{"id":241,"date":"2026-05-08T06:52:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T06:52:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ieltsmate.vn\/blog\/2026\/05\/08\/international-english-language-testing-system-vs-toefl-comparison\/"},"modified":"2026-05-08T06:52:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T06:52:24","slug":"international-english-language-testing-system-vs-toefl-comparison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ieltsmate.vn\/blog\/2026\/05\/08\/international-english-language-testing-system-vs-toefl-comparison\/","title":{"rendered":"International English Language Testing System vs TOEFL: Which Test Should You Take?"},"content":{"rendered":"

IELTS vs TOEFL: A Detailed Comparison<\/h2>\n

When choosing an English proficiency test, the two most popular options are the International English Language Testing System (IELTS)<\/strong> and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)<\/strong>. This comparison helps you decide which is right for you.<\/p>\n

Key Differences at a Glance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Feature<\/th>\nIELTS<\/th>\nTOEFL iBT<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Administrator<\/td>\nBritish Council, IDP, Cambridge<\/td>\nETS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Duration<\/td>\n2 hours 44 minutes<\/td>\n2 hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Scoring<\/td>\n0-9 band scale<\/td>\n0-120 points<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Speaking Format<\/td>\nFace-to-face with examiner<\/td>\nRecorded on computer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Validity<\/td>\n2 years<\/td>\n2 years<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

Speaking: The Biggest Difference<\/h2>\n

The International English Language Testing System uses a face-to-face interview<\/strong> with a trained human examiner lasting 11-14 minutes. TOEFL requires you to speak into a microphone<\/strong> for about 17 minutes, with responses scored by AI and human raters.<\/p>\n

If you perform better in real conversations, IELTS gives you an advantage. If you prefer recording your answers without the pressure of a live examiner, TOEFL may suit you better.<\/p>\n

Score Conversion Chart<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
IELTS Band<\/th>\nTOEFL iBT<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
5.5<\/td>\n46-59<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6.0<\/td>\n60-78<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6.5<\/td>\n79-93<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7.0<\/td>\n94-101<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7.5<\/td>\n102-109<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8.0<\/td>\n110-114<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9.0<\/td>\n118-120<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

Which Countries Prefer Which Test?<\/h2>\n
    \n
  • UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland<\/strong>: IELTS is the default and often required for visa applications<\/li>\n
  • USA<\/strong>: TOEFL is more traditional, but IELTS is accepted at 3,400+ institutions<\/li>\n
  • Canada<\/strong>: Both accepted; IELTS preferred for Express Entry immigration<\/li>\n
  • Europe<\/strong>: IELTS is more widely accepted<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Which Is Harder?<\/h2>\n

    Neither test is objectively harder. Difficulty depends on your strengths:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • IELTS<\/strong> is harder if you struggle with varied question types or face-to-face speaking<\/li>\n
    • TOEFL<\/strong> is harder if you find academic listening passages long or dislike integrated tasks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Conclusion<\/h2>\n

      Choose the International English Language Testing System<\/strong> if you are targeting the UK, Australia, or Canada, or prefer a face-to-face speaking test. Choose TOEFL<\/strong> if you are applying to US universities and prefer a fully computer-based experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      IELTS vs TOEFL: A Detailed Comparison When choosing an English proficiency test, the two most popular options are the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). This comparison helps you decide which is right for you. Key Differences at a Glance Feature IELTS TOEFL iBT Administrator […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chua-phan-loai"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ieltsmate.vn\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ieltsmate.vn\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ieltsmate.vn\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ieltsmate.vn\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ieltsmate.vn\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=241"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ieltsmate.vn\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ieltsmate.vn\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ieltsmate.vn\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ieltsmate.vn\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}