TOEFL or IELTS? A head-to-head comparison

TOEFL or IELTS: the most important question first

Before you compare formats, clarify one thing: what does your target institution require? Some universities, employers or authorities accept only one of the two tests, while others accept both with different minimum scores. Many state requirements separately for the overall result and for each section. Only if both tests are accepted is it worth asking which suits you better.

This decision is the first step in any serious exam preparation. We regularly see learners practising for weeks for the wrong test because they did not read the requirements of their degree programme carefully. Besides TOEFL and IELTS, there are other recognised certificates, such as Cambridge exams or Pearson tests; our comparison of English certificates gives a broader overview.

The short answer

• TOEFL iBT suits you if you like working on a computer, type quickly and cope well with many short, timed tasks.
• IELTS suits you if you would rather speak to a person than into a microphone and prefer longer texts.

TOEFL and IELTS: structure compared

The TOEFL iBT was fundamentally revised on 21 January 2026. According to ETS, it takes about two hours excluding instructions and adapts to your level of performance (adaptive testing). According to the official IELTS guide, IELTS takes 2 hours 45 minutes in total.

Sources: TOEFL iBT structure at ETS, IELTS format at ielts.org. The most striking difference: TOEFL relies on many short tasks under time pressure, IELTS on fewer but longer tasks.

TOEFL score and IELTS band: scoring compared

TOEFL and IELTS use different scales. For tests taken from 21 January 2026, TOEFL reports results from 1 to 6 in half-point steps, aligned with the CEFR, and until January 2028 also a comparable score on the old 0 to 120 scale. IELTS awards bands from 0 to 9. Neither test has a pass mark.

TOEFL: the new 1 to 6 scale

For tests from 21 January 2026, ETS reports four section scores and an overall score on a scale of 1 to 6 in half-point steps. The scale is aligned with the CEFR: 6 corresponds to C2, 5 to 5.5 to C1, 4 to 4.5 to B2, 3 to 3.5 to B1, 2 to 2.5 to A2 and 1 to 1.5 to A1 (ETS on the new scale). During a transition period until January 2028, the score report also includes a comparable score on the previous 0 to 120 scale. This matters if your university still states its requirements on the old scale.

IELTS: bands from 0 to 9

IELTS scores each section with a band from 0 to 9 in whole or half bands. Writing and speaking are assessed by trained examiners using publicly available criteria. Neither IELTS nor TOEFL has a “pass”: what matters is whether your result meets the required minimum scores.

Validity

According to ETS, TOEFL scores are valid for two years from the test date; after that, ETS no longer reports them. For IELTS, the partners also recommend two years, but institutions can set their own rules (ielts.org). TOEFL also offers MyBest Scores, which combine your best section scores from all valid tests taken in the last two years. Each university decides for itself whether it accepts MyBest (ETS).

Speaking in TOEFL and IELTS: microphone or person?

For many test takers, speaking is the deciding difference. In TOEFL, you speak for around eight minutes on a computer, repeating sentences and answering interview questions with no chance to ask for clarification. In IELTS, you have an 11 to 14-minute conversation with an examiner, made up of an interview, a two-minute talk and a discussion.

Which suits whom?

If you open up in conversation when someone reacts, nods and asks follow-up questions, you will feel more comfortable in IELTS. If, on the other hand, you get nervous when someone is listening, you may find recording your answers on a computer more relaxed. In TOEFL, however, every second counts: the response time visibly runs down, and you cannot bridge a hesitation with a gesture or a smile.

Phrases that help in both tests

• From my experience, …
• The main reason is that …, and on top of that …
• For instance, when I was working on …
• So overall, I’d say that …

If you tend to freeze when speaking, work on it early, whichever test you choose. You will find strategies in overcoming the fear of speaking English.

Writing: TOEFL tasks and the IELTS essay compared

The two tests differ a great deal in writing too. In TOEFL, you write short, compact texts on a computer under time pressure: an email about an everyday situation and a contribution to an online seminar discussion, plus a sentence-building task. IELTS Academic gives you 60 minutes for two longer, structured texts.

In Write an Email, you respond to an everyday situation; in Write for an Academic Discussion, you post a contribution to an online seminar discussion and react to other students’ opinions. According to ETS teaching material, you have seven and ten minutes respectively. In Build a Sentence, you put words together to form correct sentences.

In IELTS Academic, Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1. What matters here is paragraph structure, argumentation and the ability to develop a position coherently over 250 words.

Example: TOEFL Academic Discussion

Teacher’s prompt: Should universities require all students to take a course in personal finance?

Possible answer (extract): I agree with Maria that financial literacy is essential, but I would go a step further. In my view, such a course should be compulsory in the first year, because that is exactly when many students sign their first rental contract and take on debt for the first time. Unlike Tom, I don’t think online videos are enough, since students rarely watch them without a deadline.

The answer refers to other posts by name, adds a new idea and justifies it. How to structure longer argumentative texts for IELTS is shown in our article on writing an essay in English exams.

TOEFL or IELTS: choosing by profile

If your institution accepts both tests, your profile decides. If you type quickly, like working under time pressure or want to take the test at home, you will probably lean towards TOEFL. If you prefer writing longer, structured texts and speaking to people rather than a microphone, IELTS is usually the better fit.

Our advice: take an official practice test for both exams under real time conditions. Often, after just an hour, it becomes clear which format suits you. For IELTS, you will find a detailed guide in our IELTS guide.

Checklist before you register

• Which test and which version (e.g. IELTS Academic or General Training) is required?
• Are there minimum scores for each section or only for the overall result?
• Does the institution accept TOEFL MyBest Scores or results from the Home Edition?
• How old may the result be at the application deadline?
• How long does it take for the results to be available and sent to the institution?
• Is there enough time for a second attempt if the first result falls just short?

If you clarify these questions early, you avoid stress in the weeks before the application deadline and can plan realistically.

In a professional context

For a job application in Germany, Austria or Switzerland, or for internal career development, TOEFL and IELTS are often not needed at all. Cambridge or Pearson certificates, which also do not expire, are frequently sufficient. Which option fits depends on your goal; you will find details in our article on the Pearson English International Certificate. Companies that want a reliable assessment of their employees’ language skills are best off starting with a language audit.

Common mistakes in TOEFL and IELTS

Many mistakes come not from weak English but from unfamiliarity with the format. In TOEFL, thinking too long and incomplete emails cost points; in IELTS, a missing overview in Task 1, ignored word limits in listening and memorised speaking answers. In both tests, learners often trip over false friends and tenses carried over from their first language.

In TOEFL

• Thinking for too long: with short, timed tasks, every hesitation costs time that you will miss at the end. Decide quickly and move on.
• An email that misses part of the task: Write an Email usually specifies several points. If one is missing, your score drops, even if your language is good.
• An academic discussion post without engagement: if you only repeat your own opinion and do not respond to the other posts, you waste potential.
• An unfamiliar keyboard: if you rarely type in English, you lose time to autocorrect habits and special characters from your own language. Practise on a keyboard without spellcheck.

In IELTS

• Task 1 without an overview: a description of a graphic without a summarising overview rarely reaches a high band.
• Ignoring word limits in listening: if the instructions say “NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS”, a longer answer is wrong.
• Memorised answers in speaking: examiners recognise rehearsed texts and deliberately steer the conversation elsewhere.
• Confusing Not Given with False: the answer is only False if the text explicitly says the opposite.

In both tests

Typical mistakes for German speakers, for example, are false friends (eventually means “in the end”, not “possibly” like German eventuell), wrong tenses (I live here since 2019 instead of I have lived here since 2019) and translating sentence structures too literally. Speakers of other languages have their own typical traps, so ask your teacher to identify yours. A detailed list for German speakers is available in our article on typical mistakes German speakers make in English (in German).

Preparing for TOEFL and IELTS: a study plan

Whichever test you choose, exam training is no substitute for solid language skills. If your level is still well below the required score, invest first in general academic English, for example in our online English courses, and then move on to exam training. Once your level is close, a targeted plan for your test makes the biggest difference.

A common foundation for both tests

• Academic vocabulary: verbs such as assess, indicate, contribute, emphasise and typical collocations.
• Understanding lectures and seminar discussions, with note-taking techniques.
• Arguing with reasons and examples, in writing and speaking.

Test-specific training

• TOEFL: typing speed, quick answers to interview questions, time management for short tasks, confidence with the adaptive format.
• IELTS: describing graphics, a 250-word essay in 40 minutes, Speaking Part 2 with one minute of preparation, True/False/Not Given.

In our TOEFL preparation and IELTS preparation, we create a plan after a needs analysis, working backwards from your application deadline. choices® prepares you for these exams but does not run them or issue certificates. Individuals train online in one-to-one lessons; you will find details under language courses for individuals. If you get nervous before the exam, our article on overcoming exam anxiety can help.

Sources

1. in.ets.org: content structure
2. ets.org: score scale update
3. ets.org: understand scores
4. ets.org: get scores
5. ielts.org: academic test format in detail
6. ielts.org: preparation resources
7. ielts.org: verifying ielts results
8. fr.ets.org: toefl ibt lesson plan writing

Frequently asked questions