (PBT).

Paper or online test version?

The TOEFL online and paper versions are extremely dissimilar. They are graded differently, to start. In contrast to the IELTS, the scores from various sections are combined rather than averaged. For the online version or the paper version, you’ll receive a score that falls between 0 and 120 or 310 and 677. There is no speaking section and only four times a year is the paper version offered.

As of 2020, the entire test is available online. The Covid-19 epidemic led to the creation of the TOEFL iBT® Special Home Edition. It can be taken anywhere that TOEFLs are typically taken, with the exception of Iran and China. The same information is contained in it when you take it from your home computer: three hours of testing with a 10-minute break in the middle. Test takers are watched by a human proctor via webcam to deter cheating.

There is no established passing mark. You must ascertain the requirements of your institution, just like the IELTS. The range of acceptable TOEFL iBT scores is 61 for Bowling Green State University to 110 for Oxford University.

Book your Student Accommodation

Once you’ve successfully sat your IELTS or TOEFL exam, passed with flying colours, and, decided on the university and city you would like to study in, it’s time to find the perfect student accommodation for you. At studentroomrentals.com we help international students find their student accommodation whether it’s student housing, student rooms, or luxury student accommodation. From cosy lofts to private rooms or entire studios and apartments there are plenty to choose from. Take a look at our range of accommodation options to make it easy for you to find the accommodation of choice. Our booking process is easy and our friendly customer support team is always on hand if you need assistance or have any questions.