?Which test is more difficult? For most people this question is irrelevant, as most people know many Universities or colleges will specify which test you must take. Most institutions will accept one b
? Which test is more difficult?
For most people this question is irrelevant, as most people know many Universities or colleges will specify which test you must take. Most institutions will accept one but not the other, although the number of schools which accept both seems to be increasing gradually.
If you are one of the people faced with the choice, there are a few differences which you might consider before making your decision.
Overall the two tests are actually quite similar. They both involve a long and exhausting test session. For many people these two tests will be the longest “exam sitting” they have experienced.
Obviously both tests now include the same 4 modules (Speaking, Writing, Listening and Reading) although these are broken down into sub-tests quite differently, TOEFL preferring a larger number of smaller test modules (e.g. 6 separate speaking sub-tests).
Another clear similarity is that for both the speaking and writing tests these two testing systems use very detailed and precise marking systems. This is where the real differences exist, in the actual way that the scores are given.
The Speaking Test
When you analyze the marking criteria for the two tests it starts to become clear that these tests are quite different.
If you consider the scoring system overall, the key difference is the band scores. TOEFL Speaking awards scores on a scale of 1 to 4 whereas as IELTS uses 1 to 9.
The important thing to realize here is that the differences between the scores or the “score boundaries” will be quite different. Because TOEFL only awards scores from 1 to 4, candidates in the score region of 3 for example can actually have quite different levels of ability. In contrast, for IELTS candidates, people in the band level of 6 will have very similar overall Speaking abilities.
How do the scores relate to each other? A commonly asked question is whether a TOEFL Speaking Level 4 is the same as an IELTS Speaking Band 9. The answer is that the scores are not parallel. It is not easy to calculate but an intelligent estimation would be that a TOEFL Level 4 is approximately the same level as an IELTS 6.5.
However, as I explained the TOEFL score is wider, so in fact any IELTS Speaking candidate with a score of 6 – 9 would most likely be awarded Level 4 in TOEFL.
What does this mean for the candidate? One way that this could be relevant is for very high level candidates. A candidate with excellent Spoken English would really be given the recognition that he or she deserves, for example a Band Score 8 or 9. If that same candidate took the TOEFL test they would only be able to score Level 4 in each question, putting them in the same category as some one who is only an IELTS Band 6.
I witnessed this situation recently. A student from one of my TOEFL classes scored very high in the TOEFL Speaking Test and then two months later took the IELTS test and scored 6.0 for Speaking.
