If you are unable to decide whether to choose the IELTS or TOEFL test, this information could be really helpful. We shall analyse all the important concepts related to both these tests are so that it will be much better and easier for you to pick the right test that is suitable for your needs and requirements IELTS or TOEFL.
The IELTS, The International English Language Testing System is a standard test of English. It is jointly conducted by the Cambridge University, the British Council, and international development programme (IDP). Taking the IELTS test is a big decision and you should consider several things before you plan to take the test. Here is a brief insight into the test.
1. The test is taken for many reasons like immigrating to a foreign country where English is the primary language used to communicate, for studying in an English speaking country basically graduate and postgraduate studies.
2. The test has a wide range of acceptance. More than 10000 organisations around the world considered the IELTS scores as being standard for testing the efficiency of a candidate to use the English language while communicating.
3. They are 3 to 4 best slots available for the candidates register themselves for the test. You can select the test date that is comfortable for you.
4. If you are planning to continue your education in a University which is located countries such as Canada, Australia, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, then the universities would set as set deadline to applications duly filled by the student. There will be deadlines according to which students have to select the IELTS test date.
5. Choosing a test centre is much easier as a large number of centres are available in the present days for taking the IELTS test. It is not just available in big metropolitan cities. It is also available in smaller towns for the ease of the candidates.
6. There is no restriction on the number of times you attempt the test. You can give the test as many times as you desire, and it is not mandatory to limit this.
7. There is no pass or fail in the test. For this reason, evaluation is not done in the form of marks. It is given in the form of Band scores. They are a wide range of bands from 0 to 9. The people who called a band zero are called non-users. In contrast,people who get a band 9 are called expert users of the English language.
8. There are two forms of taking the test – one is called the IELTS pbt- the test which is taken on the paper. Alternatively, you may also opt for taking the IELTS Computer Based test for computer delivered test. This form of testing is completely online excepting for the speaking test.
9. The IELTS test is a purpose based test, which means that you can take the IELTS academic test if you are planning to study or it is also used for professional registrations, and IELTS general training test is primarily meant for the purpose of immigration or settling in a foreign country.
10. The test is divided into two parts, namely reading, writing, listening and speaking. The scores are given to each of these tests individually before taking the mean value and calling it as the overall band score.
11. For listening and reading tests which are completely objective type, there is a set conversion table which is helpful to give the band scores depending on how many answers the candidate have written correctly.
12. However, for the IELTS writing and speaking tests, there is no set criteria like that. There are certain factors based on which the score is awarded, and these are called band descriptors. For the IELTS writing test the band descriptors are task response, task achievement, coherence and Cohesion, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy.
For the IELTS speaking test, the marking criteria for the band descriptors are lexical resource, Grammatical range and accuracy, fluency and coherence, and pronunciation.
13. Finally, if you are in the search of a test that can assess your language ability, then the IELTS is the test for you.
What is the TOEFL test?
TOEFL stands for the Test Of English as a Foreign Language. This test also has a wide range of acceptability in almost every English speaking country, particularly the United States of America. Here are some of the very important features of this test which you must understand while choosing the right test of English proficiency.
1. This test is fully online, which means that you need not write anything on a paper, and can just type the related content.
2. The test is divided into 4 different sections, namely the listening test, the reading test, the writing test, and the speaking test.
3. All the four parts of the test are completed within one day.
4. The total time for the test is approximately 4 hours.
5. The time given for the speaking and writing test are always the same. For the speaking test you will be given 20 minutes of time. For the writing test you will be given 50 minutes of time.
6. There is a break time of approximately 10 minutes between the speaking and listening test. This break is mandatory to be taken.
7. The test time for the reading test and listening test may vary depending upon how many questions are given. The time for the listening test would approximately be 60 to 90 minutes, and the reading test should be conducted for a total time of 60 to 80 minutes approximately.
8. You will be given a blank rough paper to scribble any notes in between the test.
9. For completing the listening and speaking sections, you will have to use a microphone and a headset which will be provided by the exam center. You will need a keyboard complete the writing and reading sections of the test.
10. For each part of the test, the score is given out of 30 points, which totally amounts to 120 points. Thus, you get a chance to prove of proficiency in the English language in the best possible way.
11. You can view the results of your test online after 10 days from the test date.
Now that you know the complete details about the IELTS test and the TOEFL test, you can decide which one is appropriate(IELTS or TOEFL) for you depending on your requirements.
