What's TOEFL and IELTS all about?
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and IELTS (International English Language Testing Service) are two tests accepted by the world. TOEFL is developed by ETS (Educational Testing Service), a private, non-profit institute headquartered in the USA.
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) has been developed by the British Council, IDP Education Australia and Cambridge ESOL.
What’s the difference?
Both systems test candidates on their English writing, listening, reading and speaking skills. A slight difference is that IELTS has a module for testing speaking skills, in the form of a face-to-face interview.
Duration
TOEFL contains both paper based and internet based test. The TOEFL paper-based test (PBT) is available in limited areas. The internet -based test (IBT) version of the TOEFL lasts for 4 ½ hours. IELTS total test duration is around 2 hours and 45 minutes. Both the test scores are valid for two years.
Scoring
The iBT version of the TOEFL test is scored on a scale of 0 to 120 points while PBT score ranges between 310 and 677 points. IELTS is scored on a nine-band scale, with each band corresponding to a specified competence in English.
Section wise differences
Which is better?
The question is not about which is better. Instead it totally depends upon the demand of university and which country you wish to apply. Remember, both the systems go through rigorous development processes.
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