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Comparing TOEFL® iBT and IELTS TOEFL Internet-based Test (iBT)
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IELTS
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Recognition
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Recognizing institutions
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6,000 institutions and organizations in 110 countries
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1,300 institutions and organizations in 65 countries
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Top recognizing countries
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United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, Netherlands
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United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, United States
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Reach
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Test-taker volumes in 2005
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~825,000
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~409,000 Academic, ~142,000 General
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Top countries in 2005 (outside English-speaking countries)
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Korea, Japan, China, India, Taiwan, Turkey, Germany, Italy, France, Thailand
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India, China, Pakistan, Philippines, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brazil, Spain
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Accessibility
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Test centers
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3085 test centers in 169 countries by end of 2006. 3000 of these centers will be for TOEFL iBT.
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313 centers in 122 countries
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Testing frequency
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30–40 administrations/year, depending on volume and location. Examinees may take the TOEFL iBT test only once in any seven day period. All 4 sections (Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing) always taken in one day.
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48 fixed administrations. No restrictions on frequency of retesting.
The first 3 modules (Listening, Reading and Writing) must be completed in one day. Test takers may take the Speaking module in a 7-day window before or after they take the other modules. The exact date of the Speaking module is determined by the test center.
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Price
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Fee ranges from AUD$184 to 223. Includes sending score reports to 4 institutions.
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Fee ranges from AUD$170 to 286. Includes sending score reports to 5 institutions.
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Test Delivery
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Internet-based testing supplemented by paper-based testing and the Test of Spoken English™ (TSE®) in areas where Internet-based testing is not yet available.
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Paper-based testing available. Computer-based version introduced in 2005 and available in 10 cities for Academic module only.
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Test Content
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Skills tested
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Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing
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Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing
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Formats available
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Academic only
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Academic (75% test takers) and General Training (25% test takers)
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Integrated skills
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Yes
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No
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Listening
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• Assesses academic and campus-based listening using authentic university material.
• 4–6 lectures (some with classroom discussion); 2 campus-based conversations between 2–3 people; each is heard only once.
• 34–51 questions in 60–90 minutes.
• Question types: chart completion and multiple choice.
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• Assesses general English using social, educational, and training contexts.
• Monologues and dialogues between 2–3 people; each is heard only once.
• 40 items in 30 minutes.
• Question types: multiple choice, short answer, notes/summary/flow chart completion, sentence completion, labeling a diagram, and matching.
• Includes a variety of native English accents.
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Reading
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• Assesses academic reading skills using authentic university material.
• 3–5 passages appropriate for those who are entering undergraduate or graduate courses.
• 36–60 questions in 60–100 minutes.
• Question types: prose summary completion, table completion, and multiple choice.
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• Assesses either academic or general reading skills, depending on which module the test taker chooses.
• Academic module: 3 reading passages appropriate for those who are entering undergraduate or graduate courses.
• 40 items in 60 minutes.
• Question types: multiple choice, sentence or prose summary completion, short-answer questions, and matching lists or phrases.
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Speaking
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Assesses the academic speaking skills needed to succeed by using authentic university material and tasks. 2 independent tasks and 4 integrated tasks.
• Integrated tasks: Test takers read a short passage, listen to related material, and then orally integrate the information in their own words.
• Independent tasks: Test takers respond to familiar topic based on own experience.
20 minutes
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Assesses interactive speaking skills using a structured interview conducted by an examiner and recorded on a cassette tape.
• Part 1: Introduction and interview based on selected, familiar topics.
• Part 2: Individual long turn in which test takers respond to a selected task card.
• Part 3: Two-way discussion linked to the Part 2 topic.
11–14 minutes
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