TOEFL & IELTS:
What is the difference?
Formats, Scoring, and More
There are currently several assessment systems in the international English language. Today we’re going to take a look at the TOEFL and IELTS. In doing so, I’ll be highlighting the difference between these exams, the scores needed to pass, the types of exams offered by IELTS and a bonus for you to see the English speaking countries on the world map!
If you are studying for the TOEFL or IELTS exam, you will certainly benefit from our Advanced Vocabulary Master Pack! It has audio and video lessons teaching you over 300 advanced vocabulary words. Plus, there’s a downloadable PDF so you can follow along with all of the words.
Happy studying!
The difference between TOEFL and IELTS
TOEFL is an acronym for defining the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or Test of English as a Foreign Language. TOEFL is a registered trademark of Educational Testing Service (ETS). The first test was carried out in 1964 and, since then, about 20 million students have taken it. Now, TOEFL is accepted by more than 11,000 universities in over 150 countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom and throughout Europe and Asia.
IELTS it stands for International English Language Testing System and, like the TOEFL, is an international standardized English language proficiency test for non-native English speakers. IELTS was created in 1989 and is managed by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge Assessment English.
IELTS is accepted by a number of Australian, British, Canadian, Irish and New Zealand academic institutions, in addition to more than 3,000 academic institutions in the United States and by various professional organizations worldwide. IELTS has the advantage of being the only English Language Test approved by the British Visa and Immigration department (UK Visas and Immigration). As well as an alternative to the prerequisites required for immigration processes to Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
Like TOEFL, IELTS is divided into four sections (listening, reading, writing and speaking). IELTS has the peculiarity of being answered in pencil. It has two versions: Academic and General Training, the first aimed at entering Universities, undergraduate and graduate courses, and the second version used as a prerequisite for immigration, internships and jobs.
Scoring of the TOEFL and IELTS
TOEFL: There is no pass or fail score. Each institution or agency defines its own scoring requirements.
IELTS: There is no minimum score to pass this test. IELTS neither approves nor disapproves. The results for all levels of English: a score of 0-9 will be assigned to each of the test stages, which will reflect proficiency in the English language. What happens is that an IELTS result or Test Report Form (TRF) is issued to all participants, and the score is classified as follows: “range 1” (non-user of the language) ranging up to “range 9” (expert language user). It is actually up to each institution or immigration process that it establishes a necessary score.
Understand the IELTS scores
This content is available at the BritishCouncel.org website.
Band 9: Expert user. You have a full operational command of the language. Your use of English is appropriate, accurate and fluent, and you show complete understanding.
Band 8: Very good user. You have a fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriate usage. You may misunderstand some things in unfamiliar situations. You handle complex detailed argumentation well.
Band 7: Good user. You have an operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriate usage and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally you handle complex language well and understand detailed reasoning.
Band 6: Competent user. Generally you have an effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriate usage and misunderstandings. You can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations.
Band 5: Modest user. You have a partial command of the language, and cope with overall meaning in most situations, although you are likely to make many mistakes. You should be able to handle basic communication in your own field.
Band 4: Limited user. Your basic competence is limited to familiar situations. You frequently show problems in understanding and expression. You are not able to use complex language.
Band 3: Extremely limited user. You convey and understand only general meaning in very familiar situations. There are frequent breakdowns in communication.
Band 2: Intermittent user. You have great difficulty understanding spoken and written English.
Band 1: Non-user. You have no ability to use the language except a few isolated words.
Band 0: Did not attempt the text. You did not answer the questions.
Understand the TOEFL scores
This content is found at the ETS.org website.
The TOEFL score is assigned four weighted scores per section and a total score. Each section has a score range from 0 to 30.
They are added together for a total score of 0 to 120. The proficiency skill should be understood according to the section for each skill score.
Ability Levels: Reading
- Advanced (24–30)
- High-Intermediate (18–23)
- Low-Intermediate (4–17)
- Below Low-Intermediate (0–3)
Ability Levels: Listening
- Advanced (22–30)
- High-Intermediate (17–21)
- Low-Intermediate (9–16)
- Below Low-Intermediate (0–8)
Ability Levels: Speaking
- Advanced (25–30)
- High-Intermediate (20–24)
- Low-Intermediate (16–19)
- Basic (10–15)
- Below Basic (0–9)
Ability Levels: Writing
- Advanced (24–30)
- High-Intermediate (17–23)
- Low-Intermediate (13–16)
- Basic (7–12)
- Below Basic (0–6)
Different Types of the IELTS Exam
IELTS Indicator
The IELTS Indicator is an online exam, while face-to-face exams are not available due to Covid-19.
IELTS Academic
IELTS Academic is ideal for those seeking a higher education or who are interested in entering the job market in an English-speaking country.
IELTS General Training
IELTS General Training is indicated for those who wish to take courses outside the academic field and also for those who wish to immigrate and seek job opportunities in English-speaking countries.
IELTS for UK Visas and Immigrations (UKVI)
It is a specific IELTS for visa and immigration purposes in the United Kingdom (UKVI). For those who want to work, study or live in the UK.
So, which of these exams should I take?
The short answer is: it depends on your need!
Assess the reason why you are proposing to take one of these exams and research the prerequisites for the selection process to which you may be applying and so it will be easy to know which of these exams you should study for.
Which one are you studying for? Have you done any of them? Tell us your experience here in the comments!
Happy learning!
Click on one of the following links to start speaking clearer English!
1) TOEFL MASTER CLASS
2) free mini-course “punctuation mistakes to avoid”
3) Clear English Pronunciation Video Course
4) English Vocabulary – Audio Files & PDF – TOEFL & IELTS
Jhessika Nascimento
Director of International Partnerships
Jhessika Nascimento is a bilingual teacher of English and Portuguese, with degrees in Portuguese and English letters and Teaching in Higher Education. Jhessika is the Director of International Partnerships for Study With Andrea and lives in Brasilia, Brazil.
The following is a TOEFL Reading practice test to help you prepare for the Reading section of the TOEFL test.
Instructions: Read the sample passage below and then answer the questions that follow.
TOEFL Reading Practice Passage
Gorillas are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forest of central Sub-Saharan Africa. The genus Gorilla is divided into two species: the eastern gorillas and the western gorillas (both critically endangered), and either four or five subspecies. They are the largest living primates. The DNA of gorillas is highly similar to that of humans, from 95 to 99% depending on what is included, and they are the next closest living relatives to humans after the chimpanzees and bonobos.
Gorillas' natural habitats cover tropical or subtropical forest in Sub-Saharan Africa. Although their range covers a small percentage of Sub-Saharan Africa, gorillas cover a wide range of elevations. The mountain gorilla inhabits the Albertine Rift montane cloud forests of the Virunga Volcanoes, ranging in altitude from 2,200 to 4,300 metres (7,200 to 14,100 ft). Lowland gorillas live in dense forests and lowland swamps and marshes as low as sea level, with western lowland gorillas living in Central West African countries and eastern lowland gorillas living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo near its border with Rwanda.
(#1) Gorillas move around by knuckle-walking, although they sometimes walk upright for short distances, typically while carrying food or in defensive situations. (#2) A 2018 study investigating the hand posture of 77 mountain gorillas at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (8% of the population) found that knuckle walking was done only 60% of the time, and they also supported their weight on their fists, the backs of their hands/feet, and on their palms/soles (with the digits flexed). (#3) Studies of gorilla handedness have yielded varying results, with some arguing for no preference for either hand, and others right-hand dominance for the general population. (#4)
The eastern gorilla is more darkly colored than the western gorilla, with the mountain gorilla being the darkest of all. The mountain gorilla also has the thickest hair. The western lowland gorilla can be brown or grayish with a reddish forehead. In addition, gorillas that live in lowland forest are more slender and agile than the more bulky mountain gorillas. The eastern gorilla also has a longer face and broader chest than the western gorilla. Like humans, gorillas have individual fingerprints. Their eye color is dark brown, framed by a black ring around the iris. Gorilla facial structure is described as mandibular prognathism, that is, the mandible protrudes farther out than the maxilla. Adult males also have a prominent sagittal crest.
A gorilla's lifespan is normally between 35 and 40 years, although zoo gorillas may live for 50 years or more. Colo, a female western gorilla at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, was the oldest known gorilla at 60 years of age when she died on 17 January 2017.
Questions
1. According to the passage, gorillas can live in
a. a variety of altitudes.
b. several different countries in Africa.
c. thick forests.
d. lowland forests only.
2. All of the following is true about gorillas EXCEPT
a. they primarily eat smaller animals.
b. they live in a forest habitat.
c. their genetics are similar to humans.
d. their diet consists of vegetation.
3. Look at the word predominantly in paragraph 1. The word predominantly in this passage refers to
a. impulsively
b. unfortunately
c. mainly
d. lastly
4. Look at the word inhabits in paragraph 2. The word inhabits in this passage refers to
a. lives in
b. protects
c. goes
d. works
5. The author implies that
a. most gorillas prefer using their left hand over their right.
b. gorillas rarely walk on their knuckles.
c. gorillas regularly walk upright for long distances.
d. studies haven't solidly proven which hand gorillas prefer using.
6. Why does the writer mention that the eastern gorilla also has a longer face and broader chest than the western gorilla?
a. To validate the importance a broad chest in western gorillas
b. To define the meaning of "broad"
c. To highlight a physical difference between types of gorillas
d. To demonstrate that most gorillas are identical in physical build
7. Which of the following statements is true for BOTH eastern and western gorillas.
a. Both eastern and western gorrilas are brown with red foreheads.
b. Both eastern and western gorrilas have unique fingerprints.
c. Both eastern and western gorrilas have thin hair.
d. Both eastern and western gorrilas have light brown eyes.
8. In Paragraph 3, look at the four numbers (#1, #2, #3, #4) that indicate where the following sentence would be added to the passage.
Such a range of hand postures was previously thought to have been used by only orangutans.
Where would the sentence best fit?
(View all the correct answers below.)
Great job! If you're ready to take your TOEFL preparation to the next level, go to StudyWithAndrea.com/TOEFL.
Answers: 1. d 2. a 3. c 4. a 5. d 6. c 7. b 8. #3
Click on one of the following links to start speaking clearer English!
1) TOEFL MASTER CLASS
2) free mini-course "punctuation mistakes to avoid"
3) Clear English Pronunciation Video Course
4) English Vocabulary - Audio Files & PDF - TOEFL & IELTS
About Andrea
Andrea Giordano is the founder of StudyWithAndrea.com and has taught more than 1,000,000 students from 180 countries. Andrea holds a Master of Education (TESOL) from Shenandoah University, and is the former Executive Director of TESOL and ESL programs at Campbellsville University. Andrea is a proven leader in online English teaching and is driven by her passion to help you speak English clearly.
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