The appeal of the IELTS
With its live, one-on-one component, The IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is viewed by many as a superior exam for evaluating the spoken English skills of potential students. Until recently, the TOEFL had no such component and many of the countries requiring the IELTS felt that a speech component to an English proficiency exam was crucial.
Whether or not the IELTS is a better exam really seems to be a matter of opinion. However, its acceptance as an assessment tool has grown in the United States in recent years. In addition to the TOEFL, more than 800 U.S. schools now accept the IELTS as well.. For the most part, the choice of which test to take is up to you.
The TOEFL catches up
So, which test is better? It depends on who you ask! Some schools remain firmly devoted to the IELTS and its interactive, personalized-speech format. On the other hand, the TOEFL gained some ground globally when it introduced its Internet-based test format with a new recorded speech portion. With both tests now offering the ability to test spoken language, and the TOEFL spreading its Internet-based testing ability across the globe, the TOEFL has seen upward spikes in number of users in various parts of the world.
What do you need?
Internet-based testing is a feat that is just beginning for the IELTS. However, many test prep and coaching companies exist worldwide that prepare students for the current IELTS format (which is expected to stay around for at least a few more years.) The new TOEFL, on the other hand, has coaching companies stumped for now. Certainly, both tests offer sample materials to potential test-takers, but if you can prep for one with a professional test coach, you may prefer the IELTS as long as the schools you're applying to will accept it.
Talking the talk
As far as speech evaluation goes, there is no definitive rule on which test is better. Some say the individualized IELTS format is great, while others think there's a potential for bias and an even greater chance of inconsistency in scoring due to individual nuances of the examiners. Critics of the IELTS believe that the panel review of recorded speech for the TOEFL is a more accurate, less biased mechanism for evaluation.
The choice is probably yours
Ultimately, the test you take will probably be guided by which test your choice schools request. If both are acceptable, availability of testing locations and cost will probably play a significant role in your decision. Both tests have websites that can answer many of your questions and which maintain up-to-date news on the progression of their Internet-based test expansions. For most testing dates and locations, you can register online as well as access sample test materials and tips on how to do your best.
If you’re a foreign student planning to attend college or graduate school in the United States, chances are you need to take the TOEFL
® — the Test of English as a Foreign Language. More than 5,200 colleges and universities worldwide require this test as part of your application. It is designed to evaluate your mastery of the English language and your ability to be successful in an English-speaking academic environment. Each year, more than half a million students take the test, primarily for the purpose of attending graduate school. The TOEFL is also used by undergraduate institutions and by several government agencies and other organizations for professional certification.
How it’s administered
Until 2005, the TOEFL was administered primarily as a computer-based test (CBT) at designated ETS test centers worldwide. (ETS is the Educational Testing Service, the agency which develops and administers the test.) A new version of the test, the TOEFL iBT®, or internet-based TOEFL, was introduced in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Puerto Rico in 2005. Starting in March 2006, ETS began introducing the TOEFL iBT to other countries around the world, including selected cities in Africa, the Americas, Europe, Eurasia, the Middle East, and North Africa.
Eventually, the TOEFL iBT will be integrated worldwide, but for now, the paper-based version (along with the Test of Spoken English) is still being administered in several countries. You can find out which version your location offers at www.ets.org. The computer-based version of the test is no longer available.
What it measures
Historically, the CBT and the PBT versions of the TOEFL measured your English skills by testing reading, writing, and listening. Until the paper-based version is phased out, it will continue to evaluate your proficiency in this manner. However, the TOEFL iBT test has a new format that emphasizes your ability in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. During the test, you may be asked to read text and listen to a lesson, and then write or speak your response.
The test centers will record your speech, and also provide audio presentations during the testing — a first for a global standardized test! ETS refers to this new format as an "integrated tasks" test, and intends to provide a more complete assessment of your language skills. Schools should be able to look at your scores and get a clear picture of how well you will be able to communicate and learn in an English-speaking academic environment.
With the advent of the new TOEFL iBT® (Internet-based TOEFL) and its online delivery, a new and better era of language skill assessment has been introduced. The new test includes voice-recording technology that more effectively measures your ability to both understand and to speak English. It is a better evaluation tool for assessing your overall communication skills in the English language.
So, what’s new? Well, almost everything!
It takes longer to complete
The computer and paper-based versions took about 3.5 hours. The TOEFL iBT is about 4 hours long. You will be required to complete all of the sections in one day, so you will not have to travel to the test center twice.
You can take notes
You can do this throughout the test and it will come in handy with the new format.
The questions are different
Because effective communication includes many skills, the TOEFL iBT introduces the concept of “integrated questions” which combine multiple language skills. You will be asked to:
- Read, listen, and then speak in response to a question
- Listen and then speak in response to a question
- Read, listen, and then write in response to a question
It’s more like the real thing
The listening sections include longer, more authentic conversations and lectures instead of shorter dialogues. You can take notes while listening. Test questions will ask you to determine things like the attitude of the speaker, the point of the lecture, or the speaker’s motivation.
The Writing section is longer
You’ll be required to write a response to material that you hear and read, and to then compose an essay in support of an opinion. Your responses are scored by human graders, as well as by the ETS Online Scoring Network.
It has a Speaking section
Wearing headphones, you will give verbal responses to six tasks into a microphone. Your responses will be digitally recorded and transmitted to the ETS Online Scoring Network where human scorers rate them. The scorers are carefully monitored for accuracy, so you can be assured of the reliability of your Speaking scores.
There’s no Grammar section
This section is gone, but your grammar will be evaluated in your speaking and writing responses.
They explain your scores
You’ll get a description of your performance on key points of the test. This will help you to study for future tests and to increase your English-language ability.
Article complements of Peterson's. Learn more tips about testing college entrance exams and take a free practice tests by clicking here.
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