Since universities want to make sure that you have the English language skills you need to study at their school, almost all institutions of higher education require you to take an English proficiency test. Both TOEFL and IELTS are the two largest standardized tests of English. One of the most frequent questions that I hear is a test that is easier or which test is better. The answer depends on which tests you succeed in, as well as where you plan to apply. This article reveals the differences between the two tests so that you can make your own decision.
Incoming
IELTS testing is carried out by the British Council, the University of Cambridge and IELTS Australia. That is, it is associated with the British government and traditionally used by British universities, as well as the universities of New Zealand and Australia to determine the language ability of foreign students. TOEFL is operated by the non-profit, non-profit organization ETS, which is widely used by American and Canadian universities. However, nowadays, in order to facilitate work with foreign students, universities around the world accept both TOEFL and IELTS. While you should consult a special university to which you want to apply, in general any school in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia or New Zealand will take either a test. So one worries from your mind. Choose a test that you think will be easier for you. To do this, you probably need to know the structure of each exam.
TOEFL structure
As of last year, the official TOEFL is almost universal in the format of iBT (Internet testing). It consists of four sections:
reading
The TOEFL Reading section asks you to read 4-6 university level trips and answer a few questions about them (multiple choice means that you choose the answer from the options provided). Questions test you for understanding the text, basic ideas, important details, vocabulary, conclusion, rhetorical devices and style.
listening
The listening section contains 2-3 conversations and 4-6 lectures. Situations are always associated with university life, that is, a conversation between a student and a librarian about the search for research materials or a lecture from history. Questions are multiple choice and ask you important information, questions, tone and vocabulary. Conversations and lectures are very natural and include informal English, interruptions, filler noises, such as “uh” or “Uhm”.
Speaking
The “Conversation” section is recorded. You speak into the microphone and the grader will listen to your answers later and evaluate you. Two questions will concern familiar topics and ask you to give your opinion and / or describe something familiar to you, for example, your city or your favorite teacher. Two questions will ask you to compile information from the text and the conversation - and can also ask your opinion. Two questions will ask you to summarize the information from a short conversation. Again, the topics of conversation are always associated with the university.
Letter
Finally, there are two short essays in TOEFL. One will ask you to write your opinion on a broad topic, for example, is it better to live in a country or city. One will ask you to summarize the information from the text and the lecture - often the two will not agree with each other, and you will need to either compare, compare, or synthesize conflicting information.
IELTS structure
IELTS contains the same 4 sections: “Reading”, “Listening”, “Conversation and Writing”, but the format is very different.
reading
The IELTS reading section gives you 3 texts that can be from academic textbooks or from a newspaper or a magazine, but they are all at the university student level. There will always be a piece of opinion - that is, a text argument for one point of view. The variety of questions on IELTS is quite wide, and not every text will have every type of question. One type of question requires you to match the headings with paragraphs in the text. You may be asked to complete a summary of the passage using words from the text. Or you may have to fill in a table or chart or picture with words from text. There may be multiple choice questions that ask you information about key details. One of the most complex statements of job type operators and queries about whether these statements are true, false or not included in the text. You may also be asked to compare words and ideas. Finally, some questions are a short answer, but the answers will be taken directly from the text itself.
Some questions arise before the text and may not require careful reading. Others come after the text and can expect you to read the text completely.
listening
IELTS has four listening sections. The first is a “transactional conversation” in which someone can apply for something (driver's license, library card) or request information (for example, demanding more about advertising or a hotel). The second section is an information lecture of some kind, perhaps a dean explaining the rules of the university. Third, the conversation is in an academic context, and the final section is an academic lecture. For all sections, you may be asked to fill out a summary, fill in a table, answer multiple-choice questions, map out a chart or a picture, or classify information into different categories. You will need to fill in the answers when you listen.
Letter
The academic IELTS has two written assignments. The first requires that you summarize a table or chart in about 300 words. You will need to identify important information, compare and compare different numbers, or perhaps describe the process. The second task requires you to present your opinion on a fairly open topic, for example: “Women should take care of children, not work” or “too many people move to cities and rural areas suffer”.
Speaking
Finally, the speeches section will be held on another day from the rest of the test and in the presence of a trained interviewer. Questions are the same for all exams, but some parts may be in the form of a conversation rather than a monologue. The first part of the test will be a brief introductory conversation, followed by short questions on familiar topics. The interviewer may ask your name, your job, what sports you like, what is your daily routine, etc. In the second part you will be given a topic card and some specific questions to solve. You will need to talk for two minutes on this topic, which may concern your daily life, the last time you went to the cinema, your favorite part of the world, or a similar familiar topic. In the last section, the interviewer will ask you to discuss the more abstract side of the topic in Part 2 - why do people prefer daily procedures? Why do people like movies? How does travel affect local life?
What is best for me?
So now you have some understanding of what the results of each test are, but you may be wondering what is best for you. Perhaps you thought in reading about the structure: “Wow TOEFL sounds so simple” or “Oh, IELTS sounds like it's fun!” This may be a good sign that one test will be easier for you than the other. More specifically, there are several key differences between tests.
British and American English
Although both the UK and the USA take both tests, and British English and American English are not as different as some people think, the fact is that IELTS tends to use English English, and TOEFL uses only American English. At IELTS, this difference will have a greater effect, since the number of spelling errors is one of the areas where Britain and the United States do not always see each other. Obviously, if you have problems with a British accent (and the test can include a wide range of accents, including Australian, New Zealand, Irish and Scottish). American accents, on the other hand, can throw you off. Certain terms are also different, and you don’t want to waste time on your conversation test asking what a flat or truck is. So, regardless of whether you are used to British or American English, this is certainly a factor. If you prefer English to English, TOEFL is a good bet, but if you get used to British English and accents, you will work better on IELTS.
Multiple selection versus copy down
For the reading and listening sections, TOEFL gives you multiple choice questions, while IELTS usually expects you to copy words from text or a pre-word conversation. Multiple choice questions tend to require a little better abstract thinking, but IELTS stands for people who have good memories and more specifically think. The good thing about the multiple choice is that it’s easy to choose the wrong answers, while the good thing about copying down is that the answer is sitting there in the text. You just need to find it and repeat it. Thus, concrete thinkers will work better on IELTS, and abstract thinkers will strive to excel in TOEFL.
Predictable or different each time
Of course, TOEFL is also more predictable than IELTS. IELTS throws many different types of questions at you, and the instructions often change slowly every time. This makes preparation difficult. TOEFL, on the other hand, is almost the same test each time — choose A, B, C, D, or E. On the other hand, IELTS definitely keeps you on tiptoes, and this can make you more alert.
Talking with a person or a computer?
Another big difference is how the section of speech is performed. For some people, it is very simple to simply record your answers on a computer, because it seems that no one is listening. You just try your best and forget about it until you get your grades. Since the IELTS test is performed in an interview format with a native speaker, you may be nervous or feel that you are being judged. And they take notes: “Oh God, did he write something good or something bad? On the other hand, you may feel more relaxed in a conversation with a person who needs to explain whether you understand the question or just look at the face, not at the computer screen. Getting feedback from native speakers can also be useful to correct errors and improve during the test. So it depends on what you feel more comfortable with. If you like talking to people, IELTS is the best bet. If you just want to be alone and not be tried, TOEFL will be more comfortable for you.
Holistic and criterion
Finally, the spoken and written sections of the TOEFL are classified by the whole. A grader gives you a grade based on the overall quality of the essay, including vocabulary, logic, style, and grammar. IELTS contrasts with individual criteria, and you evaluate individually for grammar, word choice, fluency, logic, cohesion, and a dozen other criteria. In other words, if you are good at writing, but you have a lot of small grammar mistakes, your TOEFL score can be pretty good, because graders will ignore small mistakes if the overall essay is logical and detailed. IELTS will not forget about bad grammar. On the other hand, if your grammar and vocabulary is strong, but you cannot express your opinion or organize an essay, you can get a low TOEFL score, but IELTS will give you good grades for using the language. So, although it may seem that IELTS is much more difficult, because it values you at all, you can actually get a decent score if you are strong in a number of areas. TOEFL emphasizes the ability to combine a logical and detailed argument (or summary) and, above all, looks at clarity, choice of words and style. If you don’t like to write an essay, but you think you have excellent grammar and vocabulary and you are a decent writer as a whole, you will probably find it easier to work with IELTS.
I hope this essay was helpful for selection. In any case, I recommend that you go to the IELTS and TOEFL websites and get more information about each test, as well as try out some practical problems yourself.
