Here’s a detailed guide to making your decision easier.
One important, as well as the most basic step towards your journey to study, migrate or work abroad, is to clear your English proficiency test. The very first obstacle that comes your way is choosing among the various English proficiency tests.
The tests typically used for applying to universities are TOEFL, IELTS, and PTE and it has been an age-old battle to choose from these. There is no forthright answer. Different universities prefer different exams. The ease of the exam may vary from human to human. There are a lot of other factors like scoring, patterns, methods of conducting the exam, and certain advantages and disadvantages.
So let’s cover all these points as we dig deeper into this debate of choosing between IELTS, TOEFL and PTE and find out which one is triumphant.
IELTS
The IELTS exam is potentially one of the most recognized English proficiency tests all over the world. The test is recognized and approved by more than 10,000 institutions and immigration bodies worldwide.
There are two types of IELTS exams – Academic and General Training. Students usually take the former for studying in a foreign university and the latter is for individuals who want to apply for immigration or work visas.
IELTS Academic
The IELTS Academic exam is designed in four parts:
- Listening: You will listen to recordings and answer 40 questions in 30 minutes, with an additional 10 minutes allocated for transferring your answers.
- Academic Reading: You will read 3 texts, to answer 40 questions in 60 minutes.
- Academic Writing: There are 2 tasks. For the first one, you need to describe a graph, table, chart, or other visual information. For the second one, you have to write an essay as an answer to a point of view, problem, or argument in 60 minutes.
- Speaking: The speaking test consists of three parts. First, the examiner will ask you questions about familiar topics like hobbies, family, likes and dislikes, and daily routine. In Part 2, you will express your opinion about a specific topic. Finally, Part 3 involves follow-up questions related to Part 2’s topic. This test typically lasts around 11-14 minutes.
TOEFL
TOEFL is one of the oldest and most widely accepted tests. It is approved by thousands of institutes in approximately 200 countries and territories.
There are three types of TOEFL exams. PBT (Paper-based test), CBT (Computer based test), and iBT (Internet-based test) but currently TOEFL iBT is the most common.
The TOEFL iBT exam is structured into 4 parts:
- Reading: You’ll read 2 passages from academic texts and you’ll need to answer 20 questions. It lasts for 35 minutes.
- Listening: You’ll listen to 5 recordings(3 Lectures and 2 Conversations) of native speakers, and then you are supposed to answer 28 questions in 36 minutes.
- Speaking: You need to express your viewpoint on a familiar topic and provide answers related to reading and listening tasks. It goes on for 16 minutes.
- Writing: There are 2 tasks. In the Integrated Writing Task, you have 20 minutes to read a short passage, listen to a brief lecture, and then write a response based on both sources. In the Writing for Academic Discussion task, you will have 10 minutes to express and support an opinion within an online discussion format.
PTE
The Pearson Test of English Academic, or PTE, is the newly discovered entrant to the field. Despite being new, it is catching up with the other two by gaining popularity and acceptance.
The test is accepted by thousands of universities worldwide, as well as by the Australian and New Zealand governments for visa purposes.
The PTE Academic has 3 parts:
- Speaking & Writing: You’ll have to complete diverse tasks, including introducing yourself, reading aloud, describing an image, summarising a text, writing an essay, and others in a total of 54-67 minutes.
- Reading: You’ll have to complete tasks like filling in the blanks, answering multiple-choice questions, and reordering paragraphs. You’ll get 29-30 minutes for it.
- Listening: You’ll have to answer a series of questions after listening or watching audio or video clips. This part can last for 30-43 minutes.
Grading of the tests:
The proficiency level for IELTS ranges from bands 0 to 9. Total scores in TOEFL range from 0–120 and The PTE Academic exam is graded from 10 – 90 using the Global Scale of English.
Key deciding factors:
- Exam Duration:
The duration of the IELTS test is approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes. The TOEFL exam takes just under 2 hours to complete, while the PTE exam takes about 2 hours.
- Result Timeline:
Out of the 3 tests, PTE has the shortest waiting period for results in comparison to a waiting duration of 13 days for IELTS and 4-8 days for TOEFL.
- Budget:
The cost of the TOEFL test is US$ 205, while for IELTS and PTE is INR 17000.00
- Test Rescheduling:
You can reschedule your IELTS and PTE tests only if the test date is at least 15 days from the date on which you are applying for transfer while ETS allows candidates to reschedule the TOEFL exam against a fee of US$60 and that too 4 days before the booked slot. You can only reschedule by the method that you used for registration.
- Test Format:
PTE is a computer-based test. TOEFL is an internet based whereas IELTS is Paper-based or computer Delivered. The speaking test happens Face-to-face.
If you’re someone who finds the prospect of face-to-face frightening and are more comfortable speaking in a microphone, then PTE is the one for you whereas for those who lack basic computer skills and prefer writing on paper then the IELTS exam is convenient for you.
- MyBest™ Scores: TOEFL iBT gives you an upper hand with this new feature which combines your best scores for each section from all of your valid TOEFL iBT scores in the last 2 years to give you a chance to show your best overall test performance.
Also, if you’re someone who doesn’t have a passport and still desires to take an English proficiency test, then TOEFL is your saviour in shining armour. You can appear in this exam with any valid ID proof.
Which test should I take?
If you’ve come this far, We hope you can make your decision about which test to opt for. On the whole, it doesn’t matter if you choose IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, or PTE Academic. They are all pronounced exams that allow students to go abroad and fulfil their dreams. The right approach and willpower can make you ace any English proficiency test.